Health Insurance Enrollment Process

President of the Senate Max Baucus Finance Committee expressed confidence that a proposed health care legislation would be assembled shortly after Congress returns from 4 break in July, reports Washington post .

As it seems now, the proposed health care legislation 1000000000000 $ will be financed entirely by tax hikes, Medicare cuts and new penalties for employers who do not offer health insurance .

The Finance Committee has reduced the price tag of the bill largely reducing subsidy levels for the uninsured. The question of a government alternative to private insurance has not been resolved, even if a cooperative model owned by its members seems increasingly likely.

The bill may also empower the federal agency MedPAC monitor Medicare costs and make adjustments with the approval of Congress. The change would eliminate Medicare considerable authority of the political process, which reduces the lobbying power of the health care industry.

Although there is still a long way to go, cutting the cost of the bill by over a third and sorting the deficit to neutrally to the fund augurs well for his future. And now that the shape of the reform of health care is finally taking shape, we can expect a whole new debate cycle.

The Health Committee of the Senate today voted to approve legislation expanding insurance coverage disease to almost all Americans. They are the first group of Congress to act on the reform of health care. The interim vote was passed by 13-10 along party lines.

The bill advance a measure of $ 0 billion which requires individuals to obtain health insurance and employers to contribute to the cost. It also includes the controversial public option and removes most of the proposed add-ons, including "triggers. "

The bill includes provisions for financial assistance with premiums for individuals and families making up to four times the federal poverty level, or about $ 88,000 for a family of four.

Although this is only one part of a much larger piece of legislation, it is a monumental step forward in what many feared was a reform effort stalled.

now, for the cost. as it stands, it is estimated at $ 1.5 trillion over 10 years. Who would break the promise of President Obama not add to the deficit. the rest of the tab would go largely to medical providers, employers and the wealthy. While making health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans for the first time is a grand perspective, the question of funding remains an obstacle.

The pressure is on. Back from a week abroad, Obama is in its third day of full tilt public campaigns to reform health care. A television advertising blitz urging lawmakers to pass legislation will be broadcast for the next two weeks in a row. And the president has made clear that he would cancel the congressional summer recess if the deadline was not met in August.

It's time to go!

Yesterday, the Conservatives blue dog Democrats struck a major chord with the US House of representatives energy and commerce Committee regarding public health insurance plan of the proposal.

the public plan will always be a part of the law of any room, but payments will not be tied to the current rate of reimbursement from Medicare for health care providers, reported Washington post . Instead, HHS department, which would run the public plan would negotiate prices with health care providers themselves.

This would put the public option on almost even keel with other private health plans currently on the market.

So, on one side, the Liberal Democrats are up in arms, believing it weakens the public system. But then, this agreement means the public option will have a lower risk of forcing private insurers on the market.

Really what it means is that Americans have more equal choice in the market. Regardless of what many advocates of the public plan said the Medicare payment structure as a precedent would certainly have given the public plan an inherent advantage in the individual market health insurance: It would be able to set premiums than other plans private would not be able to match.

If the point of the public health insurance plan is to give more Americans options, this agreement Blue Dog makes perfect sense. It would be unfair to allow one baseball team had only eight players on the field, as opposed to nine, right?

But the question of how this will affect Americans who currently have coverage remains a big question, one that is making its way into the public. are concerned A huge 69 percent of health care reform Americans will decrease the quality of their own care, reported The New York Times .

On the surface, it seems that this deal levels the playing court, but has the enthusiasm to help millions of Americans who do not have coverage to obtain insurance for the first time?

Just one of the gazillion questions that remain.

tonight really great night for President Barack Obama, and even greater night for health insurance and reform of health care.

the following reactions discourse and the impact of messages could make or break the project of the health reform law

Already the political spinners for both parties are jockeying for position -.. softening and / or criticizing what President can or can not say tonight

so, in the spirit of trying to take a neutral view of what President Obama is against in his speech to Congress and the American people, we're going to it :.

