Health Plan Hub » health insurance

Mr. Romney, How Does Your Proposal Guarantee Health Insurance For All?

robert — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:51:51 +0000

Flip-flopping presidential candidate Mitt Romney has introduced his plan to reform the health care system. His new proposal is in stark contrast to his Massachusetts plan.
Romney would give Americans a tax break to buy their own health plans, regardless of whether their employers offered coverage.

I’m OK with that but what do people that are uninsurable do? I don’t see provisions made for people that are willing to take on the obligation of individual health insurance but can’t because of pre-existing conditions.

Obesity accounts for 21% of U.S. health care costs

robert — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:31:56 +0000

That’s what a new study put out by Cornell University says, anyway. If that’s true, think how much of a dent we as a society could make in our healthcare costs just by taking better care of ourselves….watching what we eat, exercising enough, etc. And that 21% figure only stems from obesity. Many of us who aren’t obese, still have health care costs that are caused by our lifestyle choices.

If you want to read the entire article, click here.

Cut Your 2011 Taxes NOW……before it’s too late

robert — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:55:55 +0000

The deadline for filing 2011 income tax returns is Monday, April 17th, not the usual April 15th. This gives you a couple more days to reduce your income tax bill.

If you’ve established a health savings account (HSA), you can deposit money to it through this Monday and still reduce your federal 2011 taxes. Unfortunately, your HSA contributions are not deductible from your California income taxes, but they’re deductible in some other states.

Your HSA contributions are deductible up to $3,050 for individuals and up to $6,150 for families. If you’re 55 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000.

If you don’t have an HSA but want one, why not establish one now? Even if you can’t take advantage of it for the 2011 tax year, you can position yourself to pay less taxes in 2012.

Be Careful What You Wish For…….

robert — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:24:20 +0000

Have you ever longed for something (or for someone) and once your wish becomes reality, regretted it? That’s what could happen to opponents of Health Care Reform.

Here’s an insightful article on what could happen if this occurs…

Health Care Reform May Remain in Calif Even If The Supreme Court Kills It

robert — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:51:28 +0000

I read a very informative article in the LA Times today. Even if health care reform doesn’t survive the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, some of its consumer benefits may remain in force in California.

The Hyperbole of Health Care Reform Opponents

robert — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:27:12 +0000

Former insurance industry spokesman Wendell Potter has penned an entertaining but all-too-true blog on how health care reform opponents distort the spirit of health care reform. Potter wrote the tell-all book Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans.

Read Potter’s comments here.

60% Rate Hike? Really??

robert — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:55:34 +0000

Blue Shield wants to hike its health insurance premiums again. If it’s able to get this proposed rate hike approved, it could mean an increase of nearly 60 percent for policyholders. The rate hikes could affect hundreds of thousands of Californians.

Now California’s new insurance commissioner Dave Jones wants this hike delayed while he investigates the proposed hikes. Blue Shield isn’t the only carrier trying to jack-up its rates. Aetna and Pacific Care have also proposed sizable rate hikes. Aetna just raised its rates an average of 19% in October. It now wants to raise them again by nearly 20%. Yikes!!!

It’s easy for you and me to point our fingers at our health insurance carriers for the ever-rising cost of our coverage. We can clearly see how big of a bite that insurance costs take out of our checking accounts. Insurance industry profits are high in spite of their cries of losing money.

But what it there’s some truth in the insurance company claims that we’re using our plans more than ever and that their costs are rising? Is it possible that doctors, medical equipment providers and hospitals are raising their fees too? I think so. But it’s hard for you and I as consumers to know that the doctor we just visited paid the medical supplier more for its MRI equipment and the nurses higher wages than it paid to them a year ago.

The high cost of medical care is a Killing many consumers’ budgets and frankly, I’m not sure where the solution lies. Health Care Reform has made some inroads into making coverage more accessible to us all. But it hasn’t yet addressed the spiraling costs that may derail the entire system if people can no longer afford proper medical care.

Who Are Your Legislators Working For?

robert — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:48:29 +0000

The California State Legislature just refused to give its own Insurance Department the authority to control health insurance rate increases.

The bill (AB2578) which passed the Assembly, would have required HMO’s and health insurance carriers to proposed rate increases OK’d by either the California Department of Insurance or the Department of Managed Health Care.

The trough is getting filled in Sacramento

Who do are legislators work for? What are the odds that the legislators that received the most campaign contributions from the insurance industry voted against the legislation?