Posts Tagged ‘cobra’

Losing Cobra or Group health insurance coverage?

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Are you going to be losing your cobra or group health insurance coverage?

Many people today are losing their cobra coverage as the government extensions and subsidies are finally going away. To make things worse, with the new health care reform laws, employers are cutting coverage benefits as well. Some employers are even erasing the group health plans completely.

All in all this may be a benefit to you. Individual health insurance is affordable and anyone can apply for coverage. The best part is that if you have serious pre existing conditions and cannot be approved on a health plan that you can get a guaranteed issue plan.  The plan is guaranteed to offer you health insurance coverage if you have had creditable group or cobra coverage in the past 63 days. So take a look at the health insurance quotes and see which plan is going to be best for you and your family.

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Revive the Public Health Insurance Option

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Progressive Democrats Attempt to Revive the Public Health Insurance Option

A group of 129 progressive House of Representatives Democrats, seeking to revive the public option, introduced legislation on July 22 to establish a public health insurance plan that would compete with private health insurers. It is highly unlikely that the House will vote on the legislation this year. Republicans and some moderate Democrats remain strongly opposed to the public option, and Democratic leaders have little interest in reigniting the divisive health care reform debate before the November elections.

Supporters of the Public Option Act (H.R. 5808) claim that the legislation would sharply reduce the federal deficit. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by approximately $68 billion from 2014 to 2020.

The public plan would be administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and would be offered through the new health insurance exchange beginning in 2014.  The bill would require the public plan to charge premiums that fully cover its costs for benefit payments and administrative expenses. The plan’s provider payment rates would be based on Medicare reimbursement rates. The legislation has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

President Obama Signs Unemployment Insurance Extension Bill into Law

President Barack Obama signed H.R. 4213, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, into law on Thursday, July 22, ending months of partisan squabbling over the measure. Moments after the late Senator Robert Byrd’s (D-WV) replacement, Carte P. Goodwin, was sworn into office, the Senate quickly voted to invoke cloture on the legislation, sending it back to the House, which then passed the measure by a vote of 272-152.

The legislation did not include an extension of the COBRA health insurance subsidies and other safety-net programs that had also expired earlier this year. The legislation will provide unemployment insurance for those who have already exhausted their normal six months of benefits through Nov. 30, 2010; it is retroactive to June 2, 2010. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this extension will add $33.9 billion to the federal deficit over 10 years.

House Republicans Criticize New Rules for $27 Billion Electronic Health Records Program

House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Republicans alleged during a July 20 hearing that eligibility criteria for the new $27 billion federal electronic health records (EHR) program are too lenient. The EHR program will provide additional Medicare and Medicaid payments, beginning in 2011, to health professionals and hospitals that adopt certified EHRs. The additional payments, which were enacted in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will likely encourage many physicians and hospitals to purchase and implement EHR systems.

In order to be eligible for additional Medicare and Medicaid payments, hospitals and health care professionals must adopt and make “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology. Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (IT), testified that the eligibility criteria were designed to accommodate diverse providers, while appropriately encouraging the adoption of EHRs. The Obama Administration had originally proposed more strict eligibility requirements that were denounced by the health care industry as unrealistic.

The new qualification standards are the first in a series of rules, and they apply only to additional payments before 2013. Dr. Blumenthal stated that HHS will place higher demands on providers in the future.

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Health Insurance Reform Capitol Update

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

House Splits Extenders Bill, No Senate Bill until June
Last week’s Capitol Update discussed the “tax extenders” package that is currently being debated in the House, saying that Democratic leaders hoped to pass it by the Memorial Day recess.

House Democratic leaders made the decision last week to split the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213) – or “tax extenders” package – into multiple bills that would extend dozens of tax provisions, the Medicare physicians’ payment “fix,” unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies, after it was made clear that the larger bill could not gain the votes required for passage. The House conducted votes on some measures prior to adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.

Democratic leaders in both chambers had been working to gather support for the bill over the past week, but Blue Dogs and a number of fiscally conservative Democratic senators complained that earlier versions of the bill would have added more than $80 billion to the deficit.

