Healthcare reform

More than half of all states have launched lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the healthcare reforms signed into law by President Barack Obama a year ago.

One year ago, President Barack Obama signed into law a sweeping healthcare overhaul to fulfill a long-standing Democratic pledge to ensure healthcare coverage for all Americans.

Currently, more than 12 million people in the United States need some kind of long-term care, with costs ranging from $20/hour for home health care to over $3,000/month for assisted living.

Government regulators responsible for enforcing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act recently announced that they plan to wait until Jan. 1, 2012 to enforce certain provisions related to internal claims and appeals.

The National Conference of State Legislatures has developed a free database of legislation introduced in the states related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Mike Brewer, president of Lockton Benefit Group, urged a U.S. House Committee March 10 to help employers reduce the costs and administrative burdens of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Nearly three quarters of those seeking health insurance in the U.S. individual market in recent years faced roadblocks or were turned down due to prior medical conditions, a report released on Wednesday said.

The IRS is asking for $62 million to prepare for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2012, IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman told the House Appropriations Committee in testimony earlier this month.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners on March 3 released for comment draft legislation that would remove broker compensation from the medical loss ratio calculation. Reportedly “nearly identical” to upcoming legislation from Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (R), the National Association of Health Underwriters’ Jessica Waltman calls the bill a significant step.

Against a groundswell of state-based unrest, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act continues to churn forward under a blanket of contention.

President Barack Obama extended an olive branch on Monday to states struggling to implement his health care law, offering support for a proposal that would give them some flexibility in carrying out its key parts.

Days after delivering what he called a "little speech" (also known as the State of the Union address), President Obama vehemently defended the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, rallying the audience at a Families USA conference in Washington, D.C., that "we are moving forward."

Employers like to look over one another's shoulder when it comes to benefits programs, and benchmarking data provides this opportunity.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has triggered considerable angst about the fate of group health insurance coverage since its passage, but recent research suggests that it’s not expected to affect non-medical benefits.

At Jan. 26 hearings on health care reform held by both the House Budget and Ways and Means Committees, the new Republican majority took the opportunity to question Obama Administration officials on the economic repercussions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Days after delivering what he called a “little speech” (also known as the State of the Union address), President Obama vehemently defended the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, rallying the audience of a Families USA conference in Washington, D.C., that “we are moving forward.”

As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act approaches its one-year anniversary, the focus on the law is shifting from the issues of extending coverage and insurance reforms to the structure of the upcoming insurance exchanges, accountable care organizations and the definition of "essential benefits."

Employers with dental or vision benefits have gritted teeth and winced about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s impact on such coverage, but a recent Segal Co. analysis seeks to clear up any confusion about compliance.

You're on the third floor waiting for the elevator, on the way down to grab your morning cup of coffee. The elevator doors open and standing there is the CEO. It's just the two of you in the elevator.

As the first ruling in federal court to declare a portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, Virginia Judge Henry Hudson’s Dec. 13 finding that the individual mandate provision falls outside "constitutional boundaries” puts a kink in the armor of President Barack Obama’s health reform package — but the battle over PPACA is just beginning.