At a key sign-up deadline, exchange officials say they’re focused on more than just whether people enroll.
insurance
Posted inHealth, Politics
Courtney expects partial victory on ending ACA’s ‘Cadillac tax’
WASHINGTON — Rep. Joe Courtney expects to soon have at least a partial victory in his effort to eliminate a provision in the Affordable Care Act that has been attacked by both labor and business groups.
Posted inHealth
2,200 exchange customers could lose discounts for not filing taxes
About 2,200 current customers of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange won’t be eligible for discounted coverage next year because they did not file tax returns for 2014 as required, exchange officials said Thursday.
Posted inHealth
UnitedHealthcare to stop paying commissions for Obamacare exchange plans
UnitedHealthcare plans to stop paying commissions for insurance policies offered through exchanges beginning Jan. 1, a move brokers say signals the company’s retreat from Obamacare business.
Posted inHealth
To improve health, raise ‘insurance literacy,’ experts say
Studies show people would rather go to the gym or pay taxes than pick a health insurance plan. And experts say that’s a problem for policymakers trying to improve the health of the population and ensure that the expansion of insurance coverage under the federal health law does more than give a lot of people new insurance cards.
Posted inHealth
CT’s insurance CO-OP sticking around, but still a work in progress
The nonprofit insurer lost $28 million in 2014 and, as of June 30, had lost $9.5 million this year. CEO Ken Lalime said early losses are not unusual for a new company, and said HealthyCT has the capital to get through the initial, unprofitable years.
Posted inHealth
Obamacare signups begin with different outreach strategy
Janet Carlson and her team are preparing for a third round of outreach to help the uninsured get health care coverage in Litchfield County, and she’s anticipating more people who need significant assistance this time around. She’ll also be something of an anomaly, one of just a handful of people formally charged with finding and signing up the uninsured.
Posted inHealth
Obamacare Q&A: Signups start next week
Sunday marks the start of the third open enrollment period for health insurance under the federal health law. That means the nearly 170,000 Connecticut residents who buy their own health insurance will have a chance to shop for new plans — and many will need to take action to keep the coverage they have. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inPolitics
Jepsen no longer recused from role in Anthem-Cigna merger
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen will no longer recuse himself from the review of a proposed $54 billion merger between Anthem and Cigna, his office revealed on Tuesday.
Posted inHealth
Access Health CT says uninsured rate lower than Census figures
Connecticut’s health insurance exchange released an analysis Thursday suggesting that the state’s uninsured rate this year is 3.8 percent, but that figure comes with some caveats.
Posted inMoney
CT continues to lead nation in income, but wealth poorly distributed
WASHINGTON – Connecticut continues to lead the nation when it comes to personal income, federal economists say, but other reports show the state is also No. 1 when it comes to the uneven distribution of that wealth between the very rich and everyone else.
Posted inHealth, Money
Amid questions, commissioner won’t recuse herself from Anthem-Cigna proposal
Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade, a former Cigna lobbyist whose husband still works for the company, said she does not intend to recuse herself from considering Anthem’s proposal to buy the Bloomfield insurer — a choice that drew criticism about a potential conflict of interest.
Posted inHealth
Premiums grow modestly for employer insurance coverage, but deductibles grow faster
The cost of employer-sponsored insurance premiums grew by 4 percent this year, continuing a trend of relatively modest growth, but the share of medical costs patients pay when they get care continued to rise far faster, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust.
Posted inHealth
Buy your own health insurance? Here’s how your premiums will change next year
Insurance prices will change in 2016 for the nearly 170,000 Connecticut residents who buy their own health plans. So what will people be paying? Here’s a look, broken down in two ways.
Posted inHealth
Anthem individual rates to rise 2.4%, ConnectiCare’s by 8.5%
Premiums for the 55,000 people who buy Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans through the state’s individual market will rise by an average of 2.4 percent next year, while ConnectiCare Insurance Company’s 34,400 customers will see an average rate hike of 8.5 percent.
