Straight Talk Update
Straight Talk would normally come to you today, but instead we are eagerly watching the latest developments out of Washington, D.C., on the American Health Care Act.
Tag: individual
Reality Check: What’s Happening Today to the Healthcare Law?
There is a lot of doom and gloom out there right now about what is going to happen to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under a Republican president with a Republican majority in Congress. So, what is really happening, and what can you expect?
The Federal Role in Benefit Design in Individual Health Insurance: Are You Better Off?
Note from Mike: I’m sifting through the information coming out about the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Medicare and healthcare in a Trump presidency. I’ll be back soon to offer my take on it, but in the meantime, see this Q&A on what Blue Cross is doing right now.
In my last blog post, I gave details about how much rates for individual customers’ health insurance are going up next year and why. I promised do a future blog about not just how much premiums cost, but how much financial protection the federally-designed products for 2017 give the average customer. This may get a bit wonky, so please bear with me as you go through.
You have ‘Blue Cross’? I have ‘Blue Cross’ too! Why are they so different?
Of the 4.6 million people in our state, about 1.6 million of them (almost 34%) have a Blue Cross card in their pockets right now. “I have Blue Cross” is something people are very happy to say when they have health needs, need a new prescription, etc. Even for things as simple as their annual check-ups, there is much comfort in saying, when you get asked at the doctor’s office, “I have Blue Cross.”
‘My Premiums Just Went Up HOW Much? What the Heck?’
I can’t help but notice some folks talking on our social media about eye-popping price increases. I’m hearing talk of premiums doubling, or even tripling, since last year. What’s the story with this?
‘If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep It! (Meh! Not so much!)’
The pictured quote was part of a weekly address from President Obama in August 2009.
One of the most confusing parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is the notion of a “direct from Washington D.C.” definition of health insurance called an “ACA Compliant Health Plan.”