Archive by Month - October, 2010

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Individual Health Insurance Coverage Denials Rose Since 2007

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Image: Oldmaison under CC 3.0

Over the past two years (ending in 2009), four major health insurers’ rates of denying coverage to individual health insurance plan applicants rose by 50%.

A report from the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee claims that WellPoint, Aetna, UnitedHealth, and Humana purposely refused to sell coverage to over 600,000 people with pre-existing conditions. Up to 425 health conditions could disqualify a person from coverage under one insurer, and some would not conduct further internal review before denying coverage.

On the one hand, the insurers may have seen the writing on the wall when President Obama was elected, and wanted to maximize their profits as much as possible before regulations would limit their ability to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.

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Posted in Individual | No Comments »

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Self-Employed Health Insurance Plans To See Tax Breaks

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Image: shimelle under CC 3.0

Unlike employees with corporate-sponsored health insurance, the self-employed have had to take charge of their own health care. In most cases, they must pay for their health insurance plans out of pocket.

This year, a provision in the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act will allow self-employed S-corp, single member LLC, or sole proprietorship business owners to deduct the cost of health insurance premiums from their tax returns. Like other corporations, they can deduct health care as a business expense for their 2010 tax returns.

This is especially helpful since sole proprietors have to pay both the employer and employee portions of payroll taxes.

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Will Student Health Insurance Survive?

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

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The shape of health insurance plans is set to change due to healthcare reform. Health coverage for students is no different.

Colleges and universities all over the country are waiting with bated breath for new guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services. They want to ensure that their offerings meet the minimum standard for adequate coverage as “Bronze Plans”. If not, such plans are in danger of disappearing: students with employed parents can stay on their health insurance until age 26, while others can buy coverage through the newly-created health insurance exchange markets.

Student health insurance is often maligned for charging high rates for inferior coverage–especially nonsensical given the generally young and healthy population. Moreover, many campuses have their own mandates.

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Posted in Student | No Comments »

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The Long and Short of it: Short-Term Health Insurance

Monday, October 11th, 2010

What is it?

Although you might think a couple months without health insurance is nothing to worry about, there is always a possibility of an accident or illness that could be financially devastating. Accidents happen, and taking measures against their detrimental effects is critical; this is why health insurance is a necessary safeguard. Short-term health insurance typically has the same benefits as a major medical plan, but is designed to specifically protect you against unforeseen illness or injury. Thus, preventative care is usually not included. (more…)

Posted in Short Term | No Comments »

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Michigan Judge Says Health Insurance Reform is Constitutional

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Image: Seattle Municipal Archive under CC 3.0

Opponents of healthcare reform are pinning their hopes of overturning the law on the legal system. Specifically, they contend that the individual mandate provision that requires people to purchase a health insurance plan violates states’ rights.

That argument was recently rejected by one federal judge. In Michigan, U.S. District Judge George Sheeh accepted the Obama administration’s contention that the refusal to buy health coverage materially affects interstate commerce; therefore, Congress has the right to create the mandate.

Of course, the plaintiffs will appeal. Also, two other similar lawsuits are pending in Florida and Virginia–which may be in more conservative districts.

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Posted in Reform & Regulation | No Comments »

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Should Pro Wrestlers Be Given Health Insurance Plans?

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Image: David Seto under CC 3.0

Although the story lines of professional wrestling are fake, the health risks are as real as can be. During the course of their job, wrestlers are often injured.

Strangely, in an industry that puts its workers at risk, they are not provided with health insurance plans. That is because pro wrestlers are generally considered independent contractors (although they cannot work for competing companies–this is especially the case under World Wrestling Entertainment). The biggest stars can afford to pay for their health care outright, but mid-card wrestlers will find it very difficult to find health coverage–due to their myriad pre-existing conditions and high-risk occupation. Former WWE executive Linda McMahon is currently running for the Senate in Connecticut; as a Republican, this status of her workers has been criticized.

Former WWE wrestler Mick Foley claims that being reclassified as an employee–and therefore having employer-sponsored health insurance–isn’t all positive. Currently, wrestlers receive potentially lucrative royalties for every usage of their image; WWE, especially, regularly releases DVDs and paid Internet and On Demand TV screening. As employees, they would lose that income stream. In other words, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

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Posted in Issues and Opinion | No Comments »

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Underinsured Families Less Likely To Follow Doctor’s Orders

Monday, October 4th, 2010

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According to a survey from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, 13 percent of parents admitted to not following at least one recommendation from their pediatrician in the past year. They are not purposely rebelling; on the contrary, they blame high costs. For example, medications and exams can be particularly expensive if the out-of-pocket cost is not covered by their insurer.

Working class and lower-middle-class parents are most likely to be underinsured. That is because families earning under $15,000 have public health insurance, while those with annual incomes over $34,999 were able to afford a better private health insurance plan.

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