Texas Health Insurance

Do you know how Texas group Health Insurance is changing?

August 31, 2010 – 7:03 pm
Elimination of Co-Payments for Screenings and Preventive Care Starting in September of 2010, employer-sponsored (and other) group health plans and Texas health insurance issuers are prohibited from requiring co-pays for all preventive services recommended by an independent expert panel, the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Co-pays are also eliminated for certain recommended immunizations, breast cancer screenings and other preventive care/screenings for women and children. However, this requirement does not apply to “grandfathered” health plans, which are defined in PPACA as any plan in which at least one individual was enrolled as of March 23, 2010. Note: Pay careful attention to the cost-sharing requirements for office visits under this rule. Employee Wellness Discounts Starting January 1, 2014, PPACA enhances such wellness discounts by permitting group health plans to give reductions of up to 30 percent of the cost of premiums to employees who participate in such wellness programs. This may be expanded to 50 ...

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Why choose an HSA?

August 25, 2010 – 8:37 pm
·     The HDHP generally costs less than traditional health care coverage. Money saved on the insurance premium can be put into the HSA. - Texas Health Insurance ·        Contributions to your HSA are tax deductible. IRS guidelines in 2010 & 2011 allow max contributions up to $3050 for individuals and $6150 for a family plan. If you are over 55, you can contribute an additional $1000 to your HSA. If you have a spouse who is over 55, you must open a second account in order to take advantage of the catch up contribution. - Texas Individual Health Insurance ·        After age 65, HSA funds can be used for non qualified expenses without penalty. Only income tax is assessed. Texas Health Insurance ·        Use the pre-tax funds in your HSA to pay for current medical expenses or expenses that your insurance may not cover including dental expenses, vision care, Medicare expenses, and long ...

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Health care Reform Impact HSA’s

August 25, 2010 – 8:26 pm
Texas Health Insurance - Here is an overview of how the new legislation will affect health savings accounts in the future.   Does the new law eliminate HSA’s?   No, HSA’s will not be eliminated with the new law and you can continue to use your HSA like you have until the end of 2010. Texas Individual Health Insurance   What will happen in 2011 with my HSA?   Beginning in 2011, the tax levied on non qualified HSA distributions (withdrawals taken before age 65 that are not qualified medical expenses) will increase from 10% to 20%. If you continue to use the HSA for qualified medical expenses, this penalty will not affect you. Also, HSA funds can no longer be used to purchase over the counter medication, unless they are prescribed by a health care professional. Texas Health Insurance   What are the contribution limits in 2011?   The contribution limits will remain the same as 2010. If you are ...

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Lawmakers face deadline on health care bills

August 25, 2010 – 7:55 pm
Texas Health Insurance - The Legislature has until the end of the month to pass or reject several key health bills, making this week a turning point for some reforms related to the new federal health law. Among the measures heading for a final floor vote are bills that would regulate health insurance rates and set up an "exchange" through which consumers would buy insurance under the federal law. Texas Individual Health Insurance The legislative session is set to end Aug. 31, so lawmakers must act on the pending legislation, or the bills will die. "I've not seen a year with such a combination of significant health care legislation that could be potentially passed and signed," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a statewide consumer and labor advocacy coalition.Texas Health Insurance Several of the bills are generating controversy. A bill that would set up California's health insurance exchange, the virtual marketplace ...

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States get funds to boost oversight of health insurance premiums

August 20, 2010 – 9:22 pm
Texas Health Insurance - The $1-million grants, which went to all but five states, will help many expand public access to information about rate hikes and hire experts to review proposed charges. Reporting from Washington — The Obama administration is sending $1-million grants to state insurance regulators to help increase oversight of rising health insurance premiums, a key step in implementing the new healthcare law. Texas Individual Health Insurance The grants announced Monday, which went to all but five states, will enable many to expand public access to information about rate hikes and to hire experts to review what insurers want to charge. More than a dozen states also plan to seek additional authority to block insurance premium increases they deem unjustified, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Texas Health Insurance Fewer than half of state insurance commissioners have comprehensive "prior approval" authority, which gives them the power to review ...

