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health care reform

In Florida and Elsewhere, Obamacare Still GOP’s Favored Bait Even as Repeal Talk Fades

August 25, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Rather than just calling for repeal, Republican candidates focus on arguments about how the law is hurting consumers, government budgets or the economy even as millions of Americans have gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

1 in 6 Big Businesses Planning to Offer “Junk” Health Insurance Below ACA Standards

August 18, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Many thought such low-benefit “skinny plans” would be history once the health law was implemented. Instead, 16 percent of large employers will offer lower-benefit coverage along with at least one health plan that does qualify under ACA standards.

Average Cost of Silver-Range Insurance Plans Will Decline in Florida Marketplace

August 11, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

silver insurance premiums obamacare

About 75 percent of Floridians live in areas where the second-cheapest silver premium will actually decline, said Tasha Bradley, a spokeswoman for the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Florida Blue Raising Premiums 17.6% for Exchange Policies as Obamacare Ire Spikes

August 4, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

A dearth of younger and healthy enrollees and a greater-than-expected surge of people seeking expensive health services are factors driving up premiums. A new polls shows disapproval of Obamacare spiking in July.

Florida Insurers Owe $41.7 Million in Rebates to Individuals and Companies, Topping Nation

July 24, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

The latest round of paybacks brings Florida’s three-year total from the Affordable Care Act’s rebate program to almost $220 million. This year’s rebate will average $65 per family in Florida, according to the report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In a Major Blow to Obamacare, Court Rules Health Insurance Subsidies Illegal in 36 States, Including Florida; 2nd Court Disagrees

July 22, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

The decision is a potentially fatal blow to the Affordable Care Act, but it conflicts with an opposite conclusion by a different appeals court on the same day. In Florida, 91 percent of those enrolled get an average monthly subsidy of $278 a month. Most could not afford the premiums without the subsidies, which would disappear if the decision sticks.

Florida Blue, State’s Biggest Health Insurer, Will Raise Rates in Response to Obamacare

July 21, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

Florida Blue snagged a third of all new policies under Obamacare, but rates are going up due to a lack of younger and healthy enrollees and a greater-than-expected surge in people seeking expensive health services.

Florida Giving Up 63,800 Jobs By Rejecting Federal Medicaid Expansion

July 7, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Florida has not accepted the offer of federal funds — estimated at $51 billion over a decade — provided in the Affordable Care Act to cover uninsured people who fall into a gap. Florida has about 850,000 of them.

For Floridians, Affordable Care Act Lives Up To Its Name: Average Monthly Premium Is $68

June 19, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The $68 a month average premium is considerably less than the national average of $82. The plans are subsidized through tax credits taken in advance. Ninety-one percent of those who enrolled in Florida received the financial help, averaging $278 a month.

Obamacare Tally: Florida Subsidies Average $3,000, But Some Families Complain of Costly Exclusion

April 1, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

obamacare heartbeat

And yet only one in four Floridians who qualifies for a subsidy had enrolled in a plan by March 1, leaving 1 million eligible residents uninsured. A mother describes how the law’s employee-insurance provision barred her family from subsidies.

As March 31 Deadline Nears: Going Without Health Insurance Will Likely Cost You At Tax Time

March 26, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

If you thought you could get health coverage later this year, you may not get that chance until November, which means that you’ll most likely have to pay a penalty of 1 percent of your income at tax time, even if only a single member of your family is not insured. Penalties rise in subsequent years.

Obamacare Enrollment Surging in Florida Despite Resistance from State Officials

February 18, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

By the end of January, nearly 300,000 Floridians had enrolled in a new health plan through Obamacare — a surge that left most other states in the dust, despite state officials’ opposition to the Affordable Care Act and the relative scarcity of helpers available.

How Obamacare’s Enemies Turned a Victory For Workers’ Freedom Into a “Job Killer”

February 9, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 50 Comments

marc chagall over vitebsk

The prediction that Obamacare will lead to the equivalent of 2.5 million fewer jobs has nothing to do with businesses cutting the workforce and everything to do with workers being finally free of job-lock, now that they don;t need to stay in a job to have health insurance. That’s a good, and very American, thing, not the job-killing catastrophe Obamacare’s enemies make it out to be.

