Latest Health Insurance Headlines

All the headlines from our Health Insurance Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Federal Judge Dismisses Challenge to Obama Health Care Law

Dec 1 2010 // A federal judge in Virginia Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging the landmark healthcare law championed by President Barack Obama, upholding key provisions that require health insurance coverage.The challenge, one of...

Washington Regulator Wants to Review Health Insurer Surpluses

Nov 30 2010 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is asking state lawmakers to preserve his authority to scrutinize health insurance rates, boost transparency, and to let him — for the first time — consider some...

State Regulators Worried About Future of Health Insurance Brokers

Nov 29 2010 // State insurance regulators have established a task force to monitor the negative effects the new federal health reform law might have on health insurance agents and brokers.The National Association of Insurance...

California Delays Licensing Implementation Six Months

Nov 24 2010 // The California Department of Insurance is delaying for six months the implementation of a new licensing requirement for fire and casualty licensees that want to sell health insurance. AB 2782 would have required existing...

Health Insurance Brokers May Ask Congress to Protect Commissions

Nov 22 2010 // As insurance brokers feared, the Obama Administration has not exempted broker commissions from the formula for the medical loss ratio that health insurers must adhere to beginning in 2011.Brokers say they may ask Congress...

Health Insurers Win Some Breaks with Medical Loss Ratio Rule

Nov 22 2010 // New U.S. health insurance spending rules aimed at ensuring more customer dollars go toward medical care were finalized on Monday, ending a source of uncertainty for investors in the sector.Although the limits are mandated...

Illinois Wants Comments on Health Insurance Exchange

Nov 19 2010 // Illinois is seeking public comment on the structure, governance and financing of an online insurance exchange. Individuals and small businesses would be able to shop for health coverage through the exchange.The...

Calif. Agent Association Wants to Phase-In New License Requirements

Nov 18 2010 // Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) is working to persuade the California Department of Insurance to phase-in implementation of provisions of a new law (AB 2782) that will require property/casualty...

Medical Errors Take 15,000 Seniors’ Lives a Month: Inspector General

Nov 17 2010 // Mistakes and unavoidable problems kill an estimated 15,000 elderly U.S. patients every month in hospitals, U.S. government investigators reported Tuesday.More than 13 percent of patients covered by Medicare, the government...

P/C Insurer Rules on Medicare, Medicaid Liability Claims Delayed

Nov 16 2010 // Property/casualty insurers will have some extra time to comply with new Medicare and Medicaid liability claims reporting requirements.The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

Employers Given More Leeway to Switch Providers Under Obamacare

Nov 16 2010 // U.S. employers offering health insurance to workers will not lose protected status under the new healthcare law if they decide to switch healthcare plan providers, U.S. administration officials said Monday.At issue is...

Reporting Firms Face Risks as U.S. Cracks Down on Medicare, Medicaid Costs

Nov 14 2010 // The federal government’s crackdown on fraud and errors in Medicare and Medicaid is raising liability issues for firms that specialize in managing claims and billing for these programs – and has some scampering...

U.S. Fights Against Health Care Fraud

Nov 14 2010 // The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been conducting regional seminars aimed at identifying best practices for providers, law enforcement and beneficiaries in preventing health care fraud. The HHS Office of...

Health Insurers, Drugmakers Oppose Repeal of Obama Healthcare Overhaul

Nov 12 2010 // Repeal reform? No thanks, say health insurers, drugmakers and others looking for a clearer picture of the U.S. healthcare market after the bruising passage of the controversial overhaul law.Company executives at the...

Aetna CEO: Don’t Repeal Obamacare

Nov 11 2010 // Any efforts to halt progress on implementing the nation’s healthcare overhaul or to freeze funding are a step in the wrong direction even though some changes are needed, the president of Aetna Inc. told Reuters...

Illinois Disciplinary Actions Include License Denials, Suspensions, Fines

Nov 11 2010 // Illinois Department of Insurance Director of Insurance Michael T. McRaith has issued the following disciplinary orders for September and October 2010:Shango D. Johnson, Chicago – Insurance producer license suspended...

Can Republicans Repeal U.S. Healthcare Overhaul?

Nov 2 2010 // Republicans have vowed to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul — or at least obstruct many of its provisions — if they win control of Congress on Tuesday.National polls show...

IronHealth Launches Protection for Risk Exposure of Government Audits

Nov 2 2010 // IronHealth, the specialty healthcare unit of Ironshore Inc., has introduced a government billing errors & omissions solution that helps healthcare organizations manage the risk and expense associated with audit events...

Where Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner Candidates Stand

Nov 1 2010 // Georgia voters going to the polls on Nov. 2 will have a real choice when it comes to electing the state’s next insurance commissioner. The Democratic, Republican and Libertarian candidates hold different positions on...

IronHealth Launches Program for Medicare Reporting Requirements

Oct 25 2010 // IronHealth, the specialty healthcare unit of Ironshore Inc., has developed a insurance program to address the risk exposure created by the specific reporting requirements of Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP...