Health Care Blog
Insurance Rebates on the Way
Posted by on June 5, 2012 at 10:13 AM EDTConsumers across the country are starting to hear the good news about their health insurance costs.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law, health insurers generally have to spend at least 80 percent of your premium dollars on health care and quality, not administrative overhead. This minimum percentage is called a medical loss ratio. If your insurer doesn’t meet or exceed this standard, they must rebate you the difference.
The rule encourages insurers to give you better value for your premium dollar and holds them accountable if they don’t. Last week, insurers were required to report the refunds that will go to consumers and small businesses later this summer and we have already started to see the effects:
- BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has announced that it will pay $8.6 million to about 73,000 individual policyholders in August because they spent less than 80 percent of premiums on health care.
- In Arizona, more than $36 million in refunds will go to both consumers and small businesses. One insurer in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, alone will pay out an estimated $8.7 million to more than 77,000 individual policyholders, and another $3.2 million to more than 3,700 small businesses. United Healthcare's Golden Rule Insurance will refund nearly $8.7 million to more than 30,000 additional Arizona policyholders.
- Two insurers in California will pay out more than $50 million in rebates to nearly 1 million customers statewide.
This is just one way the new health care law is helping American families and businesses get a fair deal when it comes to their health care. Learn more at www.WhiteHouse.gov/healthreform.
Learn more about Economy, Health CareJudyCare: Focusing on Fighting Cancer, Without Fear of Lifetime Insurance Caps
Posted by on May 22, 2012 at 1:45 PM EDTEd. note: This is cross-posted from HealthCare.gov
Judy Lamb from Colorado is an inspiration. Despite fighting breast cancer that has spread to her bones and liver and undergoing weekly chemotherapy, she has a positive outlook on life.
“I have three children, I’m married, and I cook dinner every night. It’s not really exciting, but it’s a wonderful life. I’m so glad I’m here, because without my treatments I wouldn’t be here,” she says.
She is able to maintain her positive attitude partly because the Affordable Care Act has removed a tremendous burden: the fear that her health plan would stop paying for her treatments.
Learn more about Health CareNational Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease
Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 2:25 PM EDTToday, as many as 5.1 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. As the baby boomers march past age 65, that number could more than double in just a few decades.
We’ve made considerable progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementias, but much more needs to be done right away, because people who face the challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s need help now.
The Obama administration has announced an historic $156 million commitment to address what is needed to confront Alzheimer’s disease. The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease is a roadmap that will help us meet our goal to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. This is a truly national plan, based on a strong partnership with every part of the Alzheimer’s community, including scientists, patient advocates, and people living with the disease.
This plan lays out a blueprint for expanding research in prevention and treatment and getting the most-promising drugs from discovery into clinical trials. We will also figure out ways to move best practices out of the research journals and into exam rooms as soon as possible.
Learn more about Health CareBy the Numbers: $1 Billion
Posted by on May 17, 2012 at 12:55 PM EDT
Thursday is the fourth day of National Women’s Health Week. Women often play a leading role in making medical decisions for their families, but their own health needs are often unmet, which is why President Obama worked to make health care more accessible and affordable for women across the country through his health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.
For example, women who purchase health insurance on the individual market pay an additional $1 billion each year because insurance companies charge them more than men, simply because of their gender. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health insurers will be prohibited from discriminating against women by charging higher premiums.
President Obama’s health reform law also requires new health insurance plans to cover preventive services such as mammograms, pap smears, and well-woman visits with no co-pay or deductible. Because of this provision in the Affordable Care Act, more than 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive health services at no additional cost.
Learn more about Health Care, WomenNational Women's Health Week by the Numbers: 20.4 Million
Posted by on May 15, 2012 at 1:27 PM EDT
Tuesday is the second day of National Women’s Health Week, and an opportunity for all women to prioritize their health well-being by scheduling annual screening and exams.
President Obama’s health reform law requires that new health insurance plans cover preventive services such as mammograms, pap smears, and well-woman visits with no co-pay or deductible. Because of this provision in the Affordable Care Act, more than 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive health services at no additional cost.
Learn more about Health Care, WomenDon't Forget!
Posted by on May 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM EDTIt's Mother's Day!
As rewarding as being a mom can be, it sure isn't easy. That's part of why the Obama Administration is taking steps to level the playing field for mothers and their families.
To help you show some appreciation for the mom in your life, we've put together two Mother's Day cards. One focuses on important health care reforms and the other on heroic military moms across the country.
Check them out and share them:
From all of us here at the White House, Happy Mother's Day!
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