In Major Shift, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Now Urges Fix, Not Repeal, of Obamacare

February 1, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Thomas Donohue doesn't see repeal of Obamacare as a realistic option. (Facebook)

In 2010, the Chamber got behind a major business lawsuit to fight it at the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, in a striking about-face, the chamber says the Affordable Care Act is here to stay and should be worked on, not repealed.

Hendry County, With Highest Uninsured Rate in Florida, Sees Little Impact From Obamacare

January 27, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

U.S. Sugar's Clewiston Factory is one of the biggest sugar producing factories in the country and the primary employer in the area with more than 1,600 workers. (C-Monster)

Thirty-five percent of Hendry County’s 33,000 residents under 65 lack health insurance, but nearly a month after the health law’s expansion of coverage began, local health officials say little has changed for most uninsured residents.

Obamacare’s Popularity Overwhelms Florida Blue as System Crashes, Costing Enrollees

January 20, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Many who signed up and paid Florida Blue for their new plan between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 say the insurer has lost them in its computer system.  Now, when they go to the doctor or try to get a prescription filled, they have to pay the bill themselves or cancel.

Florida Hospital Flagler CEO: State Must Extend Medicaid to Working Poor

January 4, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

The Florida Legislature still has the opportunity this year to draw down $51 billion in federal dollars already sent to Washington to help pay the cost of health insurance for those who cannot afford it, argues Floridfa Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison.

Despite Florida’s Resistance, A New Era Of Health Insurance Begins for Millions

January 3, 2014 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Thousands of previously uninsured Floridians woke up Wednesday morning with peace of mind for the first time in years. More than half of Florida’s nearly 4 million uninsured are projected to qualify for coverage through the Marketplace. Another million would qualify if the Florida Legislature would permit it.

Obamacare Dilemma:
High Deductibles vs. “Huge Fear”

December 26, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 29 Comments

Going without insurance “is like gambling,” says a 43-year-old social worker. But the high deductibles of Affordable Care Act plans make them a hard sell, as the plans sold on the exchange are not as generous as employer-sponsored insurance.

Yes, That Too: Your Employee-Provided Health Insurance Costs Are Going Up in 2014

December 23, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

The new year will likely bring higher deductibles and co-payments, penalties for not joining wellness programs and smaller employer contributions toward family coverage, but Obamacare isn’t entirely to blame: it is only accelerating pre-existing conditions.

Longing For Stormin’ Norman: How Obama’s Smugness Is Crippling His Leadership

December 12, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

There are leaders out there. The Obama administration administration has let us down by failing to find them. As a result, the task Barack Obama has left himself is to convince us that the Affordable Care Act is a winner, not a clunker.

Another Obamacare Surprise: Married Couples Not Eligible For Subsidies Given Single Filers

December 5, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

For middle class married couples who don’t have children, the subsidy cutoff is $62,000. If one spouse makes $30,000 and the other $40,000, they are ineligible for a subsidy when combined. But if they were just living together, each would be eligible for a subsidy.

Medicaid Gap: A Reporter Who Covers Obamacare But Doesn’t Qualify For It

December 4, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

The Supreme Court allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, as Florida did, but the law didn’t include subsidies for people in those states who earn less than the federal poverty level to buy coverage through the exchanges. They were supposed to be covered under Medicaid. And Medicaid is not there for them.

With 3 Weeks To Go, Consumers Fear Ending Up Without Health Coverage On New Year’s

December 2, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

The next three weeks are critical for consumers keen on getting health coverage as soon as the health law allows it on Jan. 1. People who desire coverage by then need to sign up in the new marketplaces no later than Dec. 23. Consumers can still enroll up to the end of March, but their coverage will begin later.

Despite $51 Billion For the Taking, Florida Unlikely to Expand Health Coverage in 2014

November 25, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Consumer groups, hospitals and insurers are clamoring for Florida to take the $51 billion in federal funds that have been offered to the state over the next decade to provide health coverage to the working poor. But those who are tuned in politically — even those who desperately want it to happen — say it’s very unlikely in 2014.