Friday, the House adopted an amended rule (H Res 1403) to govern debate on a bill consisting of the unemployment insurance extension and tax extenders provisions, with revenue offsets that are expected to include international tax and a delayed effective date on carried interest provisions.  Members will then consider a separate bill with a stand-alone physicians’ payment update. A third bill addressing the 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy and Federal Medical Assistance Percentages for Medicaid (FMAP) could be considered by the House in June.

House leaders developed the plan in an effort to reduce the cost of the unemployment insurance and tax extenders legislation to win the support of fiscally conservative Democratic members.

Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) said the tax extenders legislation would be open to amendment when brought before the Senate the week of June 7. His remarks came prior to a series of votes in relation to the supplemental appropriations bill, which were the chamber’s final votes before adjourning for the Memorial Day recess.

Legislation Could Allow Americans to Stay on COBRA Health Coverage Until 2014
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) have introduced new legislation that aims to “permanently” extend COBRA to help unemployed workers and early retirees purchase health coverage before the major insurance market reforms, such as guaranteed issue and the establishment of health insurance exchanges, are in place in 2014.
The “COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010” has been referred to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the Senate, and the Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and the Ways and Means Committees in the House. Each bill has numerous sponsors; all are Democrats.

“Passage of the historic health reform bill was the first of many steps we’ll take so that middle-class families who work hard and play by the rules can still get ahead. But until those provisions take effect, we must ensure that Americans have access to health insurance,” Brown said.  “Unemployed workers and early retirees should have the option of purchasing health coverage through COBRA.”

“Losing a job that has health insurance coverage while treating an illness at the same time is a frightening prospect for so many people and their families. We need to give people a bridge between coverage,” Davis said.
For more information about the legislation, visit these Senate and House websites.

House Republicans Release Legislation to Repeal Health Care Reform Law
On May 27, seven Republican Members of Congress introduced the “Reform Americans Can Afford Act,” a bill that proposes to repeal the current Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and replace it with reforms addressing the interstate sale of health insurance, coverage for persons with pre-existing conditions, medical malpractice reforms and other issues.

Also, the “House GOP Health Care Solutions Group” sponsored a public forum to highlight concerns about the impact the health reform law will have on taxpayers, employers and the physician-patient relationship.

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COBRA Health Insurance Subsidies Extended Again

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The COBRA health insurance premium subsidy period was recently extended to May 31, 2010, thanks to the passing of the Continuing Extension Act of 2010. The COBRA subsidy is available for up to 15 months.

This act also provides that an individual who previously had a reduction in hours but did not elect (or elected and then discontinued) COBRA continuation coverage, will have a second opportunity to elect continuation coverage and qualify for the COBRA subsidy if the individual’s employment is subsequently involuntarily terminated between the dates of September 1, 2008, and May 31, 2010. The individual will be eligible for the COBRA subsidy as of the date the individual’s hours were reduced rather than when their employment ended.

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Health Insurance Reform Update April

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

The Senate reconvened on April 12, following its two-week recess.  That day, by a vote of 60 to 34, the Senate approved a cloture motion paving the way for Senate floor action on H.R. 4851, the “Continuing Extension Act.”  This bill, which the House approved on March 17, includes a temporary extension – through April 30 – of the Medicare physician payment fix and the eligibility period for premium assistance for COBRA and state continuation coverage.

The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 59-38, on April 15. Three Republicans supported the bill, Sen. George Voinovich (OH) and Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and three Democrats did not vote – Evan Bayh (Indiana health insurance), Bill Nelson (Florida health insurance) and Mark Warner (Virginia health insurance).  An amendment to the legislation offered by Senator Max Baucus (D – MT), which was passed by a voice vote, would extend most of the benefits for another month – until the end of May – so as to avoid a repeat battle over this legislation two weeks from now.  President Obama signed the bill into law Thursday night, April 15th.

Under previous law, these legislative provisions expired on March 31, so this bill offers the retroactive benefits to those people laid off between April 1, and when the bill becomes law. It would guarantee that people who enroll for the subsidy by the end of April will get the entire 15 months of federally subsidized health premiums.