Americans are really divided on this issue
in a recent Gallup poll, 37 percent of America advise their members of Congress to vote for the bill the possible health reform. Thirty-nine percent advises Congress not to vote for it. A relatively large number, 24 percent have no opinion.

These poll numbers show how divided we are on the reform and the importance the President provides a clear and concise message.

Many Americans are not sure what that reform could bring .
In a recent CBS News poll, over 66 percent of Americans are confused by health reform ideas debate in Congress. In addition, 60 percent say Obama has not clearly explained his plans for reform, although in fairness, the president has let it to Congress.

Again, President Obama admitted his "hands-off" approach was a mistake.

Regardless, the reform Americans perceptions are shaped by groups partisan interests rather than legislators who have the power to send this legislation. it is certainly not something that the president wanted.

midterm elections .
the President Obama knows better than his fellow party policies will be reaping the benefits of a proposed health care reform law passed or suffer big-time in the hands of defeat.

If the president wants to set the success of his presidency in the first year and keep fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill after 2010, a project of the health reform law passed is absolutely vital.

the system really needs a fixin -up .
Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum or what you think of the current debate on health care, we know all the needs of the health system a major overhaul. We still have too many people who do not have health insurance, strongly rising costs and a lot of health and a lot of waste.

t it make sense to ensure that our health care system is as effective as possible?

Let us know what you think. Sound off in the comments section or send us a Tweet (@GoHealthDotCom).

We recently worked with the Chicago Sun-Times for an article that showed rates of insurance disease do vary by ZIP code. Using our technology citing instant health insurance, we saw that the residents living in the city of Chicago to pay a bit more than those in the suburbs

But after reading the article, you might wonder :. Does this mean that it is impossible for citizens to find affordable health insurance?

Well, fortunately, no. You can find a plan that fits almost every budget. - Even if you live in the city limits

Okay then. How, you ask?

First, it always pays to compare plans from a few different companies. As the article pointed out, we know that rates can vary by carrier, so if you want to cut your monthly bill as much as possible, shop around a bit.

Another important factor that determines your premium in addition to your medical history, your deducible. The key here is to find the perfect premium / deductible combination, so that you can reduce your premiums and out-pocket costs at the same time.

Generally, if you go around the range deductible of $ 1000 to $ 2500, you can get the best value for your health care dollar. Most plans give you the option of choosing a franchise from a menu of options. Make according to the deductible you choose, so you can realistically just in case you experienced a medical emergency.

Also, it is essential to assess what benefits you need. For example, if you rarely visit the doctor, you can find a plan that limits the number of routine visits, which in effect reduces your premiums. And if you are not picky about which doctors and hospitals you visit the Medicare plans with the smaller supplier networks have more affordable price tags

Ah yes, again one thing - .. Quitting smoking

"I do not know need maternity care," said Republican Jon Kyl last week in the discussion of health care Senate Finance Committee.

"Your mother probably did," said Democrat Debbie Stabenow. (See video below)

Zing! both senators debated a Kyl amendment that would have prohibited the federal government to prescribe a set of minimum benefits to all insurers, which includes maternity care. (the amendment was rejected by a vote of 14 to 9.)

We could not help but notice a few other cases where the overhaul of health care was being take shape as a problem of women including Michelle Obama's speech from the white House there are some Fridays. Although absent from the debate so far, the first lady stepped forward to address the reform of the impact of health insurance represents for women, calling it part of "the next step" in their progress towards full opportunity and legality.

"Women are not only disproportionately affected by this issue because of the roles we play in families," Mrs. Obama said. "Women are affected because of the jobs we do in this economy."

Some of his key points included the following:

• Women are more likely to work part-time or in small businesses or organizations that do not provide insurance.
• In all but ten states, health insurance companies can still discriminate on the basis of sex.
• Women may be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, as having had a cesarean section, an experience of domestic violence, or being a mother (after having a baby).

For more on this, see our previous post on how 7 out of 10 women are underinsured or have no health insurance or yesterday New York Times Article Nancy Folberg, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who deftly breaks down how women are economically disadvantaged by our current system.