Republicans Fret as Motor Voter Law
Meets Obamacare

November 20, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Twenty years ago, Congress passed a controversial law requiring states to allow people to register to vote when they applied for driver’s licenses or social services. That same law is bringing voter registration to the health insurance marketplaces, and again, it is expected to result in legal fights as Republicans fear it will drive up Democratic registrations.

Obamacare Will Survive. Obama and Democrats, Maybe Not So Much.

November 17, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

The law’s rocky debut has refocused attention on whether Obama, intellectually gifted though he may be, was ready to be the country’s chief executive. It may also decide which party is in control after 2016.

Only 3,600 Floridians Enroll in Affordable Care Act’s First Month; Obama Accepts Blame But Questions Abound

November 14, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 35 Comments

Only 3,571 people have successfully enrolled in a private insurance plan in Florida in the first month of the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace. The target was 33,400, resulting in a success rate of just 11 percent, though 3.8 million Floridians are without health insurance.

Popular and Consumer-Driven Provisions Fuel Sticker Shock of Obamacare Premiums

November 7, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

When setting premiums for next year, insurers baked in bigger-than-usual adjustments, driven in large part by a game-changing rule: They can no longer reject people with medical problems. It’s the double-edged sword of Obamacare–a crucial provision that comes with sticker shock for some.

Florida Blue Says It Never Dropped 300,000 Customers, Only Their Current Insurance Plans

November 1, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

It’s a distinction that some Florida Blue members have a hard time seeing — especially when the new plan costs more and offers benefits they don’t necessarily want. Older, sicker people who had a harder time finding health insurance in the past because of pre-existing conditions welcome the change.

School District, County’s Largest Employer, Starts Health Clinic Experiment With Florida Hospital Flagler

October 30, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

The $288,000 annual contract with Florida Hospital Flagler’s Prompt Care Clinic will allow 1,400 of the school district’s 1,700 employees to seek out primary care at no cost, but with some restrictions. The district hopes it will lower the annual increases in premiums that employees and taxpayers have been bearing.

Too Young for Medicare, Too Old for Medicaid, and Neglected By Affordable Health Act

October 30, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

While most of the uninsured will be able to get subsidized health coverage Jan. 1 under the Affordable Care Act, the poorest adults under 65 will be out of luck in many states, including Florida. Many are women in their 50s and 60s, too old to have children still at home so they can’t qualify for Medicaid. But they’re not yet 65 so they don’t qualify for Medicare, either.

Your Policy Is Cancelled: Insurers End Coverage That Falls Short of Affordable Care Act

October 21, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

The main reason insurers are cancelling policies offer is that they fall short of what the Affordable Care Act requires starting Jan. 1. By all accounts, the new policies will offer consumers better coverage, in some cases, for comparable cost — especially after the inclusion of federal subsidies for those who qualify.

Kathleen Sebelius to Florida Legislature: That $51 Billion Offer Is Still Good for the Taking

October 9, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Kathleen Sebelius has visited Florida half a dozen times since June, trying to get the word out to the state’s millions of uninsured to sign up for a health plan., but she hopes the Florida Legislature reverses its opposition to expanding Medicaid and accepting $51 billion over the next 10 years.

A Confederacy of Choices: Marketplace Plans Vary Widely In Costs, In Counties And Across U.S.

October 5, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Consumers shopping in the new health insurance marketplaces will face a bewildering array of competing plans in some counties and sparse options in other places, with people in some areas of the country having to pay much more for the identical level of coverage than consumers elsewhere.

Shutdown Geezers: The Medicare
Generation’s Immoral War on Obamacare

October 4, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 56 Comments

Opponents of Obamacare think that by doubling down on hurting Americans through a shut-down, they might stun them into submission. They must be stupider than they let on. The Affordable Care Act has its issues. Lacking for moral high ground isn’t among them.

Flagler Democrats Will Demonstrate For Obamacare in Front of Health Department Tuesday

September 30, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

The noon demonstration by the Flagler County Democratic Club marks the first day of Obamacare’s insurance exchanges, and protests Florida’s sustained opposition, and various obstacles, to the law, including the prohibition against use of local health departments to make it easier for the uninsured to get coverage.

