Facebook

Affordable Care Act Update

 This post is quoted directly from Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American <heathercoxrichardson@substack.com>Date: April 5, 2022  Obama signed the ACA into law in 2010. Today, 31 million Americans have healthcare coverage thanks to it. They can’t be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. The ACA has lowered prescription drug costs…

Insurance companies no longer covering 100% of Covid costs

“The days of full covid coverage are over. Insurers are restoring deductibles and co-pays, leaving patients with big bills.” Headline in The Washington Post 9/18/21. Maybe it is time for the unvaccinated to finally get the jab to protect themselves. “In 2020, as the pandemic took hold, U.S. health insurance companies declared they would cover…

Hospitals Often Bill Uninsured the Highest Prices

Going without health insurance is NOT an option! Insurers negotiate lower rates for same treatment, new data show, with the uninsured charging up to three times as much as patients with insurance. No wonder we have the highest bankruptcy rates in the world. My research at Utah State University on bankruptcy in Utah and that…

Why Americans Have Been Deceived About Canada’s Health Care System

“For decades, the health insurance industry has been scaring Americans about Canada’s health care system. We hear from a whistleblower about his role in the disinformation campaign.”  Why is this relevant today?  The same types of disinformation are being used to smear the Affordable Care Act. AMANDA ARONCZYK, BYLINE: When I first moved to the…

Health Savings Account limits for 2021

Participants in high-deductible health plans (HDHP) can contribute to tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts. “For 2021, the annual limit on deductible contributions is $3,600 for individuals with self-only coverage under an HDHP (a $50 increase from 2020) and $7,200 for family coverage (a $100 increase from 2020).” “For 2021, the lower limit on the annual deductible…

Lost Your Health Insurance? Check out Affordable Care Act Coverage

As unemployment continues to skyrocket due to COVID-19, a new analysis shows that more than 20 million people losing job-based insurance could get a tax credit on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchanges. But nearly 6 million people will not be eligible for such credits and must pay the full cost of coverage, according to…

What to do if you lose your health iinsurance?

Too Many Americans are losing their health insurance along with their jobs. One of the many perils of our peculiar method of providing most health insurance (note that insurance is different from health care). Virtually all industrialized nations provide some form of health care to their citizens. The US stands alone. Medicaid may be your…

4 Steps to choosing a health plan for the coming year

Get guidance for this important decision from the Humble Dollar, courtesy of Richard Conner. 4-step process:1. Calculate the total annual premium2. To the results from step No. 1, add the deductible for each plan. 3. Subtract the deductible from the out of pocket (OOP) maximum.4. Add the premium amount from step No. 1 to the OOP…

Medicare Part B cost going up

According to The Wall Street Journal (4/23/19) the cost of Medicare part B premiums for 2020 will likely increase $8.80/month from $135.50 to $144.30. The previous increase was from $134 in 2018.While Medicare part A that covers hospitalization is usually free for most Americnas 65 and older, Part B charges a monthly premium that ranges…