Recently, there have been negative comments on Gov. Tom Corbett’s decision to establish a Health Insurance Exchange and on legislators who intend to introduce enabling legislation.
It is suggested that the administration and General Assembly are endorsing the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also known as Obamacare).
To suggest that conservative Republicans in Pennsylvania have suddenly decided to help President Obama shows a lack of understanding of this issue.
Pennsylvania is not legitimizing PPACA by establishing a Health Insurance Exchange.
Instead, Corbett and leaders of the General Assembly are looking at the range of choices and deciding that whatever we design will be better suited than whatever the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services imposes on us if Pennsylvania does not pass enabling legislation by Jan. 1, 2013.
http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/03/gov_tom_corbett_wants_health_i.html
Hat Tip: PennLive.Com
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
National- Many States Take a Wait-and-See Approach on New Insurance Exchanges
States are lagging in the creation of health insurance exchanges, the supermarkets where millions of consumers are supposed to buy subsidized private coverage under President Obama’s health care overhaul.
Many states are waiting for a Supreme Court decision or even the November election results, to see whether central elements of the new law might be overturned or repealed. But that will be too late to start work. By Jan. 1, 2013, the Obama administration will decide whether each state is ready to run its own exchange or whether the federal government should do the job instead.
Republican governors and state legislators across the country are split. Some want to set up rudimentary exchanges with limited features — as a defensive tactical maneuver — rather than cede control to Washington. More-conservative Republicans do not want to do anything at all.
After a great deal of bickering and bargaining, the insurance exchanges emerged as a centerpiece of the 2010 health care law, crucial to achieving Mr. Obama’s promise of affordable coverage for all Americans.
The issue was a major topic of discussion over the weekend at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association here, and it is expected to come up Monday when governors meet with Mr. Obama at the White House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/health/policy/a-wait-and-see-approach-for-states-on-insurance-exchanges.html?_r=1
Hat tip: The New York Times
Many states are waiting for a Supreme Court decision or even the November election results, to see whether central elements of the new law might be overturned or repealed. But that will be too late to start work. By Jan. 1, 2013, the Obama administration will decide whether each state is ready to run its own exchange or whether the federal government should do the job instead.
Republican governors and state legislators across the country are split. Some want to set up rudimentary exchanges with limited features — as a defensive tactical maneuver — rather than cede control to Washington. More-conservative Republicans do not want to do anything at all.
After a great deal of bickering and bargaining, the insurance exchanges emerged as a centerpiece of the 2010 health care law, crucial to achieving Mr. Obama’s promise of affordable coverage for all Americans.
The issue was a major topic of discussion over the weekend at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association here, and it is expected to come up Monday when governors meet with Mr. Obama at the White House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/health/policy/a-wait-and-see-approach-for-states-on-insurance-exchanges.html?_r=1
Hat tip: The New York Times
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
National- Another 10 States Get Federal Grants Totaling $230M for Health Insurance Exchanges
Federal officials say another 10 states are getting a total of $230 million to set up new health insurance markets under President Barack Obama’s overhaul.
Seven of them — Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — have either adopted a plan or are making substantial headway.
...
In two states announced Wednesday — Kentucky and Tennessee — it’s not clear whether policymakers will follow through. In Arkansas, officials concede that Washington will have to take the lead.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/another-10-states-get-federal-grants-totaling-230m-for-health-insurance-exchanges/2012/02/22/gIQAXjtaTR_story.html
Hat tip: Washington Post/ Associated Press
Seven of them — Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — have either adopted a plan or are making substantial headway.
...
In two states announced Wednesday — Kentucky and Tennessee — it’s not clear whether policymakers will follow through. In Arkansas, officials concede that Washington will have to take the lead.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/another-10-states-get-federal-grants-totaling-230m-for-health-insurance-exchanges/2012/02/22/gIQAXjtaTR_story.html
Hat tip: Washington Post/ Associated Press
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Pennsylvania & Ohio- Health Reform Stalls Out in Previously Supportive States
Federal health care reform is facing more hurdles, this time with states that agreed to move forward implementing requirements before a Supreme Court ruling on the law. Some lawmakers and health insurance advocates in Pennslyvania are pushing back on the state’s plan for its health insurance exchange saying that as currently written the plan skews favorably to insurers. In Ohio, the two appointees in charge of health care in the state have opposing views of the law and are sending mixed messages to lawmakers.
...
Some states however, moved forward with implementing requirements as passed. Now, in a few of those states implementation is facing new hurdles as both advocates of the law and its critics raise questions about how the law is managed in practice.
http://civsourceonline.com/2012/02/06/health-care-reform-stalls-out-in-previously-supportive-states/
Hat tip: CivSourceOnline.com
...
