“Some Oregon residents could pay up to 38 percent more for health insurance next year, the latest salvo in an ongoing battle between Obamacare's supporters and opponents over premiums.
The state's insurance regulator was one of the first to finalize 2016 premium rates for the individual and small business markets, which Obamacare covers.
For the state's individual market, the final rate decisions range from an average increase of about 8 percent to nearly 38 percent, depending on the insurance company, the regulator said Friday.” - Massive health insurance hikes hit Oregon, Washington Examiner, 07/04/2015
Link to the entire article appears below:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/massive-health-insurance-hikes-hit-oregon/article/2567602
“States are nailing down dates to release 2015 premium costs under ObamaCare, and their decisions will guarantee a drumbeat of news about rate hikes all the way to the November midterm elections.
Democrats are bracing for grim headlines that could put the unpopular law back at the forefront of voters’ minds.
Premiums are expected to go up in a majority of states, as they do every year, but the size of the increases could go a long way toward determining how much political damage ObamaCare inflicts on vulnerable Democratic lawmakers.
A survey by The Hill of state insurance commissioners found that news about ObamaCare premiums will hit nearly every week this summer (see list below), providing ample opportunity for Republicans to attack any significant premium hikes.”
“PREMIUM RATES, STATE BY STATE
The following is a list of responses from states on when they plan to release insurance premium rates. Dates are subject to change. Sixteen states did not respond or did not specify a date.
May
Maryland
Montana (May 27 or later)
Maine (May 30)
Connecticut (May 31)
Ohio (by May 31)
June
Colorado
Rhode Island
Kansas (June 1 and available via records request)
North Dakota (June 6)
Michigan (June 9)
Delaware (June 13)
South Dakota (June 15)
Louisiana (June 27)
July
Florida (end of the month, or early August)
August
Nevada (Aug. 1)
Nebraska (mid-month)
Wisconsin (late in the month)
Massachusetts (Aug. 15)
North Carolina (no earlier than Aug. 15)
September
Tennessee
West Virginia (available via records request)
Arkansas (Sept. 10)
November
New Jersey (Nov. 15)
January 2015
New Hampshire (Jan. 1)
Will not release rates
Idaho
Iowa
Missouri
Wyoming
No response,
or no month given
Alabama
Alaska
California
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Minnesota
Mississippi
New Mexico
New York
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Texas (will release rates that rise by more than 10 percent via public records request, no month or date given)
Utah
Already released,
in full or in part
Arizona
Indiana
Kentucky
Vermont
Virginia
Washington” - Premium hike drumbeat before elections, The Hill, 05/22/2014
Link to the entire article appears below:
http://thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/206901-premium-hike-drumbeat-before-nov-election-day
“Nearly two-thirds of small businesses that currently offer health insurance to their workers will pay more for coverage as a result of new rules in the health care law, as will millions of small-business employees and their family members, according to new estimates released by the Obama administration.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has spearheaded the implementation of the law, has acknowledged that new rules requiring insurers to offer guaranteed coverage and renewal options to small employers will likely drive up the price of insurance for some companies. So will rules banning insurance companies from varying their rates based on factors like a company’s industry or the age of its employees.
On the other hand, some firms with exceptionally sick or at-risk workers will benefit from those provisions and see their premiums come down under the new rules, which took effect this year.
What we didn’t know was how many small businesses would see their rates rise and how many would see them fall. Now, it’s becoming clear.
“We are estimating that 65 percent of the small firms are expected to experience increases in their premium rates while the remaining 35 percent are anticipated to have rate reductions,” CMS’ Office of the Actuary wrote in a new report. Conversely, “the effect on large employers is expected to be negligible,” because most large companies run their health insurance programs in house.”
“If accurate, it would continue a steady climb in insurance costs for many small businesses. Ninety-six percent of small businesses say their premiums have increased in the past five years, with the average monthly insurance cost soaring from $590 per employee in 2009 to $1,121 in 2014, according to poll released earlier this month by the National Small Business Association.” - Obama administration: Health law’s new rules will increase costs for most small businesses, Washingtonpost.com, 02/24/2014
Link to the article appears below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/obama-administration-health-laws-new-rules-will-increase-costs-for-most-small-businesses/2014/02/24/0623d01e-9d9c-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html
“New Obamacare health insurance enrollees may feel a pang of envy when they eye the coverage plans offered by Walmart to its employees.
For many years, the giant discount retailer has been the target of unions and liberal activists who have harshly criticized the company's health care plans, calling them “notorious for failing to provide health benefits” and "substandard.”
"But a Washington Examiner comparison of the two health insurance programs found that Walmart's plan is more affordable and provides significantly better access to high-quality medical care than Obamacare.”
For a monthly premium as low as roughly $40, an individual who is a Walmart HRA plan enrollee can obtain full-service coverage through a Blue Cross Blue Shield preferred provider organization. A family can get coverage for about $160 per month.
Unlike Obamacare, there are no income eligibility requirements. Age and gender do not alter premium rates. The company plan is the same for all of Walmart's 1.1 million enrolled employees and their dependents, from its cashiers to its CEO.
A Journal of the American Medical Association analysis from September showed that unsubsidized Obamacare enrollees will face monthly premiums that are five to nine times higher than Walmart premiums.
JAMA found the unsubsidized premium for a nonsmoking gouple age 60 can cost $1,365 per month versus the Walmart cost of about $134 for the same couple.
The medical journal reported a 30-year-old smoker would pay up to $428 per month, in contrast to roughly $70 each month for a Walmart employee.
A family of four could pay a $962 premium, but the same Walmart family member would pay about $160.
Low premiums are not the only distinguishing feature of the Walmart plan. The retailer's employees can use eight of the country's most prestigious medical facilities, including the Mayo Clinic, Pennsylvania's Geisinger Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic.” - Surprise! Walmart health plan is cheaper, offers more coverage than Obamacare, Washingtonexaminer.com, 01/07/2013
Link to the entire article appears below:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/surprise-walmart-health-plan-is-cheaper-offers-more-coverage-than-obamacare/article/2541670?utm_campaign=Fox News&utm_source=foxnews.com&utm_medium=feed