In a vote of 54 -45, the Senate voted against the amendment of Senator Ben Nelson that would restrict any plan paid with federal funds to cover abortions, reported the New York Times .

There were two Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins, who voted against the amendment of Senator Nelson.

This was a debate that could derail the reform or at least someone left politically marked. But really, it does not look like it was as explosive as we might have thought.

The passionate advocates on both sides of the abortion debate are either in jubilation or anger after today's vote, but he certainly did not derail the health reform process by all means.

Senator Nelson, a Conservative MP in a ruby ​​red state, has its political coverage. Although the amendment failed, he was the one who brought him to the floor. Snowe and Collins are the Republicans of Maine, a state that is one of the bluest.

The House of Representatives has already passed a language that would limit the fully subsidized health insurance coverage for abortions.

But even if the House passed their version, the Senate must still approve the entire bill, and the Senate and the House must combine these two bills.

Then they have to vote for the final invoice, the final health again.

Damn, how can we ever pass any laws?

Before we forget, Happy New Year everyone! We 're here, refreshed after the holiday, and ready for a big 2010.

to start, we thought we would do a post two days on the now supported mandate health insurance when almost all Americans would be required to buy coverage if they could afford it.

Today we'll go over the reasons why legislators reasons, special interest groups and people of 'healthcare industry does not want the mandate.

both sides of the aisle are not too keen on this requirement for a term insurance. Republicans and conservative groups say the mandate is unconstitutional. There are even states that provide for the sue the federal government if the mandate is adopted.

"There is a tax on life. It is a tax on people or penalty to those who do nothing," said Attorney General William McCollum of Florida.

Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute, a right leaning think tank, agrees.

"the federal government has no power to force you to buy a private product," said Cannon.

the left has also reprimanded the mandate, reported Chicago Tribune . Jim Dean, chairman of the Liberal group Democracy for America and brother of Howard Dean, said the mandate would force some Americans to buy a product they could not afford.

another argument against the mandate says it encourages people to wait until they get sick to buy health insurance. Robert book, an economist at the Foundation supported the right heritage, said the mandate, it is less risky to be insured.

Tomorrow we will examine the arguments in favor of the mandate.

He recently was a bit of clamor about the growing trends of obesity, with some health the new "green caller." Pediatrics recently published an article recommending children over 6 years old be screened for obesity, and called for more children overweight to enroll in weight management programs.

Why? It is due to a huge 32 percent of children in America are obese. (Adults are not worse, 34 percent of adult Americans are obese.) With these figures, the experts consider obesity as an epidemic.

Keith Ayoob, a professor at the Albert Einstein College in New York, expressed that parents also need to be involved in the choice of lifestyle for their children.

At a very young age, children learn their behavior from parents and take on their habits. If parents are not eating healthy, then there is a good chance that children will not eat better. When a child is obese, many times parents are obese as well.

The only good news is that obese Americans rate was stable over the years, but the population of obese Americans has yet to decline.

To help solve the problem of obesity, dieticians, psychologists, trainers and exercise physicians must work together to help children learn healthy behaviors and lose weight.

One problem, however, is that many health insurance plans generally do not cover these types of services. Weigh-management programs are also very few. But a lot can change as the weight control initiatives are becoming more popular and are proven to be effective.

First, doctors try their best to inform patients of the risks to health to obesity and to find ways to better prevent disease.

Last month the Virginia State Senate sent a (political) message to Washington with the approval of a committee bill to block any federal legislation that would force Americans to buy a health insurance plan.

Now, lawmakers in 35 other countries around the countries have introduced proposals to block a potential federal mandate, reported the Associated Press and ABC News .

Many of these proposals are Republicans, who were determined in their effort to kill health care and health reform entirely. But the public seems to agree with the critics of the reform, as the most recent polls showed that the majority do not support an overhaul.

As we have written previously, many state legislators are questioning the constitutionality of a federal health insurance mandate; even name their measures against the mandate of the "Freedom of choice Act health care."

However, constitutional experts believe that a warrant would be made legal - and enforceable.

