Health Care Reform – Summary of Legal Challenges

Posted by IQ HSA on June 7, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Health Care Reform – Summary of Legal Challenges

As the battle for health Care reform heats up there are clear lines being drawn. On one side you have the federal government preparing to defend The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and on the other side The Private Option Health Care Act proposal from Congressman Ron Paul.

Both are looking to reform America’s current health insurance system. The first looks to centralize power with the Federal Government while the later focuses on the growing popularity of health savings accounts as the central component.

A quick comparison of the PPAC act with the Constitution shows that it violates more than a dozen elements in the Constitution. For the sake of brevity, here are a half-dozen items as samples:

1. The act’s duties and requirements are not enumerated powers of the federal government under Article 1, Section 8, and therefore beyond the scope of the federal government.

2. In the act, the executive branch of government is granted powers not authorized under the Constitution.

3. Nearly all Americans are required, under the act, to purchase health insurance from private companies that in turn will be regulated by the federal government; a violation of the Commerce Clause with no precedence.

4. Punitive action against citizens for failure to comply violates the 5th Amendment, taking rights without “due process.”

5. The act violates Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, which limits the types of taxes that Congress can levy.

6. The act violates states’ rights, the 10th Amendment, in regulating the health care industry, including health insurance, and placing all regulations under the federal government.

These are just a few of the problems with the new health.insurance reform. America will get a good feel for the status of its justice system, by closely watching these health care reform cases progress through final resolution in the Supreme Court.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with health care reform, health insurance, Health Savings Accounts

Lawsuits Challenge Health Care Reform Mandate

Posted by IQ HSA on May 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Lawsuits Challenge Health Care Reform Mandate

Since March 23, 2010 when President Obama enacted the new legislation legal attacks continue to mount on one of the health care reform law's highest profile provisions – the requirement that all Americans carry health insurance or pay a penalty.

The requirement isn't scheduled to take effect until 2014, but on Friday, seven states (Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada and North Dakota) officially joined 13 others in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Florida. Together, the 20 states are challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate requiring everyone to purchase private health insurance. The states are arguing the federal government does not have the authority to force people to buy a product – in this case, health insurance. One of the nation's largest small business groups, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), has also joined the lawsuit.

Since the enactment of health care reform, numerous states have filed similar legal actions, but according to the New York Times, the Florida lawsuit "could carry the most weight, and may be on the fastest track in the most advantageous venue."

The Obama administration defends the mandate as valid, saying Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce. Last week, Justice Department attorneys provided the government's first official response on the matter – in reference to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Detroit on March 23, the same day the President signed the health care reform law. The conservative Thomas More Law Center brought the suit, alleging the mandate amounts to an unconstitutional tax.

Meantime, Missouri is the first state to call for a public vote on the health insurance mandate. The state's House of Representatives last week approved a ballot measure that says individuals and businesses cannot be compelled to have health insurance. The vote is scheduled for Aug. 3, during the state's primary election.

Regardless of the final impact these lawsuits or upcoming congressional elections have on the implementation of the new Health Care Reform Law, the fact remains that the only way to truly reform our health care system and the health insurance market is by putting the consumer back in control. Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are a great first step. Check out HSA Basics to learn more.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with health care reform, health insurance, health savings account, Private Health Insurance

Health Care Reform Is Here

Posted by IQ HSA on May 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Health Care Reform Is Here

Health care reform became law on March 23. There are many questions that have yet to be answered, and IQHSA.com has been hard at work to determine how health care reform will affect you and your business.

Many specifics of the different reform provisions remain undefined. Due to how the law was written, there is ambiguity and a need for regulatory agencies to provide clarification. In the months and years ahead, we expect federal agencies to issue regulations and guidance on many aspects of the legislation.

Here are seven key health care reform components effective this year:

1. Small Business Tax Credits – Small businesses up to 25 employees could be eligible for tax credits for the coverage they offer employees.

2. Dependent Coverage – Many health insurance carriers have been early adopters of the law that makes health insurance coverage available to adult children up to age 26. These dependent coverage benefits are now available.

3. Grandfathering of Existing Policies – This is the "keep the plan you're on" language used during the reform debate. The law provides that grandfathered plans – plans that were in effect at the time the law was signed on March 23, 2010 – do not need to comply with certain reform requirements (although many apply to grandfathered plans as well). Regulations are expected to clarify what changes can be made to plans without jeopardizing grandfathered status.

4. High Risk Pool – The new law requires that health insurers must offer coverage to anyone regardless of health status, and that goes into effect in 2014. High-risk pools are being developed in the interim to insure those who don't currently qualify for health insurance. While some states already have high-risk pools, Arizona doesn't. Gov. Jan Brewer has already replied to the Department of Health and Human Services that Arizona – which had the option to create its own high-risk pool or defer to a national pool – cannot afford to create one.

5. Mini Exchange – Now commonly referred to as "The Web portal," this is a first step in the reform legislation that aims to assist consumers by providing private health insurance coverage information (the full exchange will be activated in 2014). Regulations have been issued that define the information insurers and others are required to submit to HHS and many health insurance carriers are compiling the information necessary to meet the May 21, 2010, submission deadline for Phase I.

