Tag: Insurance
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Metro Areas Increasingly Dominated by Single Insurance Companies
In an analysis of competition in health insurance markets across the U.S., a study conducted by the American Medical Association found that in 169 of 389 metropolitan areas (43 percent), a single health insurer had at least a 50 percent share of the market. This represents an eight percent increase in such markets over just…
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Tentative Bipartisan Deal Reached to Restore CSR Payments
Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate reached a bipartisan deal “in principle” to restore Obamacare cost-sharing reduction payments for two years in exchange for more state flexibility in the health care act. The proposed plan would also restore more than $100 million in funding for health care outreach. The bipartisan bill gained momentum later in…
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Pres. Trump’s Executive Order Creates Confusion
Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order that could be a first step in dismantling the Affordable Care Act. About 20 health organizations have so far spoken out against the executive order arguing the action could weaken patient protections and destabilize the individual market. President Trump’s executive order signed on Thursday, Oct. 12,…
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UPDATE: Lawmakers Back to the Drawing Board for CHIP Funding Renewal
UPDATED OCT. 12, 2017 — Legislation to renew funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program has stalled in the U.S. House as lawmakers continue debating how to pay for the program. This is the third delay requested by the Democrats as the lawmakers now work to mark up the legislation to extend funding for critical programs other…
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U.S. Senate Announces 5-Year CHIP Funding Program
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee reached an estimated $8 billion bipartisan agreement that renews funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years and phases out the 23 percent Obamacare funding bump. States would have to maintain eligibility through 2019, and after that there would be no so-called maintenance of effort for children of…
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The Medical Association Supports Replacement of ACA with Workable Health Care System
The Medical Association released its 2017 Legislative Agendas earlier this year, which were developed with guidance from the House of Delegates and great contribution from our physician members who participated in the 2017 Legislative Agenda Survey. The Medical Association has continued to express support for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its replacement…
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Emergency Physicians: Georgia BCBS Policy Violates Federal Law
WASHINGTON, DC – The American College of Emergency Physicians and its Georgia Chapter recently announced a policy that Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia plans to implement in July, making subscribers pay for any emergency department visit that turns out not to be an emergency, violates the “prudent layperson” standard, which is codified in federal law,…
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What You Need to Know about the Business of Practicing Medicine
While physicians today learn cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies, most of them don’t receive any instruction on the business side of medicine. That’s an unfortunate omission; practicing medicine requires doctors to enter contracts, to be aware of applicable rules, laws and regulations, to market themselves, to understand proper coding requirements, and to properly collect patient…
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Are Tax Cuts Coming for the Small Business Owner?
While physician practices have many specialized health care compliance issues, most are, in essence, small businesses that face the same challenges as any small business. Taxes and regulations are among those challenges affecting all small businesses. And many owners are now eagerly awaiting alleviation of those challenges. According to the National Federation of Independent Business,…
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New American Health Care Act Comes Under Fire
Earlier this week, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee released legislation as part of the House Republicans’ efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Although the legislation cleared its first hurdle with a lengthy, contentious markup session that began Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the American Health Care Act. The House…