Healthcare Reform
100,314 signed up for Obamacare coverage to start 2016
Just over 100,000 people are signed up to receive private insurance coverage as of Jan. 1 through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange. But exchange officials expressed concern that thousands of current customers could lose their coverage or the federal tax credits that discount their premiums at the start of the new year…. read full article
Obamacare Enrollment Hits 6 Million Ahead Of January Deadline
The government wants to get to 10 million, and the deadline is Jan. 31. Six million people have enrolled in private health insurance plans through the federal exchange marketplace on HealthCare.gov since Nov. 1, President Barack Obama said Friday. Notably, 2.4 million of those enrollees are new to the health insurance exchanges this year, and… read full article
Understanding the fee for not having health insurance coverage in 2016
Did you know that having health insurance when you can afford it is the law? If you can afford health insurance, but choose not to get it for 2016, you may be required to pay a fee — sometimes called the “penalty,” “fine,” or “individual mandate” — when you file your 2016 federal income taxes…. read full article
Employers focus on health care cost shifts, wellness
Q&A talks about changes in employer health benefits with Silas M. Warner, client advocate/vice president of Willis Group’s human capital practice in Hartford. Q: What trends, cost and otherwise, are you seeing with employee-benefit programs? A: Medical cost trend continues to increase at a pace of about 9 percent. Pharmacy cost trend is even higher… read full article
5 tips about the Health Insurance Marketplace
If you haven’t applied for insurance on HealthCare.gov before, here’s what you need to know about the Health Insurance Marketplace (sometimes known as the health insurance “exchange” or “Obamacare exchange”). 1. The Health Insurance Marketplace is for people who don’t have health coverage If you don’t have health insurance through a job, Medicare, Medicaid, the… read full article
More Women Getting Breast Screenings Under Medicaid Expansion
If you’re a low-income woman, you’re more likely to get screened for breast cancer if you live in a state that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act than in a state that didn’t. According to new research, low-income women who lived in a handful of early-adopter states that implemented Medicaid expansion by 2011 were… read full article
Deductibles and your Marketplace health insurance
To find the Marketplace health insurance plan that works best for your family, you should consider many different factors like the premium, the yearly deductible, what services are covered, and other details. While premiums can often be a deciding factor, other considerations could be just as important. Breaking it down: the deductible A deductible, is… read full article
See if your small business qualifies to use the SHOP Marketplace
In order to use the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace to offer health insurance to your employees, your business must meet all of these requirements: You must have 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). Use the FTE Calculator to see if you qualify based on how SHOP counts FTEs. (See the question… read full article
Get extra savings on health insurance with a Silver plan
When you apply for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you’ll find out if you qualify for savings. You may be eligible for a “premium tax credit” to lower the cost of your monthly premium. You also may be eligible for “cost-sharing reductions” — discounts that lower what you’ll pay out of your own… read full article
Stay healthy this flu season with free preventive health services from the Marketplace
Flu season is here, and getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family from this potentially serious disease. If you’re covered by a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you and your family can get free flu shots from a doctor or other provider in your plan’s network…. read full article