Creative writers won't find many opportunities penning lively language for health insurance policy brochures. The feds are looking for clear, concise and to-the-point language thanks to the new health care law.
A new reports show the toll medical debt has taken on California residents. In 2009, 2.6 million non-elderly Californians had some kind of medical debt that the study authors say is increasing each year.
The Obama Administration is in for a fight as the Catholic Church in the United States decides to fight an HHS ruling requiring non-profit and faith-based institutions to provide contraceptive services as part of the new health insurance law.
On February 3, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Employment Information Summary for January 2012. According to the report, 243,000 Americans gained employment while the unemployment rate dropped to 8.3%, marking a 0.2% drop. Of those new jobs, 30,900 were in the healthcare sector; this followed a revised increase of 17,600 jobs last December.
According to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released on February 3, some hospitals pay thousands of dollars more than others for costly medical devices such as hip replacements and defibrillators; furthermore, a portion of the higher costs could be passed on to the Medicare program.
On February 1, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen reported that Medicare Advantage Premiums had decreased by 7% and enrollment has risen by about 10% since this time last year. The figures confirm that HHS projections from last September that enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans would continue to rise and average premiums would continue to fall. Average premiums have fallen from $33.97 in 2011, to $31.54 in 2012, while enrollment has risen from 11.7 million in 2011 to 12.8 million in 2012.
