tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78996877864391565442008-09-05T11:26:42.709-07:00Welcome to the Affordable-Health-Coverage Health Insurance Coach! Get the latest news and advice on Health insurance.The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-86269311269033858262008-09-05T11:14:00.000-07:002008-09-05T11:26:42.722-07:00

It's already September, and 2009 is fast approaching. As such, many employers are trying to figure out how they'll offer group health insurance to their employees next year. Apparently, they'll do it by raising workers' deductibles, copays, or out-of-pocket spending limits. A survey by Mercer Consulting addressed group health insurance this week, finding that if health-care costs grow at the

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-62196146036292347722008-08-27T15:40:00.001-07:002008-08-27T15:50:46.430-07:00

According to WebMD more Americans have found a means of securing affordable health insurance in the last year. The bad news? That doesn't mean their health is protected. A total of 45.7 million Americans had no health insurance in 2007, which is 1.3 million fewer uninsured Americans than in 2006. The sources of the boost in coverage are subsidized and more affordable health insurance plans,

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-77406285318869534582008-08-25T10:53:00.000-07:002008-08-25T11:03:51.854-07:00

Providing good quality, affordable health insurance to all Americans has been called one of the biggest humanitarian causes of our generation. But now, as economic woes related to medical debt continue to grow, it's also looking like a sound investment in our nationwide financial success. Reuters reported this week that while Americans without an affordable health insurance policy will pay about

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-20367521054002808762008-08-18T13:02:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:18:57.462-07:00

In an effort to save money on health insurance costs, many states are forcing long-time employees to either start paying their own medical, or leave. And in a lot of cases, they're leaving. It's an unfortunate and frustrating story. Redorbit.com offers several examples of hard working people driven out of their jobs early in the name of health insurance. One woman, who could have retired in 5

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-58019962737247694282008-08-14T15:20:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:23:32.216-07:00

With the rising costs of group health insurance many employers have found themselves unable to provide coverage to their workers without driving the business down into dangerous economic territory. Which is why, as Kaiser reports, many small business owners are looking to professional organizations and trade groups to offer group health insurance to their employees. At first glance it looks

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-58720223301190683542008-08-11T11:47:00.000-07:002008-08-11T12:01:20.851-07:00

In an effort to curb costs to both consumers and insurance companies alike, legislators are starting to look at prescription drug companies and evaluate ways to make affordable health insurance more readily available to all Americans. One recent example is that of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who signed into law one of the nation's most aggressive limits on gift giving to medical

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-83739190175434103702008-08-07T10:35:00.000-07:002008-08-07T10:50:45.762-07:00

The new survey reported at MSN Health by The Commonwealth Fund doesn't tell us anything new about the state of health insurance coverage in America, it simply adds facts and statistics to what we already know. It's not surprising that 82% of Americans think that our health care system needs a major overhaul, or that better health insurance coverage could save lives. After all, this is why both

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-55863945429972304602008-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:002008-08-05T11:53:17.874-07:00

With the rising costs of gas, food, and mortgage payments, it's no surprise that finding an affordable health insurance plan has become a bit like the search for the holy grail. But as consumers seek to save money on health care and surgical procedures, medical tourism is enjoying a potentially dangerous boom. At Kaiser's Daily Health Policy Report, the increase in medical tourism is linked to

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-45981710829176571502008-07-21T13:47:00.000-07:002008-07-21T13:56:26.306-07:00

We are all aware that by opting for a more affordable health insurance plan we might end up with a higher deductible, or less coverage. But as more and more Americans are discovering, spending caps on health coverage could be the least known, and most dangerous, clause in your contract. As health care costs continue to rise, one way that employers are able to save money on their premiums is to

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-30797528196805327462008-07-07T14:35:00.000-07:002008-07-07T14:50:48.852-07:00

Much has been made of John McCain's suggestions regarding small business health insurance, individual coverage, and taxes. McCain's plan would involve removing tax breaks for employers who offer coverage, and offering refundable tax credits instead to those individuals who opt to pay for coverage themselves. Critics argue that this would lead many employers to abandon small business health

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-37615663824969156552008-07-02T13:05:00.000-07:002008-07-02T13:24:23.286-07:00

Massachusetts health insurance is facing both ups and downs, as the state's mandatory coverage laws run up against growing costs. On the up side, according to Kaiser's Daily Health Policy Report, since Massachusetts health insurance became a legal requirement enrollment in health coverage has jumped, and the number of uninsured adults has decreased to about 7% of the population. There are about

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-46630719343956875092008-06-30T15:21:00.000-07:002008-06-30T15:54:13.826-07:00

In most cases we hear about states struggling to find the funds needed for health care reform. But thanks to a large settlement from big tobacco, Washington health insurance and care services may be in for a big boost. Washington, D.C. received a total of $245 million dollars as its share of a national settlement between tobacco companies and states. Local officials had asked the RAND

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-75980951486125069012008-06-27T12:41:00.000-07:002008-06-27T12:51:05.770-07:00

The last time California health insurance was in the news, it was due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempts to establish a universal health care system, attempts that ultimately failed to pass into law. But now, Schwarzenegger's ties to California health insurance seem to have reversed themselves, as he seeks to cut $1.1 billion from the state's spending on Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-87203625496598746402008-06-25T16:10:00.000-07:002008-06-25T16:21:09.508-07:00

We know that being poor means you'll be unlikely to afford good access to medical insurance, but what do you do if your state and your employer don't offer employees access to good group health insurance coverage either? You hope you don't get sick or injured, that's what you do. According to a study released at MSN Health, the Southwest ranks lowest in terms of access to health care. Why?