It should be noted that Congressional leaders are also focused on passing a longer-term benefit extensions bill, H.R. 4213.  The longer-term options being considered include a Senate bill that would extend the subsidy through the end of the year. A House bill also offers a longer extension, but the two bills would have to be reconciled, prior to becoming law.

Consideration of the annual budget resolution will be another high priority during the next several weeks, beginning with markups in the Senate and House Budget Committees.  One of the key issues the committees will consider is whether to adopt language allowing the budget reconciliation process to be used to advance any major legislative priorities later this year.

The next stretch of the 2010 legislative session will run for seven weeks before Congress recesses again around Memorial Day.

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This Week In Health Care Reform

Friday, April 16th, 2010

As lawmakers returned to Washington this week, Republicans affirmed their commitment to repealing the health care reform legislation, while Democrats continued to campaign on the health care reform law’s merits. Meanwhile, President Obama stepped up his efforts to energize his core supporters by capitalizing on health care reform.

Health Care Reform

New Health Care Reform Law Means Tax Increase for Middle Class: According to a report recently received by congressional staffers, the new health care reform law will result in higher taxes for approximately 14.7 million middle class Americans. Taxpayers can currently deduct medical expenses in excess of 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI). Starting in 2013, most taxpayers will only be able to deduct expenses greater than 10 percent of AGI. By limiting the medical expense deduction – a provision widely used by taxpayers who either have a serious illness or are older – the new law is expected to save billions of dollars. However, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, those taxpayers earning less than $200,000 a year will pay roughly $3.9 billion more in taxes in 2019 alone because of the new limits for this deduction.

Members of Congress Baffled by Health Care Reform Provisions: According to the Congressional Research Service, the new health care reform law may have serious unintended consequences for members of Congress and their employees. Due to ambiguous and confusing language, members of Congress and their staff members may lose access to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, effective immediately. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said lawmakers were in the same boat as many Americans, trying to figure out what the new law meant for them. Congressman Chaffetz asked, “If members of Congress cannot explain how it’s going to work for them and their staff, how will they explain it to the rest of America?”

Additional Activities
Massachusetts Court Rejects Bid to Increase Premiums: Last month, insurance executives in Massachusetts attempted to increase their companies’ premiums by as much as 32 percent, citing the expected rise in medical costs associated with insuring individuals and small group customers in Massachusetts. Insurance Commissioner Joseph Murphy rejected the proposals, citing the increases as “excessive.” As a result, representatives from six of the insurance companies sued, claiming the state does not have the authority to cap premiums. On Monday, a Superior Court Judge in Suffolk County ruled against the insurance providers on procedural grounds for not exhausting all administrative remedies within the Department of Insurance before seeking legal intervention.

Unemployment Benefits Extended Again: On Monday, Senate Democrats advanced a measure temporarily extending the unemployment benefits that expired during the recent two-week congressional recess. Democrats achieved cloture (the only formal procedure that Senate rules provide for breaking a filibuster) with 4 key Republican votes in the Senate. The $9.2 billion bill would extend long-term unemployment benefits along with COBRA health care subsidies for unemployed Americans. It would also extend an annual increase in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients. The unemployment benefits and health care subsidies will continue until May 5, while the other changes will expire on April 30.

The Senate’s action late Monday set the stage for a final vote on the legislation. On Thursday evening, the bill passed 59-38 , and the measure was sent back to the House, which was expected to vote and send it to President Obama for his signature.

Another State Joins Lawsuit Against Health Care Reform Bill: This week, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue appointed a special assistant attorney general to lead the state’s challenge against the health care reform law. Georgia joins 18 other states in alleging that the new law infringes on Americans’ Constitutional rights by mandating that individuals  purchase health care coverage or pay a penalty. Frank Jones, the state’s pro bono special assistant attorney general, will represent the State of Georgia and join the multiparty lawsuit filed on March 23 in a federal court in Florida. Other states in the suit include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Insurance Commissioner Won’t Comply with Law: Also in Georgia, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine refused a request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a pool for high risk insurance plans. His decision to opt out of creating a high risk pool will not affect the cost of insurance for any patients. However, the federal government, instead of the state, will oversee the distribution of certain federal health care funds in Georgia health insurance to ensure that high risk patients receive subsidized premiums on health insurance.

