Let's Make Health Insurance Policies Readable

Insurance firms' numbers blindside Baucus bill's backers

(NEWSER) - A new report that says the Senate Finance Committee’s reform bill would raise private insurance premiums is riddled with troubling exceptions, writes Jonathan Cohn. The report, commissioned by America's Health Insurance Plans, estimates the costs of premiums over time if the bill is implemented, but it doesn’t take into account the subsidies also implemented under the bill to help families pay for coverage. More»

(NEWSER) - Insurance companies are being hit from all sides on at least one issue—in industry jargon, it's called rescission. In the real world, it's when insurers cancel coverage because they say a customer has lied to them about a preexisting condition or some other issue. It's not clear how many such cancellations occur, but judging by the number of lawsuits filed by people suddenly facing staggering medical bills without coverage, it's a sizable number, reports the Washington Post. More»

Kennedy leads meetings with industry

(NEWSER) - A series of unprecedented back-room meetings among the biggest players in health care is close to a consensus: Any new legislation will require that every American have insurance, the New York Times reports. The next part, of course, is trickier: figuring out how to enforce it, how to make it affordable, and whether to put the onus on employers. One idea floated: a tax penalty on individuals who choose to go without even if they can afford it. More»

Health insurers to hand $1.3B back to consumers, employers this summer

(NEWSER) - Health insurers will be handing some $1.3 billion back to consumers and employers this summer as a key provision of ObamaCare comes into force. The health care law requires insurers to spend at least 80% of premiums on health care and quality improvements, or provide refunds. A study from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 16 million Americans will be receiving rebates of up to $150, reports Reuters . More»

Supreme Court will hear arguments on health care law's individual mandate

(NEWSER) - Today's the big day: The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the focal point of the challenge to President Obama's health care law, the individual mandate. If the mandate is upheld, everyone in the US will be required to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty; it's up to the high court to decide whether such a requirement oversteps government bounds. A ruling is expected in the summer, the AP reports; yesterday, the justices signaled that they would not be putting off a decision until 2015. More»