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-74542276017624699932008-06-16T10:21:00.000-07:002008-06-16T10:33:28.163-07:00

Since Massachusetts made moves to restructure a more affordable health insurance system, and then made it the law to have coverage, the rest of the country has watched to see if this one state could provide the blueprint for universal coverage nationwide. According to Kaiser's Daily Health Policy Report, they're off to a good start. The moves they've made towards affordable health insurance have

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-91391736467630286052008-06-09T13:12:00.000-07:002008-06-09T13:21:07.481-07:00

Now that Hillary Clinton has officially conceded the race to Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the fate of affordable health insurance seems to be up in the air. Clinton's platform was prominently supported by her assertion that should she be elected president, not only would affordable health insurance become a reality for all Americans, all Americans would be required to have coverage. This

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-43931078837063467022008-06-06T13:24:00.000-07:002008-06-06T14:09:17.710-07:00

Now that his role as the presumptive Democratic nominee has begun to sink in for most Americans, Barack Obama's health insurance plans are becoming the subject of criticism for those who feel that he doesn't embrace enough change when it comes to our health care system. The recent article at the Seattle Times features just such criticism. Obama's health insurance views are compared to Republican

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-66362679353943860752008-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:002008-06-05T11:43:57.431-07:00

While most state citizens have been positive about the creation of mandatory universal health insurance in Massachusetts one group, small business owners, have been concerned that group health insurance costs will be too expensive for them to offer coverage to all their employees. Many employers can't afford to offer group health insurance policies to their workers, because Massachusetts health

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-70903450282090277942008-06-02T16:43:00.000-07:002008-06-02T16:53:13.890-07:00

We've all heard lately of the struggle to cover those people with pre-existing conditions under individual health insurance plans. However, what's defined as a "pre-existing condition" is sometimes an issue of its own. At the New York Times it's revealed that women who have had a caesarean birth are considered by some individual health insurance agencies to have a pre-existing condition, since

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-65341183110482161422008-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:002008-05-27T10:39:58.044-07:00

We all know that the best affordable health insurance policies are able to keep their costs down because they only cover generic drugs. However, what are consumers to do if there aren't any generics available to them? The FTC released news this week that in 2007 pharmaceutical companies brokered deals with generic drug companies to delay the release of 14 medications that were about to reach the

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-42314062418870438092008-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:002008-05-19T11:32:00.600-07:00

As with all states in the nation today, Minnesota is struggling to balance their sinking state budget with programs designed to offer affordable health insurance to citizens who desperately need it. Last week, a bill that could change their health care system - offering affordable health insurance to thousands of Minnesotans - cleared the House legislature 83-50. However, according to the Star

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-32177025398290487122008-05-16T11:50:00.000-07:002008-05-16T15:46:34.234-07:00

California individual health insurance companies got some news today that's bad for them, but very good for consumers. Both Kaiser Permanente and Health Net have agreed to reinstate 1200 people whose medical insurance was canceled when they needed it most. The LA Times reports that the individual health insurance market has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent months, ever since a Gardena

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-14615487236525819892008-05-12T10:41:00.000-07:002008-05-12T11:09:25.746-07:00

Last week, in an effort to protect the poor and working poor, state legislators approved a plan that will make Florida health insurance more affordable and available to 4 million state citizens. As it's reported at News-Press.com, Gov. Charlie Crist's "Cover Florida" plan calls for the state to negotiate health-care plans that individuals or small businesses will be able to buy for $100 to $150

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-20106442473679365612008-05-08T11:47:00.000-07:002008-05-08T12:46:28.516-07:00

Prescription drug companies have been in the news this year, as Merck and Schering-Plough both suffer criticism for manipulating information about their medications, effectively cheating sick Americans out of money through unnecessary medications, and contributing to bloated prices for what would otherwise be more affordable health insurance. In response, Kaiser reports that officials for Pfizer

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899687786439156544.post-7996776144652574752008-05-06T16:42:00.000-07:002008-05-06T16:50:23.557-07:00

In Kansas, a lack of affordable health insurance is jeopardizing the lives of low-income women who may have breast or cervical cancer. This is because the Kansas Early Detection Works program, which provides uninsured low-income women in the state with breast and cervical cancer screenings at no cost, has depleted its operating funds and will delay almost all cancer screenings until July 1. To

The Insurance Coachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709274103104240446noreply@blogger.com