Headlines about "Health plans - policy"

Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
[Opinion] Tax Code Should Treat All Health Insurance Coverage Equally
Excerpt: "The federal government is essentially providing more than $200 billion in taxpayer money to lock the purchase of health insurance into your job. The connection between the workplace and health care benefits creates unique challenges for small businesses and the self-employed by driving up the costs in the small-group and individual insurance markets. In addition, the tax code is simply unfair to self-employed people. Until recently, these individuals didn't receive any of the tax advantages of those who have health insurance through their employer." (Boston Business Journal via bizjournals.com; free registration required)

San Francisco Clarifies Health Care Spending Rules
Excerpt: "San Francisco regulators have provided further guidance on how to comply with a controversial ordinance that imposes a health care spending requirement on employers. The latest guidance, which was issued in response to questions from employers, clarifies how much employees must earn in order for them to qualify as exempt employees, for whom employers do not have to make the required contributions." (Workforce Management; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] Enhanced Mental Health Parity Legislation Awaits Action During 110th Congress's Final Days
Excerpt: "Although less burdensome than previous proposals to enhance the mental health parity requirements, the compromise bill still would significantly broaden the scope of those requirements. If enacted, many employers likely would need to change their group health plan designs in order to comply." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)

Universal Health Care Promised by Democrats Initially Will Be Modest, Observers Predict
Excerpt: "Rather than quickly seeking enactment of a universal health care reform plan -- a costly and difficult venture, an Obama administration's first steps in the health care arena are likely to focus on expanding coverage through existing popular public programs." (Workforce Management; free registration required)

[Opinion] Is American Health Care Uniquely Inefficient?
Excerpt: "The U.S. health system has been described as the most competitive, heterogeneous, inefficient, fragmented, and advanced system of care in the world. In this paper, we consider two questions: First, is the U.S. health care system productively efficient relative to other wealthy countries, in the sense of producing better health for a given bundle of hospital beds, physicians, nurses, and other factor inputs? Second, is the U.S. allocatively efficient relative to other countries, in the sense of providing highly valued care to consumers? For both questions, the answer is most likely no." (National Bureau of Economic Research; paid subscription or individual purchase required to retrieve fulltext)

President Bush Signs Law To Ensure Health Benefits for 'Sole Survivor' Veterans
Excerpt: "President Bush on Friday signed into law legislation (HR 5825, S 2874) that will guarantee health benefits for 'sole survivor' veterans who receive honorable discharges, the Los Angeles Times reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

[Opinion] Health Care Cost Worries Will Keep Workers on the Job
Excerpt: "Regardless of how the numbers are calculated -- and there are a multitude of ways to calculate those numbers -- the cost of health insurance is almost sure to delay retirement for many workers. Very few employees will have the means to easily pay for coverage when employer-provided health insurance concludes." (Dallas Salisbury via Human Resource Executive Online)

[Opinion] An Actuary Weighs the Candidates' Health Reform Proposals (PDF)
Excerpt: "The next president and Congress will need to address the many challenges facing the health care system, and the success of their efforts will depend on the approaches they use to attend to access, cost, and quality issues. I will focus on just a few aspects of the presidential candidates' plans." (Cori Uccello via Contingencies)

[Opinion] Happy (Belated) Birthday, ERISA!
Excerpt: "Today marks the 34th anniversary of the date that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, known to those in the field of pensions as ERISA, was signed into law. In a tribute to the workers who would be helped by the new law, that day, September 2, 1974, fell on Labor Day." (Pension Rights Center)

Newsweek Examines Whether Preventive Care Programs Proposed by Major Presidential Candidates Can Reduce Costs
Excerpt: "Newsweek on Monday examined whether preventive care programs proposed by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) would reduce health care costs. According to both candidates, preventive care 'makes for healthier patients and lower health care costs,' but a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that such programs 'usually result in higher payouts, not lower ones,' Newsweek reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

[Opinion] Mother's Day - May 2008: Addendum to the 2007 Mother's Day Report - Medicare for All
4 page Microsoft document. (Older Women's League)

[Opinion] The Pioneering Massachusetts Program to Provide Health Insurance for All Citizens
Excerpt: "The number of uninsured has dropped -- Massachusetts now has the lowest rate in the nation -- and so have the number of those who turn to costly emergency rooms for routine care. And while the state has had to seek additional sources of revenue -- mainly because of the program's popularity -- the gains in the first 21 months suggest that the plan could become a model for universal health coverage for other states or the nation." (The New York Times; free registration required)