"[These state proposals] are purely symbolic gestures If Congress were to pass an individual mandate, and if it is constitutional. - I think it is - the express rule under the supremacy clause is that federal law prevails, "said Michael Dorf, a Cornell University professor of constitutional law.

After our recent post on the percentage of Americans using the Internet to find health care information and health insurance, we came across an interesting article on how cell phones are already playing a role in helping patients manage their health care in developing countries .

In Mexico, mobile applications are used to send text messages and emails to patients. The texts and emails reminding patients to take medication, make an appointment and stay updated on laboratory tests.

According to Health Affairs, the first program started with CARDIONET that would send messages to patients about the importance of exercise. VidaNET now used for HIV patients in Mexico to remind patients to take medication and to visit the doctor. It can even alert patients about HIV resources and provides motivation to help patients through the side effects of drugs.

A program soon-to-be-released called DiabeDiario is still in production, but will be available for patients with diabetes. Hopefully this "app" can help people better manage their condition and to provide educational information about the disease. Shockingly, diabetes is the leading cause of death in Mexico.

So what impact could these cell phone applications? Well, 80 percent of the Mexican population owns a cell phone, and only 9.1 percent have an Internet connection at home. It seems that this cell phone strategy will be much more successful in countries like Mexico that lack landline technology.

A study in the UK already found the positive effect of the use of text messages reminders. According to the study, the patients missed appointments at the doctor from 33 to 50 percent less frequently.

According to Omaha World-Herald , more than 5,800 women were warned they would lose prenatal coverage because their unborn children are not eligible for Medicaid.

In response, lawmakers are trying to pass a Nebraska health insurance bill that would restore prenatal coverage to more than 1,000 pregnant women in the state. The bill would create the children's health insurance program to cover unborn children and include children of illegal immigrants.

The bill would create a new program that would work like the Nebraska Kids Connection program that provides children in low income families with health coverage.

Among the 5800 women who were sent letters of only 1,000 are left without prenatal coverage through other Medicaid programs. These women include pregnant adolescents whose parents are not eligible for Medicaid and illegal immigrants.

In addition, the bill specifies that the unborn have no immigration status and can not be treated as illegal immigrants.

All in all, it seems that this could be an effective solution to provide more pregnant women with prenatal health coverage.

Surprisingly and refreshingly, republicans and democrats agree on many important issues during the summit health care. Not surprisingly, the most controversial issues remain to be resolved. In particular, regulation and coverage are the two biggest differences that remain after the day of the debate.

Really, it all comes down to ideological differences. Democrats want the government regulates insurance companies and establish guidelines for health insurance across the country. They believe that every American has the right to health insurance coverage and plans to extend coverage to all citizens.

Moreover, Republicans do not believe that the government should control the insurance industry. In addition, the Republican Party believes that the federal public health insurance programs such as health insurance program for children and Medicaid should not be expanded.

But what was clear today that both parties believe there should be reforms in the insurance market in one way or another. It's just that Democrats prefer more stringent reforms and baselines Republicans.

Now on top of today ...

Small differences remained on enabling small businesses and individuals to enter into an exchange or a pool. This would allow insurers to spread risk in insurance for individuals and small businesses and to keep health care costs down.

There was an agreement on the purchase of health insurance across state lines. But President Obama added that providing basic protections for consumers would be needed. Obama used the example of cases where credit cards can be purchased from any state, credit card companies to displaced states that had fewer protections. Without appropriate regulation, argued President Obama, the same will also happen in the insurance sector.

Another controversial issue was discussed medical malpractice caps, also known as the reform of civil liability. President Obama reiterated that the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is working with states and giving incentives for states to find a way to reduce medical malpractice lawsuits. The president said he was interested to hear the different strategies to reduce malpractice costs.

We think it is interesting that Democrats gave up using tactics budget reconciliation procedure known to pass the reform of health care with a simple majority. Democrats also rejected the idea to start on health reform, which is something that Republican leaders are calling.

Regardless of these differences, President Obama seemed very happy at the end of the summit. The president even said the summit has shown how both parties agreed.

