A bill that has been passed by the Oregon Senate is now waiting for the Oregon House to vote on it. This particular bill would change wording in current insurance regulations so that they fit better with the Affordable Care Act. If this bill is passed into law, it would enhance the protections that consumers in Oregon currently have. The bill is called Senate Bill 89. The purpose of the bill is to make the laws and regulations that pertain to health insurance in Oregon to be more consistent with the federal regulations and laws that involve the same type … Continue reading →

One of the first benefits that many Americans saw from the Affordable Care Act came in the form of the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. This plan was designed to make it possible for people who had a pre-existing health condition to get health insurance. Now, there have been some changes to that plan that should make it easier for people to gain approval for this type of health insurance. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) was signed into law by President Obama in March of 2010. This plan was created to help people who had serious health issues, and who … Continue reading →

Believe it or not, the Affordable Care Act turns one year old today, March 23, 2011. This is either a cause for celebration, or an opportunity to point out changes that still need to take place, depending on your own, personal, political leanings. In many ways, this particular series of health reform regulations never quite moved out of the spotlight of public attention, despite how long it has been since it was first signed. This week, there will be over 200 gatherings taking place celebrating the Affordable Care Act, and emphasizing the benefits that American’s have received from it. Around … Continue reading →

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to appeal the health care law. What happens now? How is this going to affect health insurance? There has been much discussion, all over the internet, about this topic today. There are a few things that we know for certain in regards to the repeal. We know that The House of Representatives has, officially, voted to repeal the health care law. We know that before the law can be completely repealed, the Senate must vote to repeal it as well. We know that if the Senate votes to repeal the health care law, then … Continue reading →

Americans just voted in the midterm election of 2010. One of the biggest issues in this election was, of course, health insurance. The election may be over, but the battle over health insurance continues! In short, Democratic candidates expressed interest in continuing with the changes to health insurance that have been referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or as “Obamacare”. In general, Republican candidates have stated their interest in preventing changes to how health insurance works, as well as reversing some of the laws that have been passed that affect health insurance companies. The question on everyone’s mind is: … Continue reading →

Did your insurance company decide to get out of the insurance business entirely? Many insurance companies have elected to cease offering certain kinds of insurance policies, in response to the new health care reform laws. Some insurance companies are finding the new laws and regulations to be so disagreeable that they have essentially decided to “take their ball and bat and go home”. This can cause problems for the consumers who were getting their health insurance from a company that closed up shop. If you have been keeping up with the news, then you are already aware that there have … Continue reading →

There have been a lot of changes involving health insurance this year, and there will be more coming in the next few years. A quick look at the headlines shows that there have been some very different reactions to these changes. While some people, or organizations, feel that these changes are a positive things, others see them as negative. On the positive side, consumers have been seeing some benefits about the cost of health insurance. Some of the new regulations also are to the benefit of consumers. Private insurance companies are no longer allowed to deny health insurance coverage to … Continue reading →

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has sent a letter that has been interpreted as a warning to insurance companies. She has made it clear that there will be “zero tolerance” for insurance companies who try and use the Affordable Care Act as an excuse to raise their premiums. Sebelius recently sent a strongly worded letter to a Washington D. C. based association of insurers informing them that there will be “zero tolerance” for spreading misinformation, and for creating unjustified rate increases. In other words, Seblieus wants insurers to stop raising their premiums, and pointing to the Affordable Care … Continue reading →