[Opinion] Renewing America's 'Contract with the Middle Class'
Excerpt: "[O]ver the last 25 years -- especially over the last decade -- what is good for America and what is good for much of corporate America have gotten way out of sync. Our current business culture too often emphasizes only short-term corporate profits and shareholder returns -- however and wherever they are generated -- and in the process, what is good for America is being pushed aside." (Los Angeles Times)

[Opinion] We Need a National Market for Health Insurance
Excerpt: "Freeing Americans to buy health insurance across state lines would give people more choices in health care. And giving individuals a direct tax break for purchasing coverage would put armies of consumers to work to find affordable policies. That would force states to lighten their regulations or lose out to other, less regulated states. The complex problems in our health sector are best cured by a bigger dose of market competition, not more government intervention." (The Wall Street Journal)

Independent WHO Study Backs Universal Health Care
Excerpt: "Major inequalities in health and life expectancy persist worldwide, according to an independent World Health Organization commission which on Thursday called for all countries to offer universal health care." (Reuters via The New York Times; free registration required)

[Opinion] Comments to Massachusetts Connector Board on Minimum Creditable Coverage Requirements (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "The proposed minimum creditable coverage (MCC) guidance approved by the Connector Board in July provides valuable and welcome guidance in many areas. However, we are concerned about the impact these requirements will have on the Massachusetts employees and retirees of many national employers. As of the date of these comments, we have reviewed the health programs of approximately 20 large national employers, several of whom are headquartered in Massachusetts. Although these employer plans provide comprehensive benefits, most of the employer programs we have reviewed have one or more options that fail to satisfy the MCC requirements based on the regulations and the comments we have received from the Connector." (Buck Consultants)

[Opinion] Lessons from the Massachusetts Experiment in Health Care Reform
Excerpt: "Bottom line, health care in Massachusetts is extremely expensive, thanks to supply-side factors -- which means expanding and sustaining full coverage is, fiscally speaking, a tough proposition. Luckily, steps are being taken to address cost issues : in June, the state's biggest insurer and the state itself said that they would stop reimbursing doctors and hospitals for 28 medical errors." (The Century Foundation)

[Guidance Overview] Recent Developments under the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act Affecting Employers
Excerpt: "This advisory explains the following recent developments under the Act as they affect employers, either directly (in the case of the fair share contribution requirement) or indirectly (in the case of the definition of 'minimum creditable coverage') . . . ." (Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C.)

Nevada Legislative Panel OKs Benefits Expansion for Domestic Partners
Excerpt: "A regulation that makes it state policy to provide health care insurance benefits to domestic partners of state employees -- including those of the same sex -- was adopted Tuesday by a legislative subcommittee on a 3-2 vote." (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
Excerpt: "The number of people without health insurance coverage declined from 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3 percent) in 2007." (U.S. Census Bureau)

Patients Suffer As Care, Coverage Limits Collide; Physicians Say Insurers Intrude on Treatment
Excerpt: "Increasing healthcare costs and an influx of expensive drugs and tests, combined with an aging population, set off a healthcare crisis in the United States. Contending with soaring costs, insurers changed the business of health care by requiring preauthorizations, mandating cheaper drugs, and tightening controls on treatment decisions. But among the first casualties of these changes, many physicians said, was the doctor-patient relationship." (Toledo Blade)

Alabama Board Approves Plan To Charge State Employees for Obesity, Health Problems
Excerpt: "The Alabama State Employees' Insurance Board last week approved a plan that will require state employees who are obese or have health problems to make progress to address those issues or pay a monthly charge for health insurance, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

[Opinion] On Estoppel and Equitable Remedies Under ERISA: It Should Be a Two-Way Street
Excerpt: "I've complained at times in the past that too many federal Circuit and District courts view ERISA's equitable remedies as a one way street. Plan fiduciaries chasing subrogation or overpayment claims have free rein to recover money from plan participants under the guise of 'appropriate equitable relief.' Yet those some courts often deny the participants any monetary recovery for violations of ERISA because recovery of money supposedly falls outside the scope of 'appropriate equitable relief.'" (Brian S. King's ERISA Law Blog)

Election Center 2008 - The Health Care Issue
Excerpt: "Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls propose solutions to deal with one of the most critical issues facing millions of Americans." (CNN.com)