What brought the top of this health care will continue to unfold in the coming weeks.

If you want to know more about what we thought of the summit, visit our GoHealthInsurance Twitter.

The health insurance companies have been under fire in recent weeks for an increase in individual health insurance rates. Unsurprisingly, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and President Obama react.

To discuss rate hikes, Secretary Sebelius held a meeting at the White House with leaders of Wellpoint, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group and Health Care Service Corp. regulators assurance of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners also attended the meeting.

This is very important because of the desperate push President Obama gather the last votes to pass the reform of health insurance. Rate hikes have been one of the main arguments for Obama reform need health insurance and have added impetus to the agenda of the revision date.

Although the meeting seemed to go well, insurance executives felt that other health industry representatives were invited to the meeting, reported Wall Street Journal . Why? Because drug manufacturers, hospitals, medical device makers and other health care providers have also contributed to rising health care costs. Just try to reduce premiums does not address the main problem, say the insurance leaders.

Yet Secretary Sebelius wanted to meet the rate hikes.

Health Secretary and services asked insurance companies to publish information online so that consumers can understand the need for a rate hike. She also wanted insurers to publish explanations for administrative costs, marketing costs and real care.

On the subject of the benefits of health insurance companies, Secretary Sebelius criticized insurers for their $ 12 billion in profits last year. But insurance executives have fired back that their average profit margin was 2.2 percent last year - lower than other health industries.

While these are interesting requests by the Obama administration. After the meeting, he seemed to insurance executives were very wary of posting all their information online but considering it seems.

The meeting seemed a little calculation problem resolution more directly politically.

In 08, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill passed the Florida Health Choices program. This bill was written to help Florida's small businesses find affordable health insurance to an insurance exchange disease statewide. But after two years nothing has been activated.

In fact, state officials say that the exchange may not be until at least October this year. Meanwhile, many small business owners have had to reduce benefits and employees due to the weak economy and rising health care costs.

The way the exchange work is that all small employers and employees become a large group, to spread risks more and the lowest health insurance rates, explained The Palm Beach Post .

Companies 1 to 50 employees and some municipalities, counties and school districts will have access to the insurance exchange in Florida healthy choices.

Some lawmakers blame the federal government for the delay because of pending health reform bill in Washington, DC But many residents think two years the government of Florida is dragging its feet.

In all cases, small businesses need all the help they can get and hope that this insurance exchange will benefit them when it becomes active.

In order to receive the final vote for the Senate the proposed health care legislation in the House, President Obama promised to sign an executive order for the anti-abortion Democrats. President Obama is expected to sign the executive order today that political games continue in the Senate.

The set of changes that the House passed Sunday and signed by President Obama still faces a vote of reconciliation by the Senate. But using the vote reconciliation, Republicans can offer as many amendments to the draft health care law as they want.

According to The Wall Street Journal , Senator Tom Coburn asked for an amendment that would prohibit health insurance plans to provide erectile dysfunction drugs against sex offenders. Senate Majority Leader Henry Reid does not believe that this amendment is serious. But Senator Coburn is "active assistance to help those who would harm our children. "Obviously, everything depends on the perspective of the policy.

Republicans continue to offer their amendments. If no amendments are passed in the Senate, the proposed health care legislation should come back to the House for another vote.

M .. Reid is confident that the Democrats will take care of Republican amendments and pass the package of bills for health care changes.

Democrats have already made and celebrated the success of passing the reform of health insurance this week, any change would be a huge blow.

Yet we can not help but imagine President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Reid Majority Leader to do their best touchdown dance on the lawn ...

The issue of abortion created a controversy over debate on health care and through the passage of the draft Senate bill. President Barack Obama even signed a decree saying that premiums in trade run by the government will not pay for abortion procedures. Today, six states are currently developing additional legislation to block abortion coverage in insurance plans.

The Wall Street Journal said that states and abortion opponents are looking at a provision of the legislation on health care enabling States to prevent the plans offered by exchanges managed by the government to cover abortion procedures at all. This would only affect residents in states that choose not to offer the procedures in trade.

