Affordable Care Act

Online Health Insurance Marketplace to Offer 28 Plans

Kristin Gourlay — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:44:46 +0000

Rhode Island’s online marketplace for health insurance is taking shape in preparation for October 1^st. That's the date the exchange is scheduled to be up and running with a variety of new health plans to choose from.

Rhode Island's Health Dashboard

Kristin Gourlay — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:42:44 +0000

Want a quick read on how we're feeling here in the Ocean State? Check the gauges on rihealthcarematters.org. It's a new web site from the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, with collaboration from local hospitals and the RI Dept. of Health. The site taps a range of federal and local data sources (like the US census) calculate residents' health, as measured by a variety of indicators - 100 in all. Those indicators include things like the number of premature deaths, flu vaccination rates, cancer incidence rates, injury rates, employment, and lots more.

Obama: For Majority of Americans, Health Law "Already Happened"

Kristin Gourlay — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:25:24 +0000

At a news conference today, President Barack Obama responded to critics of his health care law, the Affordable Care Act, saying his administration is working hard to meet deadlines and launch the law's next features. A nice recap is posted on Kaiser Health News.

Are You Eligible for Health Care Tax Credits?

Kristin Gourlay — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:08:03 +0000

A new report from consumer health care advocacy group Families USA crunched the numbers, state by state. They found that almost 83,000 Rhode Islanders will be eligible for something called the "premium tax credit" in 2014. Families USA, by the way, calls itself nonpartisan, although some say the organization is biased because of its clear support for the Affordable Care Act.

Health Insurers Seek Rate Hikes for 2014

Kristin Gourlay — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:42:29 +0000

Rhode Island health insurers have filed their requests for increases in premium rates next year. Some small businesses and individuals could see some significant hikes.

Small businesses could see their plan rates drop as much as 20 percent or spike as much as 40 percent. But the average Blue Cross increase is expected to be about 15 percent. Tufts asked for about 13 percent.

Future Docs 8: Should Med Students Know the ACA?

Kristin Gourlay — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

What do doctors need to learn in school to take the best care of you? Clearly, they need advanced medical and scientific knowledge. But should we expect doctors to know something about how our health care system works? How about the Affordable Care Act – one of the most important changes in health care policy in a generation? We continue our ongoing series Future Docs with some answers.

Dr. Anne Kuritzky is about five hours into her shift on the trauma unit at Rhode Island Hospital when the next call comes.

No Delay for Rhode Island's Health Insurance Exchange for Small Businesses

Kristin Gourlay — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:04:15 +0000

The federal government is pushing back the launch of an online health insurance marketplace for small businesses that’s part of the Affordable Care Act. But there will be no delay in Rhode Island.

Will Health Insurance Costs Rise for Rhode Islanders Under the ACA?

Kristin Gourlay — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:11:24 +0000

You may have seen some headlines about a new report from the Society of Actuaries (the super-smart, nerdy folks who figure out how much risk, say, an insurance company can afford to take on), decrying the near-certain rise in the cost of health insurance for newly insured folks under the Affordable Care Act.

Should Smokers Pay More for Health Insurance?

Kristin Gourlay — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:48:35 +0000

Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurers will be able to charge smokers up to 50% more than non-smokers for health insurance. Fair or not, a Politico article points out how difficult that policy might be to enforce - and not simply because smokers could lie. For instance:

How the Affordable Care Act could affect RI insurance rates

Kristin Gourlay — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one of the biggest things to hit health care in decades. And you might already have started to feel its effects on your own health care - from no-cost preventative services to the ability to keep kids on your health insurance plan longer.