Covering the Uninsured in 2008: Current Costs, Sources of Payment, and Incremental Costs
Excerpt: "Government programs finance about 75 percent of uncompensated care. If all uninsured people were fully covered, their medical spending would increase by $122.6 billion. The increase represents 5 percent of current national health spending and 0.8 percent of gross domestic product. However, it is neither the cost of a specific plan nor necessarily the same as the government's costs, which could be higher, depending on plans' financing structures and the extent of crowd-out." (Health Affairs)

New Study Examines Current Health Care Spending on Uninsured and Projects Cost If the Population Were Insured
Excerpt: "The study is an update of a previous Kaiser study and also projects the additional cost to the nation's health care system if all the uninsured were covered by insurance. If everyone were covered, overall costs would increase by $123 billion dollars, or an additional five percent of national health spending. The analysis does not assess how much a universal coverage plan would cost the government, which would vary depending on the details of the approach." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Americans Who Lack Health Insurance Will Spend About $30 Billion Out of Pocket on Medical Care This Year
Excerpt: "The new study estimates the government pays 75%, or $42.9 billion, of the amount uninsured patients can't pay -- through Medicaid, the federal-state health-insurance for the poor and Medicare, the federal program for the elderly and disabled, as well as state and local taxes." (The Wall Street Journal)

Audio and Text: Candidates' Plans to Cut Health Costs May Not Pay Off
Excerpt: "Plans by both Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain aim to hold down costs and improve the quality of care. And both candidates propose to do so through the existing private health insurance system. The idea is that with more customers, insurers will compete for business by offering good policies and finding ways to make care more efficient and thus cheaper." (Morning Edition via National Public Radio)

Health of the Nation — Coverage for All Americans
Excerpt: "On May 10, 2008, the Journal and the Massachusetts Medical Society brought together 13 panelists for a seminar on U.S. health policy and universal health coverage. In a discussion moderated by Arthur R. Miller, J.D., of the New York University School of Law, the participants identified important challenges to the American health care system and debated possible solutions. [A video of the seminar is available atthe target page along with excerpts in PDF from the discussion, a video transcript, and text highlights.]" (The New England Journal of Medicine)

Survey Reveals Most HR Professionals Want Government to Play Role in Regulating Healthcare Costs
Excerpt: "A majority of corporate human resource managers believe the federal government should play a role in regulating healthcare costs and coverage, but neither political party offers a clear-cut resolution. . . . The 1,242 respondents were almost evenly divided on whether the viewpoints of either John McCain or Barack Obama could positively affect the current state of rising health care costs and coverage in the United States. However, almost half of those surveyed felt that neither the Republican nor Democratic party would be effective in addressing the issue." (Marketwire via NewsEdge via Human Resource Executive Online)

Illinois Senate Approves Govenor's Proposal To Extend Maximum Age Child Can Be Covered Under Parents' Health Insurance
Excerpt: "The Illinois Senate on Tuesday voted 35-17 to approve a measure that would allow as many as 300,000 young adults to remain on their parents' health plans up to age 26, or up to age 30 if they are veterans, the Chicago Tribune reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Health Care/Insurance No Longer Primary Election Issue for Candidates
Excerpt: "The continual tussle between the two presumptive presidential nominees -- Obama and McCain -- has largely centered recently on national security and the high price of gasoline. Public opinion polls have shown that among the top issues of concern to Americans, health care is languishing far behind the economy, the war and the price of gas. One CBS poll from July put voter interest in health care at just 3 percent. In August, it was at 8 percent." (Chicago Tribune)

[Opinion] A Four-Point Plan for Health Care Reform
Excerpt: "The solution is to make health care much more like other sectors of the economy, where competition drives entrepreneurs to offer a wide range of affordable products and services to consumers -- like $300 laptops, cut-rate vacation packages sold online, and discount brokerage firms. To unleash a new wave of entrepreneurial energy in health care, policymakers should focus on a four-point plan of action . . . ." (National Review Online)

Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Obama Discusses Single-Payer Health Care System
Excerpt: "Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) earlier this week during a town hall meeting on the economy in Albuquerque, N.M., discussed prospects for the implementation of a single-payer health care system over time, the Wall Street Journal's 'Washington Wire' reports. He said, 'If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system.'" (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Lack of Insurance, High Medical Costs a Problem for More Americans
Excerpt: "Americans are struggling to pay medical bills and are accumulating medical debt at an increasing rate, according to a survey released today. 'A perfect storm of negative economic trends is battering working families across the United States,' said the survey by the Commonwealth Fund . . . ." (The Washington Post; free registration required)