Senator Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi will introduce legislation similar to later in the month. He believes that the language of the federal government in the bill are not strict enough to ensure that public funds are not used to pay for abortions.

Currently, five states have laws that prohibit health insurance plans to cover all abortions with few exceptions now and Kansas will be the introduction of the Act this year.

There are already twelve states that have laws that ban abortion for the insurance plans of state employees and three other states have simply introduced bills.

The national debate on health insurance reform has sparked a debate on abortion coverage in insurance plans. groups and health insurance companies seem to remain neutral on the issue. Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for Health Insurance Plans America, said "it is up to policymakers to decide. "And a WellPoint Inc. spokesman said the company complies with the regulations and will continue to.

The reform of health care may have settled the issues related to health insurance for the future but no questions on abortion.

Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it can not determine the long-term costs of health care for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More veterans suffering from PTSD veterans in previous wars and there is little priority how to care for this type of injury. The budget of Veterans Affairs is currently $ 113 billion, which has almost doubled since 03 and still may not be enough for the future.

A study by the federal Institute of Medicine expects costs for 2 million veterans will continue to grow over the next 30 years before it begins to stabilize and gradually reduce, according to USA Today . The study also concluded that the "VA does not have the staffing, funding or mandate from Congress to produce broad forecasts ... human costs of the war beyond the period of active conflict. "

The report sets out the differences between the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and previous wars. Now 10 to 20 percent of war veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder that could last for months or years and there is little understanding of how to treat mental illness.

Suggestions to improve the future treatment of people with TBI require the VA to do more research. Also a joint effort will be made by the military and the VA to change the way mental illness is managed in and out of service. the hiring of mental health professionals within the army is also encouraged.

Hopefully the VA will receive the funds they need for the future costs of health care for veterans. health insurance reform may also have an impact on the type of coverage veterans will be able to receive the future.

Perhaps because of the passage of reforming health care, doctors are strengthening the plate this year for the November elections. There are currently 47 doctors who are running for a seat in the House or Senate. The influx of physician candidates is 3 times more than the usual number of physicians running for office as USA Today .

In total there are 41 Republicans and 6 Democrats, suggesting that Republicans doctors may be unhappy with the legislation passed health care.

More doctors in Congress could amend the reform of health care how is managed in the future and the future of Medicare. In a Gallup poll in March, the survey showed that 77 percent of Americans are more doctors confidence to do "the right thing" with regard to health policy that Republicans or President Barack Obama.

But doctors will be great in other areas as health care?

"physicians just have a different mindset towards problem solving. It is very good training for being a congressman, "said Larry Bucshon, a heart surgeon running for a seat in Indiana.

There are 16 resident physicians in Congress now representing 3 percent of lawmakers. One of them, Senator Tom Coburn, is a doctor and opponent of the legislation for health care recently past.

"The physician perspective was ignored during the last year and a half," said Senator Coburn.

With the number of Americans who trust doctors , Republicans may have the upper hand this election to come. Whatever the result, having more doctors in Congress will only enhance any legislation Medicare that happened.

The Department of Health and Human Services faces the first deadline for the implementation of health care reform. Friday, HHS will display a list of all the authorities that are granted to the Secretary Kathleen Sebelius under the law on health care.

According to Politico , the Republican Party has sent a letter to HHS to remind the deadline department. The letter represents the GOP still concerns with the bill and the amount of responsibility that was not defined in the bill.

"In order to fully comply with the new law and the requirements of this section, we expect that you will publish this list by the 23 April 2010 deadline," wrote Sen. Charles Grassley in a letter to HHS. The letter went on to say that the display of the list will be consistent with the objective of President Obama to have transparency through the implementation of the reform that failed during the legislative process.

There are no secret Kathleen Sebelius that the implementation of the first bills can be the most important. He set the standard for the coming years and the opponents of reform health care will be very critical for any inconvenience or missed appointments.

Last week, HHS established the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Supervisory who will the provisions of the new legislation that directly impact private health insurance. This office will be divided into five offices that each address different parts of the reform bill.

