http://insurance.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-18T16:09:08Z Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:09:08 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/21/health-care-costs-rise-at-slower-pace.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/f/0/-/-/9045056-piggy-bank-with-stethoscope.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p>Health care <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/reformresources/a/Courage.htm">costs</a> for commercial insurers rose 7.11% last year and could rise at a faster pace this year, according to Standard &#038; Poor's Financial Services LLC.</p> <p>The increase was down slightly from 7.52% in 2010 based on the S&#038;P Healthcare Economic Commercial Index. But it also was up sharply from the 5.65% increase in 2009.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/21/health-care-costs-rise-at-slower-pace.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/21/health-care-costs-rise-at-slower-pace.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:41:38 +0000 2012-02-21T01:41:38Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/18/report-few-small-businesses-will-opt-out-of-ppaca.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/6/-/-/-/HCR-photo.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p>Rules that allow some small employers to avoid regulation under the federal Affordable Care Act are <em>unlikely</em> to have a major impact on the future cost of health insurance unless those <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/HealthIns/g/Glossary-Health-Care-Reform-Key-Terms.htm">rules</a> are relaxed to allow more businesses to opt out, according to a new RAND Corporation study.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/18/report-few-small-businesses-will-opt-out-of-ppaca.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/18/report-few-small-businesses-will-opt-out-of-ppaca.htm Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:09:08 +0000 2012-02-18T16:09:08Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/13/united-health-ties-reimbursement-quality.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/e/2/-/-/stock-photo-9036896-food-health-apple-healthfood-diet-fruit.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p>In an effort to reign in spiraling health costs more insurers, including United Health, are rejecting the traditional fee-for-service payment model, and instead tying payment to <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/trendynews/a/Top-2011-Health-Insurance-Trends.htm">quality outcomes</a>. WellPoint and Aetna both have announced similar payment overhauls, according tothe Wall Street Journal.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/13/united-health-ties-reimbursement-quality.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/13/united-health-ties-reimbursement-quality.htm Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:22:39 +0000 2012-02-13T21:22:39Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/10/obama-to-announce-religious-accommodation-on-birth-control.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/C/0/-/-/10261332-healthcare-industry.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p>With the White House under fire for its new rule requiring employers, including religious organizations, to offer <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/reformresources/u/Affordable-Care-Act.htm">health insurance</a> that fully covers birth control coverage, ABC News has learned that later today the White House will likely announce an attempt to accommodate these religious groups.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/10/obama-to-announce-religious-accommodation-on-birth-control.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/10/obama-to-announce-religious-accommodation-on-birth-control.htm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:15:19 +0000 2012-02-10T12:15:19Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/09/feds-seek-to-raise-mass-transit-cost-reimbursement.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/c/2/-/-/stock-photo-8778151-percent-growth.jpg" alt="null" /> <p>As gas prices swell to more than $4/ gallon this spring and summer toward record highs according to experts, Congress may act to help commuters with mass transit benefits. The tax-favored status of an <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/HealthIns/a/Large-Employers-Revamping-Health-Benefit-Programs-For-2012.htm">employee benefit</a> tapped by those who use mass transit to get to and from work would be boosted under a provision in highway funding legislation approved Tuesday by a Senate panel.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/09/feds-seek-to-raise-mass-transit-cost-reimbursement.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/09/feds-seek-to-raise-mass-transit-cost-reimbursement.htm Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:18:41 +0000 2012-02-09T01:18:41Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/04/birth-control-benefits-in-the-crossfire.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/U/0/-/-/8113975-money-and-medicine-medical-expenses-dollars-cash-drugs-pill.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p>On the defensive, the White House scrambled Thursday, according to CNN, to explain its requirement that church-affiliated employers cover birth control after House Speaker John Boehner called it unconstitutional and demanded immediate reconsideration.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/04/birth-control-benefits-in-the-crossfire.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/04/birth-control-benefits-in-the-crossfire.htm Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:18:31 +0000 2012-02-04T03:18:31Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/02/medicare-advantage-enrollment-up-10-for-2012.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/N/2/-/-/stock-photo-17826857-medical-form.jpg" alt="&#038;copy www.istockphoto.com" /> <p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu= http://insurance.about.com/od/Medicare-And-Medicaid/Medicare-And-Medicaid.htm">Medicare Advantage</a> enrollments have risen a bigger-than-expected 10% since this time last year according to the Department of Health and Human Services.</p> <p>And in even better news average premiums have fallen 7% to $31.54/month as average premiums have fallen from $33.97 in 2011 while enrollment inceased from 11.7 million to 12.8 millio persons for 2012.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/02/medicare-advantage-enrollment-up-10-for-2012.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/02/02/medicare-advantage-enrollment-up-10-for-2012.htm Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:52:53 +0000 2012-02-02T23:52:53Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/30/homeowners-rates-in-11-states-rise-18.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/X/2/-/-/stock-photo-15877239-flooded-house-and-car.jpg" alt="null" /> <p>Homeowners insurance rates are increasing enormously in 11 states for 2012 following record 2011 <a href= "http://insurance.about.com/od/Property/a/2011-Catastrophes-Harm-P-C-Insurers.htm">catastrophes</a>.</p> <p>Several home insurers will make hikes of 18% or more on specific homeowners insurance lines in 11 states, which include Tennessee; South Dakota; Kentucky; Arizona; Virginia; Maine; Colorado; South Carolina; Alabama; Kansas; and Georgia since Dec. 1.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/30/homeowners-rates-in-11-states-rise-18.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/30/homeowners-rates-in-11-states-rise-18.htm Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:37:16 +0000 2012-01-30T15:37:16Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/27/texas-welcomes-rains-but-not-tornados.htm <img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/insurance/1/9/X/2/-/-/stock-photo-15877239-flooded-house-and-car.jpg" alt="null" /> <p>While the phrase, "be careful what you ask for", may be somewhat appropriate, torrents of rain finally fell on drought-stricken and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/home/a/Texas-Wildfire-Damage-Mounts.htm">wildfire-prone</a> Texas, but destructive tornados unfortunately, hitched a ride.</p> <p>Three tornados spun forth by the needed thundestorms, including powerful winds and flooding that caused San Antonio authorities to rescue 14 rescues of individuals from their vehicles while nine inches of rain, deluged the city.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/27/texas-welcomes-rains-but-not-tornados.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/27/texas-welcomes-rains-but-not-tornados.htm Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:37:18 +0000 2012-01-27T15:37:18Z http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/26/medigap-plans-and-the-ppaca.htm <p>Its obvious that every health insurer is closely watching the implementation of the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/od/reformresources/u/Affordable-Care-Act.htm">PPACA</a>. In the Medigap sector they are watching to see how the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2011/03/17/battle-continues-over-medical-loss-ratio.htm">medical loss ratio</a> rules might be changed to impact them.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/26/medigap-plans-and-the-ppaca.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://insurance.about.com/b/2012/01/26/medigap-plans-and-the-ppaca.htm Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:38:43 +0000 2012-01-26T10:38:43Z