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228M eggs recalled following salmonella outbreak

August 18, 2010 – 5:44 pm
Texas Health Insurance– An Iowa egg producer is recalling 228 million eggs after being linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota. The CDC said about 200 cases of the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs were reported weekly during June and July, four times the normal number of such occurrences. Texas Individual Health Insurance State health officials say tainted eggs have sickened at least 266 Californians and seven in Minnesota. The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp.Texas Health Insurance The Food and Drug Administration is investigating. In a statement, company officials said the FDA is "on-site to review records and inspect our barns." The officials ...

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Summer babies ‘more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD’

August 18, 2010 – 3:54 pm
Texas Health Insurance - The youngest children in each class – those born just before the admissions cut-off date – are disproportionately likely to be treated for ADHD on starting Kindergarten. Children born just a few days later, who join the subsequent academic year as the eldest in their class, show significantly lower levels of diagnosis. With most Kindergartens opting for a birthday cut-off around September 1, this means that babies born in July and August are most likely to face an ADHD diagnosis. Texas Individual Health Insurance However, the researchers behind the study dismissed the idea that children born in summer were more prone to the disorder. The sharp difference in diagnosis levels – children born a few days before the cut-off are 25 per cent more likely to be told they have ADHD than those born a week later – suggests that the problem lies in how doctors and teachers perceive the ...

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ADHD Could Be Misdiagnosed In Nearly 1 Million US Kids Say Researchers

August 18, 2010 – 3:41 pm
Texas Health Insurance - Two studies published recently suggest there could be something wrong with the way ADHD is diagnosed in young children in the US, one found that nearly 1 million kids are potentially misdiagnosed just because they are the youngest in their kindergarten year, with the youngest in class twice as likely to be on stimulant medication, while the other study confirmed that whether children were born just before or just after the kindergarten cutoff date significantly affected their chances of being diagnosed with ADHD. Dr Todd Elder, assistant professor of economics at Michigan State University, looked at a sample of nearly 12,000 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort, which is funded by the National Center for Education Statistics. He analysed the difference in ADHD diagnosis and medication rates between the youngest and the oldest children in a kindergarten grade. - Texas Individual Health Insurance He found ...

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Some Americans May Not See New Health Care Provisions For Months

August 17, 2010 – 8:37 pm
Texas Health Insurance -The first changes under the new health care law will start rolling out next month, affecting a range of issues from coverage of pre-existing conditions, to the maximum age children can remain on their parent's health care plan. But not all Americans should expect to see those benefits right away. In fact, some may not see them until well into next year. Insurance companies are obligated to include the new measures when Texas health insurance policies are renewed, starting on or after Sept. 23, 2010. Which means that if an Texas individual insurance policy is renewed on Sept. 1, those covered under the policy may not be eligible for the benefits under the new law until Sept. 1, 2011. Additionally, several provisions may vary depending on where people live. The way high risk pools are implemented vary from state to state, for example, as do the limits ...

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25 House Members Go To Bat For Agents On Future Health Care Role

August 2, 2010 – 9:04 pm
Texas Individual Health Insurance- Twenty-five members of the House have asked federal health regulators to ensure a role for licensed insurance agents in the web portal that will be used to aid consumers in comparing coverage options. The Department of Health and Human Services unveiled the web portal July 1 on a trial basis. An update with more comprehensive information is scheduled to be in place as of Oct. 1. The web portal is seen as a precursor to the Texas health insurance exchanges that will be launched in 2014 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. “We strongly encourage you to include the ability for consumers to contact certified, state-licensed independent health insurance agents and brokers for assistance when comparing coverage options,” a letter from the House members said. “It is important the consumer’s options to contact independent and state-licensed health insurance agents and brokers be included no later than Oct. 1,” ...

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