Resisting Obamacare, Florida Becomes National Aberration as Scott Battles Sebelius

September 19, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

rick scott obamacare outlier

Florida officials are callous and secretive, willing to keep information from citizens that could save their lives, according to the Obama administration’s top health official., while Gov. Rick Scott and other state officials are ramping up their attack on the federal online Marketplace and the “Navigators” who will help the uninsured use it to enroll in a health plan for 2014.

Flagler Health Department Chief Defends Ban on Navigators, Citing Privacy and Logistics

September 16, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

Flagler County Health Department Director Patrick Johnson defended the state’s controversial ban from DOH property against outreach workers called Navigators, who help uninsured people sign up for subsidized health coverage under Obamacare–a law Florida officials have actively and chronically obstructed.

Florida Groups Helping Uninsured Are Getting “Intimidating” Letters from GOP Lawmakers

September 9, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Eight groups that are hiring and training “navigators” to help uninsured Floridians enroll in Obamacare have been sent letters by 15 GOP members of a U.S. House committee seeking information on their activities — a letter the Obama administration called a “blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate.”

Insurance Commissioner’s Blurry Prediction of Rate Increases Under Obamacare Contradicted

September 2, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

RAND study findings stand in stark contrast to the widely publicized predictions of Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty that the individual market would see rate increases of 30 to 40 percent for next year.

Another Red State Takes Medicaid Dollars, Contrasting With Florida’s Holdout

September 1, 2013 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Michigan, which like Florida has a Republican governor and legislative majority, has voted to accept federal funds and expand its Medicaid program to the low-income uninsured. It is yet another GOP-dominated state that has done what Florida, which declined $51 billion over 10 years, did not.

Rallying Cry at Heckles-Free Tampa Town Hall as Vote Approaches: “Defund Obamacare”

August 22, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

Heritage Action for America, part of the hard-right Heritage Foundation, is hopscotching across the South, firing up the anti-Obamacare troops during Congress’ August recess, with a vote on defunding Obamacare scheduled for immediately after Labor Day.

Florida Cabinet Hypes Identity Thievery of Affordable Health Act “Navigators”

August 21, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

There is no danger that so-called “navigators” will steal people’s identities or feed information into a giant federal database, said Greg Mellowe, policy director for the consumer group Florida CHAIN. The group is one of the non-profits that will get a share of federal grant money for the “navigator” program.

Family Insurance Premiums Rise 4% for 2nd Year, Still More Than Double Inflation Rate

August 20, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

With average family plan premium topping $16,000 for the first time, with workers paying on average $4,565, workers will feel an increased pinch: More than a third have annual deductibles of at least $1,000 before insurance kicks in, while wages continue to grow far more slowly than health insurance costs.

Florida Snubs Millions in Federal Health Grants That Could Help Workers and the Poor

July 29, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 37 Comments

in a pattern of politically motivated rejections by Florida itself, the state got the lowest amount of health-care reform act grant funding per capita – behind all 50 states and the District of Columbia – in 2011. While state agencies received the bulk of federal health grants in other states, it was the reverse in Florida.

Florida’s Self-Insured Not Likely to See Premiums Drop Much as a Result of Obamacare

July 22, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

New York’s announcement last week that insurance premiums would drop 50 percent next year for individuals buying their own coverage in new online marketplaces made good talking points for proponents of the health law, but consumers in most states are unlikely to see similar savings.

Some 600,000 Floridians Getting Rebates from Insurers Not Complying With Health Care Law

July 17, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

Because insurers are overspending on profits and administration instead of medical care, the amount that must be refunded in this state by Aug. 1 tops $54 million. That’s only half of what insurers had to pay in rebates to Floridians last year. Nationally, insurers are refunding $504 million.

For Self-Insured, Higher Premiums Ahead But Better Coverage and Lower Out of Pocket Costs

June 30, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Whether individuals will be better or worse off under those rules depends on their age, health status, where they live – and perhaps most important, whether they end up needing substantial medical care in the coming year. Generally speaking, those who are younger and healthier may pay more than they would have, while older and sicker people are likely to be better off.

Federal Government Approves Florida’s Medicaid Overhaul, Shifting Millions to HMOs

June 17, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

The announcement was a victory for Gov. Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers who approved the proposal to move to statewide Medicaid managed care in 2011, amid controversy about whether the changes would best serve the needs of low-income Floridians.

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