Health News
- At Least One Insurance Company Will Let Kentuckians Keep Their Health Insurance Plan For Another Year If They Like It
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News At least one insurance company, Humana, will be allowing Kentuckians to keep their insurance coverage for another year if they like it, even if the policies aren't compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable...
- Free Webcast For Journalists Today At 2 P.m. Et Will Explore Rural Use Of Health-insurance Exchanges
If you lack health insurance, you're more likely to live in a rural area. Put another way, if you're rural, you're more likely to lack health insurance. Nearly one in five uninsured Americans live in rural areas, while only a sixth of the...
- States All Over The Map In Setting Up Health Insurance Exchanges; Kentucky Officials Say They Await More Federal Guidance
A breakdown of where states stand in implementing pieces of the federal health-care reform law shows Kentucky lagging behind. But Kentucky officials say they're awaiting more direction from the federal government before they decide their...
- Setting The Record Straight On Health Law?s Delayed Small Business Features
The Department of Health and Human Services? proposal to delay critical requirements for small business health insurance exchanges in some states is a disappointment to Small Business Majority and millions of small businesses. It?s a letdown to small...
- Five Reasons Why States Should Act Quickly To Set Up Health Insurance Exchanges
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, we know that insurers will no longer be able to deny people coverage or charge them more based on their health status or gender, subsidies will be available to help people with low and moderate...
Health News
State insurance exchanges are good for farmers and other rural residents, farmers union president writes
Farmers and rural Americans have much to gain from state health-insurance exchanges under federal health reform, since "Rural residents often have the hardest time getting health insurance," the president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union argues in an op-ed piece in Madison's Capital Times.
People who live in rural areas "are predominantly self-employed and run small businesses, with insurance costs too high because of small risk pools," Darin Von Ruden points out. "They often pay way too much for terrible coverage. Some are uninsurable because of the high-risk nature of farming. Many can't pay high premiums for the current system of individual and family coverage." Insurance exchanges will "broaden risk pools" and bring down the overall cost, he argues.
People who live in rural areas "are predominantly self-employed and run small businesses, with insurance costs too high because of small risk pools," Darin Von Ruden points out. "They often pay way too much for terrible coverage. Some are uninsurable because of the high-risk nature of farming. Many can't pay high premiums for the current system of individual and family coverage." Insurance exchanges will "broaden risk pools" and bring down the overall cost, he argues.
Wisconsin has been one of the firmest states against implementing federal health-care reforms, including the exchanges, which will be marketplaces where people can choose from a variety of state-approved health-insurance plans. This month, Republican Gov. Scott Walker said he would not take any action to implement the law until after the November elections. After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky issued an executive order creating a Kentucky exchange. States have the option to run their own exchange or let the federal government do it for them.
Von Ruden said exchanges are "critical" for Wisconsin's farmers and rural communities. "It's disappointing, to say the least, that our legislative majority would be dragging their feet on getting this done," he writes. "I can't imagine why any of them would want to wait on this. Creating our own state exchanges keeps the control in Wisconsin." He concludes, "Every American deserves health care that is comprehensive, affordable and accessible, regardless of occupation or geographic area." (Read more)
- At Least One Insurance Company Will Let Kentuckians Keep Their Health Insurance Plan For Another Year If They Like It
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News At least one insurance company, Humana, will be allowing Kentuckians to keep their insurance coverage for another year if they like it, even if the policies aren't compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable...
- Free Webcast For Journalists Today At 2 P.m. Et Will Explore Rural Use Of Health-insurance Exchanges
If you lack health insurance, you're more likely to live in a rural area. Put another way, if you're rural, you're more likely to lack health insurance. Nearly one in five uninsured Americans live in rural areas, while only a sixth of the...
- States All Over The Map In Setting Up Health Insurance Exchanges; Kentucky Officials Say They Await More Federal Guidance
A breakdown of where states stand in implementing pieces of the federal health-care reform law shows Kentucky lagging behind. But Kentucky officials say they're awaiting more direction from the federal government before they decide their...
- Setting The Record Straight On Health Law?s Delayed Small Business Features
The Department of Health and Human Services? proposal to delay critical requirements for small business health insurance exchanges in some states is a disappointment to Small Business Majority and millions of small businesses. It?s a letdown to small...
- Five Reasons Why States Should Act Quickly To Set Up Health Insurance Exchanges
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, we know that insurers will no longer be able to deny people coverage or charge them more based on their health status or gender, subsidies will be available to help people with low and moderate...