FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part XI

FAQs About Affordable Care Act Implementation Part XI

Latest from the Department of Labor...

Mississippi commish, governor at odds over exchange | LifeHealthPro

Mississippi commish, governor at odds over exchange | LifeHealthPro

At presser, Obama demands Congress raise $16.4T debt limit - The Hill's On The Money

At presser, Obama demands Congress raise $16.4T debt limit - The Hill's On The Money

HHS: States can license navigators | LifeHealthPro

Great information.  It appears States need to go forward with legislation to create a license for a Navigator.  Agents spend years, lots of time and money on education to be an expert.  I am concerned that HHS is going to gave Navigators training that is not as comprehensive as what Agents receive to sell in the exchange.  Therefore, we have Navigators leading consumers in a direction that may not be best for them.  In that the question arises that Agents must carry E&O in the case that someone might receive misinformation, will Navigators be required to carry E&O? 

HHS: States can license navigators | LifeHealthPro

NAIC adopts Valuation Manual over hearty objections from N.Y., Calif. | LifeHealthPro

NAIC adopts Valuation Manual over hearty objections from N.Y., Calif. | LifeHealthPro

New Proposed Wellness Guidance under PPACA

New Proposed Wellness Guidance under PPACA

FAQs About the Affordable Care Act Implementation

FAQs About the Affordable Care Act Implementation

HHS releases rules requiring pre-existing conditions coverage - The Hill's Healthwatch

HHS releases rules requiring pre-existing conditions coverage - The Hill's Healthwatch

The legal hurdles Obamacare still must clear - Joanne Kenen - POLITICO.com

The legal hurdles Obamacare still must clear - Joanne Kenen - POLITICO.com

Budget-cutters eye healthcare law’s insurance subsidies - The Hill's Healthwatch

Budget-cutters eye healthcare law’s insurance subsidies - The Hill's Healthwatch

CBO | Payments of Penalties for Being Uninsured Under the Affordable Care Act

CBO | Payments of Penalties for Being Uninsured Under the Affordable Care Act

Conflict-of-interest concerns raised as Obama races to implement health reform - The Hill's Healthwatch

Conflict-of-interest concerns raised as Obama races to implement health reform - The Hill's Healthwatch

High gas prices roil House races - The Hill's On The Money

High gas prices roil House races - The Hill's On The Money

Health changes spur test of more part-time workers | LifeHealthPro

Health changes spur test of more part-time workers | LifeHealthPro

Romney announces Healthcare Professionals Coalition

Romney for President today announced its Healthcare Professionals for Romney coalition, co-chairs, Cassidy, Boustany, and Fleming

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 91 Individuals for Approximately $430 Million in False Billing

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 91 Individuals for Approximately $430 Million in False Billing

Alternative to AARP

I didn't think it would take long for a replacement for AARP....... Check out the replacement, AMAC - The Association for Mature American Citizens. www.AMAC.us
So many seniors didn't think AARP had their best interest in mind when they were at the table discussing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Senate power hinges on New England - The Hill - covering Congress, Politics, Political Campaigns and Capitol Hill | TheHill.com

Senate power hinges on New England - The Hill - covering Congress, Politics, Political Campaigns and Capitol Hill | TheHill.com

Summary of Benefits ... Health Insurance, Simplified

Health Insurance, Simplified

Rep Harry Waxman just doesn't understand

Energy and Commerce OKs broker bill

By: Jason Millman – Politico

Posted: September 20, 2012

In the end, Rep. John Barrow found himself all out on his own.

Barrow (D-Ga.), the co-sponsor of a bill shielding agent and broker commissions from the health care law’s medical loss ratio requirement, was the only Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee who voted to advance the bill Thursday. The committee approved the bill on a 26-14 vote.

But it’s likely to have much more Democratic support if it gets to the full House floor.

The agent and broker groups say their livelihoods are threatened by the ACA’s limits on what insurers can spend using premium dollars, besides the actual cost of medical care. By lumping in broker commissions with insurers’ administrative spending, the groups say their members have seen their revenue cut between 20 and 50 percent and have suffered job losses as a direct result.

“This doesn’t just hurt the brokers, but also their employees and, most importantly, the consumers who rely on them to obtain coverage and assistance in understanding the complex health care law,” said Robert Smith, president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, in a statement.

Agent and broker groups, framing the MLR as a jobs issue, have made the bill a top legislative priority over the past two years. They quickly gained support in the House with 220 co-sponsors, including about two dozen Democrats — more than most bills altering ACA provisions.

“This should be a bipartisan bill,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who co-sponsored the legislation with Barrow.

But the strongest supporters of the ACA have pushed back hard against the bill, contending it would weaken one of the law’s strongest consumer protections. The $1.1 billion in MLR rebates sent out by insurers this year could have been cut by more than half if agent and broker commissions were exempted from the rule, Consumers Union claimed in a report yesterday.

“Commissions have always been recognized as part of administrative costs,” said Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the committee’s top Democrat.

“This bill would reverse this, causing consumers to pay more for coverage or get less in benefits.”

Democrats on the committee also criticized a provision of the bill that would let states determine whether enforcing the MLR would destabilize their individual or small-group insurance markets.