Health Care Debate May Hinge on Pooling
Excerpt: "Small businesses . . ., among the most hard-pressed in the country to find affordable health care, are hitching their wagon to a series of bills now before Congress which are designed to drive down health-care costs by allowing small firms to leverage their collective muscle through the formation of pools." (Reuters)

McCain's Health Insurance Plan: More Radical Than Democrats'?
Excerpt: "Democratic health care proposals may have gotten more attention during the primaries, but Republican John McCain's plan just might be more revolutionary. The GOP nominee-to-be wants to tax workers on the value of the insurance they receive from employers. At the same time, everyone would be offered a federal tax credit to help them pay for insurance – whether a company plan or one purchased on their own. Buyers could subtract up to $5,000 from their federal tax tab come April 15. Or they could simply sign over the credit to an insurer in order to purchase coverage." (The Dallas Morning News)

Legislation to Address Problems with Health Care System Should 'Do No Harm,' Opinion Piece States
Excerpt: "U.S. residents are 'dissatisfied with the health care status quo, and rightfully so,' but the system 'is not on the verge of collapse,' Gary Andres, vice chair of Dutko Worldwide, and James Capretta, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, write in a Washington Times opinion piece." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

[Guidance Overview] Towers Perrin U.S. Legislative Tracking Charts -- Health and Welfare -- Updated August 12, 2008 (PDF)
23 pages. Excerpt: "These charts summarize selected federal legislation that would affect employee benefit programs. The bills included on the charts are based on judgments regarding the prominence of the issue, the likelihood of enactment, and the influence of the sponsors." (Towers Perrin)

House Bill Would Allow Students on Medical Leave to Keep Coverage
Excerpt: "On July 30, 2008, the House passed 'Michelle's Law' (H.R.2851), which would enable full-time students on a medically necessary leave of absence to keep their health insurance for up to one year. Under most health plans, college-age dependent students who are not enrolled in school full-time are no longer eligible for coverage under their family's health insurance plan. If the bill becomes law during this legislative session, it would apply to medically necessary leaves of absence beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide)

Health Benefits Inspire Rush to Marry - or Divorce
Excerpt: "In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, it is not uncommon for couples to marry, or even to divorce, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly." (The New York Times; free registration required)

Government Workers Have Greater Access to Benefits, DOL Data Show
Excerpt: "According to the [Bureau of Labor Statistics] release, access to and participation in retirement and medical care benefits were greater in government employment than in private industry." (PLANSPONSOR.com)

Associations, Trade Groups Offer Members Group-Like Health Insurance
Excerpt: "An increasing number of small-business owners that do not provide health insurance to their employees and individuals without employer-based health coverage are looking to professional organizations and trade groups that offer 'group-like' coverage to their members, the Wall Street Journal reports." (KaiserNetwork.org)

[Opinion] State Health Reform Flatlines (PDF)
8 pages. Excerpt: "Massachusetts' recent health reform has generated laudatory headlines and a flurry of interest in state-based initiatives to achieve universal health insurance coverage. In 1988, a similar Massachusetts effort was also acclaimed and was imitated by several other states. Unfortunately, none of those efforts can be judged a success. The authors briefly review this earlier experience and caution against premature declaration of victory." (International Journal of Health Services via Physicians for a National Health Program)

Access for All America Act (PDF)
18 pages. Excerpt: "[A bill to] achieve access to comprehensive primary health care services for all Americans and to improve primary care delivery through an expansion of the community health center and National Health Service Corps programs." (U.S. Senate)

Democratic Party Agrees on a Health Care Guarantee for All
Excerpt: "Democrats shaped a set of principles Saturday that commits the party to guaranteed health care for all, heading off a potentially divisive debate and edging the party closer to the position of Barack Obama's defeated rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton." (San Francisco Chronicle)

[Guidance Overview] Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide Updated August 6, 2008, for Health and Welfare Plans (PDF)
7 pages. This Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding health and welfare benefit plans. (Hewitt Associates)

[Opinion] The Pursuit of Universal Health Care in America
Excerpt: "The draft Democratic Party platform that was sent out last week puts health care reform front and center. 'If one thing came through in the platform hearings,' says the document, 'it was that Democrats are united around a commitment to provide every American access to affordable, comprehensive health care.'" (The New York Times; free registration required)

