US Supreme Court will review the effectiveness of the mandatory purchasing of health insurance ‘The Affordable Care Act’ by the US citizens, a new law signed by the US president.

The law, under which the people of US will have to buy health insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty, has been challenged by 26 of the 50 US states, arguing that Congress exceeded its constitutional power and argued that the government should not interfere and force citizens to pay for a product they have opted against.

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Floridians can expect to see a decrease in their car insurance rates soon because the legislature has finally made changes to PIP insurance.  According to the Sun Sentinels Kathleen Haughney, the no-fault auto insurance changes will take effect over the next year.  In the article, Will revamped car insurance rules cut your rates?, the opinion is that it surely wont happen right away, but it should work down the line.  Governor Rick Scott will sign the law into effect and changes will be made starting July 1, with additional provisions taking effect October 1 and January 1 of next year.

Many experts think it will be closer to two years before significant savings are seen by car insurance companies, but they must cut rates by 10% by October 1 or have a good explanation why they arent doing so.  The no-fault PIP insurance program pays for the first $10,000 of medical treatments after a car accident no matter whose fault the accident was.  PIP rates have more than doubled since 2008 as claims payments have skyrocketed, mostly due to fraud in the system.

The major change this new bill enacts is a time limit on seeking medical treatment after a car accident.  You have to seek medical attention within 14 days of the accident.  They believe this will cut down on the fraud where someone is injured after their car accident, but blames it on the accident for free medical care.  Some of the treatments that are commonly abused will now be banned from PIP coverage.  Two examples are massage and acupuncture.  Chiropractic care that is not for emergencies will now be limited to $2,500 of coverage.  The state will also become stricter with medical clinic licensing and create an organization that fights fraud in the PIP insurance program.

We will continue to watch the effects of this new law fighting no-fault PIP insurance fraud in Florida.

Private health insurance is the main source of health coverage for the majority of people in the United States. Approximately 58% of all Americans have private health care coverage. For elderly citizens and eligible children and families from low-income households, public programs are the primary source of health cover. Public programs include Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP. TRICARE and the Veterans programs also provide some coverage.

If you are not covered by a publicly funded program, or if your coverage is only partial, you will need to have some kind of private health insurance.

Since the turn of the millennia, millions of Americans have found themselves with no health cover at all. Full post…

Health Insurance Companies Make Coverage Easier to Understand

Health insurance companies are now responsible for ensuring their customers are able to understand the basics of their coverage as determined by final rules issued by the White House. Coverage details will take the form of simplified summaries of benefits and coverage, along with a glossary of terms.

Consumers will receive the forms when they apply for a new plan or have their coverage renewed. Arriving in an eight-page document, the forms will outline the following:

  • Co-payments for drugs, doctor and hospital care
  • Deductibles for limits on coverage
  • What services the plan does and does not cover

U.S.

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The federal government has rejected a request by Texas to be excluded from a new law that limits how much health insurance companies can spend on overhead.

The law is part of the Affordable Care Act, changes made in federal health care law in 2010 that Texas officials say is unconstitutional. Part of the bill requires health insurers to spend at least 80 percent of their revenue on providing health care or health improvement programs. Those that spend more than 20 percent on overhead and executive salaries will be required to give rebates to customers starting this year.

Federal officials at the Department of Health and Human Services said Texas did not prove that the states insurance market would be destabilized by the new law.

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Innocence is bliss, isn’t it? Well, maybe. But certainly not when it comes to travel insurance unless your idea of bliss is paying thousands of pounds of bills out of your own pocket because you made a mistake with your travel insurance.

Let us explain so you can stay safe on your travels.

When it comes to taking out a travel insurance policy, declaring your medical conditions is essential. It’s the only way to get a policy that you can trust. Senior travellers are relatively tuned in when it comes to declaring conditions. But

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