Provide a complete list of all the responsibilities arising from the reform will be difficult and Secretary Sebelius certainly has its work cut out for her.

Today the answers corner coverage , we are going? answer the question: What is the difference between copayment and coinsurance?

coinsurance is the percentage consumer will pay a medical bill while a health insurance company will pay for the rest. A typical co-insurance rate is 80/20, which means that an insurance company will pay for 80 percent while the consumer will have to pay 20 percent of medical bills.

A policyholder may face such costs out-of-pocket used for outpatient surgeries, but is covered with coinsurance and what can not vary on the health plan.

A copayment is different coinsurance because it is a fixed amount instead of a percentage. Coinsurance is usually necessary for routine doctor visits and prescription drugs. Some health plans also require copayments for admissions to the emergency room and hospital visits.

The cost of a share can vary from 10 $ to 50 $ again depending on the health insurance policy type and the type of medical service provided.

It is important when looking at health insurance plans out that the lower assessment rates will result in higher rates of co-insurance, higher deductibles or higher monthly premiums. However, there is a balance to strike a rate of co-payment and coinsurance affordable.

Consumers can compare deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance rates Finder GoHealthInsurance.com plan.

Yesterday, in Michigan, the federal government gave his first defense for health legislation in court insurance to a preliminary injunction. This may be the beginning of the court debates that could end the Supreme Court. The federal government defended the mandate of individual health insurance and tax on people who choose not to buy health insurance.

Many opponents of the legislation on health care believe that the federal government oversteps their bounds by forcing individuals to buy insurance. Opponents have cited that it restricts personal and economic freedoms of the people at the hearing by Politico .

The federal government defended the individual mandate by saying that the individual costs that no insurance "buy substantially affect interstate commerce by shifting costs to health care providers and the public. "

lawyers representing the reform responded to the attack on taxes for people who do not buy insurance and companies that do not provide insurance too. Saying, "In order to extend the insurance coverage, the Congress, among other things, adopted the tax credits for individuals and employers, and tax penalties for some employers who do not offer insurance. "

The federal government reasons also indicated why the lawsuit against the federal government will not stand in court. They argued that the federal courts usually only see the cases of people suffering actual or impending injury has not happened since the individual mandate does not start for years.

the answers provided by the federal government did not come to a surprise for opponents of reform, but could give the States hand raised in subsequent court dates.

One of the great strengths of the reform is that the bill on health insurance tax credits for small businesses. These tax credits help pay health insurance bills for employees and provide small businesses a tax credit of 35 percent.

The legislation on health care has established that the tax credits would be given to companies, but did not provide details on which small businesses could apply or how much they are worth. Recently, the Internal Revenue Service has issued a list of rules and qualifications for small businesses could receive tax credits to provide health insurance employees.

Small businesses with fewer than 25 employees and also pay their employees an average salary of less than $ 50,000 are eligible for tax credits. However, according to The Washington Post , the tax credit will be smaller if small firms have more workers and have larger salaries. Thus, only companies that have 10 full-time workers who pay less than $ 25,000 on average each employee will receive the full tax credit of 35 percent. Otherwise, large companies or companies that pay employees will not get such a large tax credit.

Small companies that receive the tax credit must pay at least 50 percent of employee premiums. They can also use the tax credit to pay for dental care, vision or other insurance benefits.

The small business tax credits could provide assistance to four million small businesses; However, credits may be granted until companies file taxes in 2011.

It is great that small businesses will be helped to provide health insurance benefits, but many experts are not clear how much these tax credits will help.

The Law on affordable health care and protection of patients will require businesses Medicare to provide consumer prevention services from free September 23. But now, abortion rights groups, religious groups and health insurers are asking, what is considered as preventative care?

Health Resources and Services Administration will determine the list of preventive services that consumers will be able to get without coinsurance or out-pocket costs as Politico . If the administration considers birth control pills for preventive services, health insurance companies and government programs will pick up the cost for birth control.

But the intent of the provision of preventive services to provide free diabetes tests or birth control at an affordable price?

