Do you need health insurance? Do you want to change your insurance plan? If so, you’re in luck! You could be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. President Biden signed an Executive Order creating a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. In most states the […]
Happening Now: Special Enrollment Period for Obamacare Read More »
I’ve been writing this blog to help you make the right insurance choices for your health care. That includes keeping you informed of health care choices being made by insurance companies and the government. I’ve enjoyed researching topics and writing blog posts that I hope helped you in your health care journey. But for quite
My New No-Schedule Schedule Read More »
During the pandemic health emergency Medicaid’s annual renewal process was stopped. People could not lose their Medicaid coverage even if they no longer qualified. But the health emergency is set to end on April 15th. That means you could lose your Medicaid coverage if you moved, your income increased, or you don’t turn in your
Coming Soon: Possible Loss of Medicaid Coverage Read More »
The No Surprises Act offers several protections from surprise bills. But the new law comes with two important watch-outs and a loophole insurance companies may use to eliminate your protections. Waiving Protection from Surprise Bills Surprise bills often come from an out-of-network provider you didn’t know was out-of-network. The No Surprises Act has some protections for
Surprise Bills: The Watch-outs and Loopholes Read More »
As of January 1st you are protected from certain Surprise Bills thanks to the No Surprises Act. The good news is that the less-talked about Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) gives you protection from surprise bills in two other ways. Consolidated Appropriations Act First, let’s understand a few important things about the CAA. The Act applies
Two More Protections from Surprise Bills Read More »
The No Surprises Act (NSA) became effective January 1st. This bill protects consumers from most out-of-network surprise bills. That’s good news for you. There is bad news for insurance companies. The American Medical Association (AMA) and American Hospital Association (AHA) sued the federal government over the bill’s Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. What is Independent
The No Surprises Act Faces Lawsuits Read More »
The No Surprises Act (NSA) is designed to protect patients from surprise bills. Yet the NSA excludes ground ambulance charges even though at least one study found about half of these rides among privately insured consumers may result in a surprise bill. The Ambulance Industry’s Complexity Why would the NSA exclude ground ambulance charges? In a
Why the No Surprises Act Offers No Relief for Ground Ambulance Costs Read More »
First, the good news. Social Security payments will increase by 5.9% beginning January 2022. Now the bad news. Your monthly Medicare Part B premiums will increase by 14.5% — from $148.50 to $170.10. This is the largest price increase since 2016 and significantly more than The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) predicted last August.
Rate Hikes for Medicare Part B Premiums Read More »
Insurance is complicated. Surprise bills are all too common. Let’s look at six things to help you avoid surprise bills. 1. Enroll a Newborn Within 30 Days Most plans will cover a newborn under the mom’s plan for the first 30 days. But coverage for the baby ends after 30 days. To continue your baby’s
6 Things You Can Do to Avoid Surprise Bills Read More »
Open enrollment is a time for you to make an important health care decision — finding a plan that meets your medical needs and budget. Here are four things you need to know to do just that. 1. When and Where to Enroll This year’s open enrollment period for Obamacare (formally called ACA) begins on
4 Things You Need to Know About Obamacare Open Enrollment Read More »
My 3/13/2021 post gave you information about the Hospital Price Transparency Rule that went into effect 1/1/2021. Just like the name sounds, the law requires hospitals to publish prices they’ve negotiated with insurance companies. Now that the pricing information has been in the public sphere for a while, it’s time to see what it tells consumers.
Hospital Price Transparency Reveals Murky Pricing Practices Read More »