Chairman Waxman Cancels Hearing: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) issued a statement on Wednesday cancelling a hearing called to listen to concerns from major corporations about how they will be impacted by the health care reform bill. Over the past few weeks, several company executives contacted Chairman Waxman and expressed their feelings that the new law may ease their costs if it is implemented properly. Companies like AT&T, Verizon and Caterpillar made news last month when they informed investors they would need to take billions of dollars in write-downs because of changes in how health care subsidies will be taxed.

Public Opinion
Polls this week show that the number of Americans favoring repeal of the health care reform law continues to rise following the law’s enactment. At the same time, President Obama’s job approval ratings have slipped since passage of health care reform.

More Americans Strongly Favor Repeal: In a recent Rasmussen report, 58 percent of Americans – up 4 points from last week – support repealing the new health care reform law. Further, 52 percent of likely voters continue to feel the legislation is bad for the country.

Similar results were found in a new study conducted by Indiana University. Researchers at the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research found that 58 percent of Americans are in favor of repealing the health care legislation.

Obama’s Approval Ratings Slip: In a recent AP/Gfk poll, 52 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the way President Obama is handling health care reform, up 6 points since last month. At the same time, 50 percent disapprove of his performance overall, which is up from 46 percent just a month ago.

Looking Ahead
As lawmakers shift their attention to debating financial reform and climate change legislation, President Obama continues to travel the country to discuss with Americans the details of the new health care reform legislation.

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The Week in Health Insurance Reform

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

House Democrats passed their landmark health care overhaul, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” (PPACA) on a party-line 219-212 vote late on March 21.  A little more than a day following, on March 23, President Obama signed the legislation into law at a White House ceremony.

Additionally, the House passed H.R. 4872, the “Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act” (Reconciliation Bill), which is a package of amendments to the PPACA.  The approved Reconciliation Bill then went back to the Senate, where it needed to be voted on – and potentially amended – before it would be ready for President Obama’s signature.
On March 25, by a vote of 56 to 43, the Senate approved the Reconciliation bill with some modifications, and sent it back to the House for yet another vote.  Democrats Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) joined Republicans in voting “no.” Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who is ill, did not vote.

In the final vote on current health insurance reform legislation, the House approved – by 220 to 207 – the same version of the health reconciliation bill, H.R. 4872 that was approved earlier in the day by the Senate.  This bill is now ready to be signed into law by President Obama.  The final version of the reconciliation bill is virtually identical to the version that the House approved on March 21.  The only difference is that two student loan provisions were removed during the Senate floor debate.

The combined package costs $940 billion, and is expected to expand health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans while cutting the deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 years.

A spokesman for House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) said Republicans are now shifting their efforts against the health legislation to a campaign aimed at repealing the law and replacing it with their own solutions.  Both the Senate and the House began the two-week Easter recess on March 27.

Overview: Tax Extenders Package
Along with the Reconciliation legislation, lawmakers were also focused intensely on passing another extension of expiring provisions including the Medicare physician payment “fix”, unemployment benefits and the eligibility period for premium assistance for COBRA and state continuation coverage.  Senate leaders attempted to pass by unanimous consent a 30-day extenders package, H.R. 4851, which was approved by the House on March 17.  Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) objected to the unanimous consent request because of his concern that the bill did not include budget offsets.

Senate Democrats and Republicans then reached an agreement to pass a one-week extension with budget offsets, but House leaders objected to this approach.  As of this writing, it appears that efforts to pass an extenders bill have reached a stalemate.  The Senate passed an adjournment resolution that day allowing the Senate to conduct legislative business through March 31 (cutting into the aforementioned Easter recess), although the “next steps” in the extenders debate are highly uncertain at this time.

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Avoid Health Insurance Lapses With Cobra

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Unemployed workers have raced against time to take advantage of the government’s 65 percent subsidy on COBRA health insurance premiums. But it is only a matter of time until this subsidy ends. Although there is no expiration date set, they will not last forever. Just like Cobra health insurance that only lasts 18 months. It is during this time that members of Cobra are supposed to find a new medical plan. Not after the Cobra coverage has expired, as most people wait to do and find themselves with a lapse in coverage.

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