A rights group Planned Parenthood believes that birth control pills are a form of prevention services.

Richard Doerflinger of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops believes, "Congress debate on the need to cover" preventive services "in the reform of health care-centered services to prevent deadly diseases such breast cancer, not a need to prevent the emergence of new health care beneficiaries. "

Another problem that can happen in future discussions on the birth control pill as a preventative measure is an affordability problem. With at least 12 million or more women on the pill, the government may not be able to allow the provision of birth control by Medicaid. the health insurance companies could struggle with the extra costs too. Coinsurance for the range of birth control pills for $ 10 to $ 50 per month .

the controversy over birth control pill will continue to gather in the coming months, the government decided that it is a preventive service or not.

Many consumers contact the cover? Seating want to keep the same doctors they currently have, but are not sure if they belong to the network in another insurance plan.

There are things that consumers can do when looking at the new health insurance plans to see if their doctor is in the plan.

Check with your health care provider

Consumers can easily contact the insurance service to their health care provider and find out what the networks to which they belong. Health insurance companies usually have large networks of doctors, which makes it easier for the consumer who has a preference for a certain provider or hospital.

Once a consumer finds networks of a doctor, they can compare online health insurance quotes or talk to an insurance agent to be placed in the correct network.

buy a plan with soft cover

A consumer can also purchase a health insurance plan with a soft cover. They can then visit a health care provider they want, but will pay more for off-network providers only in-network. So, once again, to ensure that the doctor is in the network will save money in the long run.

PPO health plans, preferred provider organizations, offer more flexibility for consumers. These plans provide consumers with health insurance coverage for any health care provider.

Consumers can find more information on the various health insurance plans on the Clearinghouse on Health Insurance.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 46 3 million Americans went without health insurance in the survey in 09. This indicates that 2.5 million people without health insurance coverage in 08.

the study also found that 58.5 million Americans were without health insurance at some point in 09 and 32.8 million were uninsured for more than a year.

The state with the lowest amounts of uninsured (3.7 percent) was Massachusetts, which passed universal health care in 06. Texas has the largest quantities of non- insured with 24.6 percent uninsured.

Massachusetts has been able to maintain a low uninsured rate in spite of the recession and the increase in health care costs - many attribute this to the residents of the penalty to be paid if they waive the cover . This could be an indication that the health insurance individual mandate could help stabilize the levels of uninsured rate in the future.

On a more positive note, the number of uninsured children declined poor. In 09, 81.4 percent of poor children and 58.4 percent of poor children nearby were covered by a public health plan at the time of the survey. This is an indication that the efforts and increased spending to register more low-income children has provided more children to cover health care.

Overall, these results show the need for reform of health care and the importance of expanding insurance coverage to more Americans illness. Hopefully there will be a decline in the uninsured rate in the coming years.

Early retirees will soon see relief with the new reform Act of health care through the provision called the retired infancy reinsurance Program (ERRP). Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began collecting applications that provide health insurance to early retirees who are too young to receive Medicare aid and do not have individual health insurance.

The HRRS is only a temporary program until early retirees will be able to find affordable health insurance markets based on the state in 2014. Many young pensioners are denied coverage because they have pre-existing conditions and are no longer on a group health insurance plan.

According to The Arizona Daily Star , the program will reimburse employers for health insurance costs incurred by the retirees who are 55 or older. Refunds will cover 80 percent of medical costs between $ 15,000 and $ 0,000.

reform health care set aside $ 5 billion to provide financial assistance to employers until the exchanges are created. This provision will provide financial assistance to businesses, trade unions, non-profit organizations and governments.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said: "The Law Affordable Care not only helps consumers reduce their health care costs and access to quality care, it is also designed to help employers offer coverage. The early retiree reinsurance program will help employers continue to provide much needed health insurance to their retirees. Today, Americans who have retired but are not yet eligible for Medicare are often unable to find coverage that is affordable and meets their health care needs in the individual market. This program will help retirees and employers facing escalating costs of health care and ensure more Americans have access to health care they need. "