Kucinich Introduces Legislation That Seeks To Lower Prescription Drug Costs by Replacing Medicare Part D
Excerpt: "Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) recently introduced a bill (HR 6800) that would replace the Medicare prescription drug benefit with a new program in an effort to reduce costs, CQ HealthBeat reports. The legislation would require Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs and eliminate copayments, premiums and deductibles for medications for beneficiaries." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog Entries
Excerpt: "While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics. To provide complete coverage of health policy issues, the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report offers readers a window into the world of blogs in a roundup of health policy-related blog posts." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

[Opinion] British Healthcare System One Import We Don't Need
Excerpt: "In single-payer systems such as Britain's, taxpayers pay higher taxes for universal health coverage and the government pays most of their medical bills. But the fact is that every government-run health-care system struggles to make ends meet. Money for health care in those systems has to compete with money for other government programs like education, defense and pension programs." (The Olympian via Council for Affordable Health Insurance)

Legislation Aimed at Helping Small Businesses Offer Health Insurance to Their Employees
Excerpt: "The legislation, called the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP Act, would establish a nationwide health insurance purchasing pool for small businesses and the self-employed." (2theadvocate.com)

Study Shows Health Insurance Sales Across State Lines Would Reduce Uninsured
Excerpt: "A study evaluating different scenarios that would allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines found that 12 million previously uninsured people would be able to get insurance if there were competition between states. The study was presented during an American Enterprise Institute panel discussion on interstate competition for individual insurance as a way to increase access to the uninsured." (Congressional Quarterly Inc.)

Medicare Reform Law May Impact Retiree Medical Plans (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "The recently passed Medicare Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (the 'Act') includes a number of reforms to Medicare which may impact employer sponsored retiree medical plans. Specifically, the Act imposes additional requirements on Medicare Private Fee for Service ('PFFS') plans." (Haynes and Boone, LLP)

Obama vs. McCain: Tracking Competing Health Care Visions (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "One thing is clear from that continuous tracking: the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates fundamentally differ on their vision for health care reform. Sen. Barack Obama believes the market does not (and perhaps cannot) work well in health care, and so a strong government hand is needed to force the system to work for everyone. Sen. John McCain believes the market can work in health care if given the chance, and proposes reducing or relaxing some of the current regulatory framework to increase competition and choice." (Councial for Affordable Health Insurance)

[Opinion] Make Original Medicare the Foundation for Health Care Reform
Excerpt: "[O]riginal Medicare stands as a shining example of a needs-based program that has consistently served the public interest. Despite being weakened by privatizing, it gives us a solid foundation for real health care reform, when access to necessary health care is even more difficult than in the 1960s. It is time to expand Medicare as a social insurance program for all Americans through a single risk pool of all 300 million of us. This is the most efficient, fair and sustainable way to insure us all against the costs of illness and injury, coupled with the strengths of our private delivery system." (Seattle Post Intelligencer via California Nurses Association / National Nurses Organizing Committee)

Bill in Congress Would Lift Lifetime Health Insurance Benefit Caps to $10 Million
Excerpt: "H.R. 6528, introduced July 17, would stipulate that the lifetime cap on a group health plan would be $5 million for the first two years and $10 million in years three and four. It also would provide an annual adjustment to a group insurance plan's lifetime cap based on the Consumer Price Index in subsequent years." (AISHealth.com)

The Impact of Immigration on Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 1994–2006 (PDF)
Pages 2-9 of 16 pages. Excerpt: "One factor that has contributed to the increase in the uninsured population is immigration, which has been the focus of previous research. Earlier studies have found that immigrants are disproportionately employed in low-wage jobs, in small firms, and in service or trade occupations, jobs that are less likely to offer health benefits.8 The relative lack of employment-based coverage is compounded by the fact that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 imposed a five-year ban on receipt of health and other public programs by most newly arrived legal immigrants." (Employee Benefit Research Institute)

Hearing: Health Benefits in the Tax Code: The Right Incentives
The target page contains links to member and witness statements at the July 31, 2008, hearing. (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance)

[Opinion] Targeting the Tax Treatment of Health Insurance As Key to Health Reform
Excerpt: "The value of the subsidy for job-based health insurance was a whopping $245 billion in 2007, according to Eward Kleinbard, chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation. (This compares to government spending of $372 billion that year for Medicare and $340 billion for Medicaid.) It is a much bigger middle-class subsidy than even the mortgage interest deduction, which checks in at a mere $89 billion. Slowly, slowly it's becoming clear that addressing the tax issue is key to putting the private health sector on a sustainable track." (Galen Institute)

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