Voters’ election of President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican Majority put health care reform squarely back on the table even as leaders debate if repeal or reform, and if reform, what reform Americans want.
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Tag: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Hyper-Technical Health Reforms Threatening American Family’s Health Care Quality
Like most American families with school aged children, our family’s annual flurry of back-to-school preparations includes an annual visit to our child’s pediatrician. Since we generally must take time off work to fit in the pediatrician’s visit around the flurry of work, carpool and other demands of daily living, like most families blessed with relatively healthy children, we tend to remember to schedule the visit when prompted by a minor health concern and/or to save up our requests for prescription refills and questions and concerns about minor or chronic health care issues to discuss with the pediatrician while he conducts his annual check of our sons’ height, weight, blood sugar, eyesight, immunizations and other basic health concerns normally included in an annual well child checkup. Unfortunately, the opportunity for parents to use a single office visit to the pediatrician for a single fee to get caught up with our pediatrician on all current and recurring health care questions and concerns about our child while the pediatrician also conducts an annual checkup appears to be the latest healthcare casualty of Obamacare.
Calculating & Reporting Your ACA Individual Shared Responsibility Payment
Beginning January 1, 2014, the individual coverage mandate rules of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA) generally required most American citizens to maintain health coverage meeting the “minimum essential coverage” mandates of ACA or pay an “individual shared responsibility payment.” With the deadline for filing 2014 individual tax returns rapidly approaching, Americans now generally will be required to show their fulfillment of or exemption from this mandate or pay the “individual shared responsibility” payment that ACA imposes as a penalty for failing to meet its individual coverage mandates when filing their 2014 individual tax returns
Mass. Connector & Other State Exchanges Problems Another Sign of Cracks In Obama Care?
While most Americans are familiar with the well-publicized issues and higher than projected premium costs of coverage offered to Americans enrolling in health care coverage through the federal healthcare marketplace Healthcare.gov created under the health care reforms of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA), many Americans are just beginning to recognize the growing problems and concerns emerging with state exchanges in those states that elected to enact their own exchange. As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in the challenge to the use of ACA subsidies to pay for coverage purchased through the federal healthcare.gov marketplace in King v. Burwell on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, the growing evidence of rapidly emerging funding and other challenges affecting state run exchanges raise concerns about the solvency and reliability of coverage promised and purchased through those state run exchanges. What are your thoughts?
Administration Extends Deadline For 1/1/14 Exchange Enrollment
With enrollment in the new Federal and State Health Insurance Exchanges, which the Obama Administration calls “Marketplaces” lagging and Americans attempting to use the Federal and state Exchange enrollment platforms continuing to experience technical “glitches,” […]
Keeping Dementia Patients At Home: New Study Gives Tips
A new Johns Hopkins University study has found that most Americans with dementia who live at home have health, safety and care needs that aren’t being met. Regular evaluation of patient and caregiver needs and […]
PBGC Benefit Recipients Health Coverage Tax Credit Eligibility Expires 12/31/13
Individuals receiving pension benefit payments from the Pension Benefit GUarantee Corporation who receiving the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) will not qualify for the HCTC credit after December 31, 2013. HCTC is a federal tax credit for health care […]
HHS Announces $50M In Affordable Care Act Community Health Center Mental Health Services Funding
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced December 12 plans to issue a $50 million funding opportunity announcement to help Community Health Centers establish or expand behavioral health services for people living with mental illness, […]
Will Health Care Reform Be Ready Jan.1? HHS Says Yes; GAO Skeptical
Despite growing concerns expressed by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and others about arrangements and the need for added funding to prepare for the massive conversion in the U.S. health care system slated to take effect January 1, 2014 under the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (“ACA), Obama Administration officials are continuing to claim readiness to begin enrollment of Americans In federal health care marketplace on schedule on October 1, 2013 and to meet other crucial deadlines necessary to effectively implement the next wave of ACA’s health care reforms in the Department of Health & Human Service’s rollout of new consumer health care education and decision-making tools on its newly designed healthcare.gov website.
Economic Downturn, Not Health System Reform, Responsible For Decrease In Health Care Cost Trend
Bad economic times, and not health care reform, account for the record slowdown in U.S. health care spending, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation study, Assessing the Effects of the Economy on the Recent Slowdown in Health Spending (Study).
According to Kaiser Foundation, government statistics show that the period from 2009-2011 had the slowest growth (3.9%) in health care expenditures since the government began tracking health expenditure data in 1960.