Some states however, moved forward with implementing requirements as passed. Now, in a few of those states implementation is facing new hurdles as both advocates of the law and its critics raise questions about how the law is managed in practice.
http://civsourceonline.com/2012/02/06/health-care-reform-stalls-out-in-previously-supportive-states/
Hat tip: CivSourceOnline.com
Monday, February 6, 2012
Pennsylvania- Questions Raised About Proposal for State Exchange
Advocates for health insurance reform are taking a dim view of a draft proposal for the state's health insurance exchange, saying it could keep the playing field tilted in favor of insurance companies and against consumers.
Speaking at a conference call Friday, Antoinette Kraus, project director of Pennsylvania Health Access Network, a coalition of organizations supporting consumer-friendly health reform, said the draft proposal distributed by the state Insurance Department, if enacted, would not change the status quo.
...
But the department's draft proposal, dated Jan. 30, would allow "multiple exchanges" that could be operated by private contractors, Kraus said. The exchanges would not necessarily be regional operations, she said.
The 32-page draft says an office set up to oversee the exchange could "authorize one or more entities… to operate exchanges in the marketplace." The draft suggests that exchanges could be solely directed to providing insurance opportunities to individuals, with others providing insurance opportunities to small businesses.
Speaking at a conference call Friday, Antoinette Kraus, project director of Pennsylvania Health Access Network, a coalition of organizations supporting consumer-friendly health reform, said the draft proposal distributed by the state Insurance Department, if enacted, would not change the status quo.
...
But the department's draft proposal, dated Jan. 30, would allow "multiple exchanges" that could be operated by private contractors, Kraus said. The exchanges would not necessarily be regional operations, she said.
The 32-page draft says an office set up to oversee the exchange could "authorize one or more entities… to operate exchanges in the marketplace." The draft suggests that exchanges could be solely directed to providing insurance opportunities to individuals, with others providing insurance opportunities to small businesses.
Hat tip: The Morning Call
Monday, January 30, 2012
Pennsylvania- Seeks Health Care Law Funding
Gov. Tom Corbett believes the Obama administration's health reform law is unconstitutional, but that's not stopping the state from asking the federal government for money to implement it.
State Insurance Commissioner Michael F. Consedine last week announced that the Insurance Department filed its application for about $33 million to complete planning and begin development and design of a health insurance exchange.
"The governor continues to believe that the law requiring the purchase of health insurance is unconstitutional," Consedine said in a statement. "However, it would not be prudent to be caught unprepared. Therefore, we must implement a solution, if necessary, by developing a plan for Pennsylvanians should the U.S. Supreme Court not strike down the law."
More than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians — 11 percent of the state's population — were uninsured in Pennsylvania in 2010, according to the latest data available from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
...
The department estimates that 2 million to 2.2 million Pennsylvanians could get coverage through the exchange, although insurance department documents state that all Pennsylvanians, as potential health insurance consumers, will benefit from the establishment of the exchange.
State Insurance Commissioner Michael F. Consedine last week announced that the Insurance Department filed its application for about $33 million to complete planning and begin development and design of a health insurance exchange.
"The governor continues to believe that the law requiring the purchase of health insurance is unconstitutional," Consedine said in a statement. "However, it would not be prudent to be caught unprepared. Therefore, we must implement a solution, if necessary, by developing a plan for Pennsylvanians should the U.S. Supreme Court not strike down the law."
...
More than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians — 11 percent of the state's population — were uninsured in Pennsylvania in 2010, according to the latest data available from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
...
The department estimates that 2 million to 2.2 million Pennsylvanians could get coverage through the exchange, although insurance department documents state that all Pennsylvanians, as potential health insurance consumers, will benefit from the establishment of the exchange.
Hat tip: The Morning Call
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Pennsylvania: Insurance Dept. Requests $33M for Health Insurance Exchange
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has submitted a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services requesting about $33 million to complete the planning and design for a state-run health insurance exchange.
The department used the $1 million exchange planning grant awarded in Sept 2010 to contract with an auditing firm to analyze if a state-run exchange was appropriate for Pennsylvania, spokeswoman Melissa Fox said.
In November, based on the research, public comments and health care reform regulations, Gov. Tom Corbett approved the development of a state-based health insurance exchange.
http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article/20120125/CPBJ01/120129912/Insurance-Dept-requests-$33M-for-health-insurance-exchange
Hat tip: Central Penn Business Journal
The department used the $1 million exchange planning grant awarded in Sept 2010 to contract with an auditing firm to analyze if a state-run exchange was appropriate for Pennsylvania, spokeswoman Melissa Fox said.
In November, based on the research, public comments and health care reform regulations, Gov. Tom Corbett approved the development of a state-based health insurance exchange.
http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article/20120125/CPBJ01/120129912/Insurance-Dept-requests-$33M-for-health-insurance-exchange
Hat tip: Central Penn Business Journal
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