Law and regulation

Support group

Several members of Congress from both political parties expressed support for the role of the agent and broker post-health care reform to a crowd of more than 700 at February's National Association of Health Underwriters annual Capitol Conference in Washington, D.C. – including calls for the medical loss ratio provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be altered.

Elizabeth Galentine
By Elizabeth Galentine
Former editor-in-chief
Employee Benefit Adviser

Feds ramp up exchange grants

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded seven grants totaling $241 million to assist "early innovator" states in building the information technology infrastructure necessary to operate state-level health information exchanges mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

By Joseph Goedert
Senior Editor
Health Data Management

Buckle your seatbelts, kids

It was just last March when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Now, one year later, the one thing that seems to be most certain … is that nothing is certain at all.

George Lane
By George Lane
Principal
Mercer

Looking for a change

As President Barack Obama's health care reform package worked its way through Congress in 2009 and early 2010, Randy Flem kept a close eye on the proceedings. When Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010, Flem knew it was time to dive in. A veteran of the political process, "I had this belief that I could make a difference," says Flem. "So I just moved forward."

Elizabeth Galentine
By Elizabeth Galentine
Former editor-in-chief
Employee Benefit Adviser

Reality check

On Capitol Hill the rubber has met the road on health reform. Last month saw three noteworthy attacks on PPACA. First the House passed the PPACA repeal bill that House Speaker John Boehner had promised. Then came the ruling by a federal district court judge in Florida that the entire law is unconstitutional. This was followed by passage in the Senate of a bill to repeal PPACA's widely disliked 1099 tax reporting burden.

John Ortman
By John Ortman
Editor-in-Chief
Employee Benefit Adviser

Past gazing, future facing

To make sense of the past and looming health care reform changes, employers may transfigure into the Roman god Janus this year, with one head focused on the decisions of 2010 and the other fixed on the future.

By Kathleen Koster
Freelance Writer

Tracking patients under health reform

A new study in Health Affairs examines insurance coverage disruptions that could occur under the health law as individuals or families move between Medicaid coverage and subsidized coverage from private insurers that’s purchased through online state insurance exchanges.

By Joseph Goedert
Senior Editor
Health Data Management

What’s next for health reform?

With Federal District Court Judge Roger Vinson ruling PPACA unconstitutional in 26 states that joined in a class action lawsuit, what happens to Obama Administration efforts to implement provisions of the law as the legal issues move to the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court?

By Joseph Goedert
Senior Editor
Health Data Management

GOP launches ‘repeal and replace’ strategy on PPACA

After a week’s delay following the shootings in Tucson, Republicans in the House of Representatives will kick off their health reform effort overhaul today. Yesterday the House began debating the Republicans’ measure, “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act” (H.R. 2).

PPACA repeal effort reenergizes reform conversation

A vote in the House of Representatives on the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act” (HR 2) scheduled for Jan. 12 has been postponed in the wake of last weekend’s shootings in Arizona, and although a new date has yet to be scheduled, Capitol Hill watchers expect the legislation to resurface soon.

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