6. Reinsurance for Early Retirees – Health care reform legislation provides for the establishment of a temporary reinsurance program to reimburse participating employment based plans for a portion of the cost of providing health insurance coverage to early retirees. Final regulations have recently been issued that provide more details about the program and the application and claims submission processes.

7. Medical Loss Ratios – The affect of the federal law aimed at keeping health insurers' administrative costs in check is unclear, in part because federal definitions of how carriers will have to calculate medical loss ratios haven't been determined.

We will continue to bring you all the latest on health care reform but in the meantime we invite your comments and questions at IQHSA.com.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with dependent coverage, health care reform, health insurance, high risk pools, policies, small business

Health Care Reform – Democrats Admit Premiums to Rise

Posted by IQ HSA on April 22, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Health Care Reform – Democrats Admit Premiums to Rise

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Today, the New York Times reports Democrats are scrambling to prevent the predicted health insurance premium increases that are coming for millions of families as a result of their big government health care Insurance Reform overhaul. Just one month after becoming law, Democrats, “fearing that health insurance premiums may shoot up in the next few years,” are attempting to “fix” the new law that they promised would make health care more affordable. Unfortunately, when it comes to fixing health care, Democrats invariably rely on giving the government more authority and control.

Americans and Congressional Republicans have repeatedly cited the rising cost of health insurance as their number one concern related to health care, but after spending one trillion dollars, cutting Medicare by one-half trillion dollars and increasing taxes by over one-half trillion dollars, the Democrats’ health care reform overhaul law fails to make health insurance coverage more affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has repeatedly warned that the Democrats’ plan would increase health insurance premiums, something the Democrats now realize, as reported by the New York Times. Conversely, CBO predicted the Republican Alternative would actually lower health insurance premiums without increasing the deficit, cutting Medicare, or raising taxes.

Impact on Individual Health Insurance Market Premiums in 2016
Under Various Democrat Proposals According to CBO

Proposal

Change in Health Insurance Premiums Compared to Current Law Projections

Senate Democrats’ Bill (H.R. 3590)*

$2,100 increase

House Democrats’ Bill (H.R. 3962)**

$1,900 increase

House Republican Bill (H.R. 4038)***

$1,050 decrease

President Obama asserted that under the Democrats’ scheme, “you’re going to be able to get lower costs.” The President and Congressional Democrats also promised under the new law seniors’ Medicare would be unharmed, middle class taxes would not go up and the law would not increase the deficit. In the rush to score a political win, what else weren’t the Democrats being forthcoming about regarding health care reform?

IQHSA.com is your complete solution for quality low cost health insurance in Arizona.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with health care reform, health insurance, health insurance premiums

Health Savings Insurance Provides Access To The Uninsured

Posted by IQ HSA on March 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment

HSA health plans are playing a role to help provide access to the uninsured, promote preventive health services and show individuals and families where their hard-earned money is going in the health care system.

HSA premiums have been growing at a slower rate than traditional insurance premiums.
HSAs offer the advantage of portability – if you change jobs or your employment status changes, you keep the money in your HSA and continue using it to pay for your health care.
Most HSA plans provide incentives for you to stay engaged in your overall health and well-being and almost all HSA plans offer first-dollar coverage for preventive services.
HSA health plans play a vital role in providing health care coverage to millions of Americans who might otherwise be uninsured. A study by America’s Health Insurance Plans found that 27 percent of those buying HSA health plans in the individual market previously did not have health insurance.
Health savings accounts encourage individuals to take a more active role in determining how they receive health care by choosing how to spend their health care dollars. When health care decisions are made by patients based on quality, effectiveness, and cost, money is being spent more efficiently.

The people we work with are saving an average of $2,208/year on their health insurance premiums without sacrificing benefits. You owe it to yourself to find out how a HSA can benefit you. Contact us today at 602-510-7507 or info@iqhsa.com

IQ Financial Group, llc. is a licensed insurance agency in the state of Arizona. We offer a complete selection of health insurance, term life insurance, disability insurance, long term care insurance and supplement plans to individuals, families, self-employed and small businesses throughout Arizona. We offer the best in Arizona Health Insurance.
© IQ Financial Group, llc.

Filed under Health insurance made simple · Tagged with America, arizona health insurance, contribution, health insurance, health insurance savings, health savings account, health savings insurance, HSA, insurance premium, premium savings, preventive health services, uninsured

Who Is Using Health Savings Insurance

Posted by IQ HSA on February 26, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Americans choosing Health Savings Account (HSA) coverage represent a wide range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Consider the following:

HSA health plans provide comprehensive health coverage for more than eight million Americans.
About 40 percent of tax filer’s age 19-64 who reported HSA activity on their tax returns had average annual incomes below $60,000. (Government Accountability Office, April 2008).
About half of enrollees in an HSA-eligible plan are aged 40 and above, and half are below the age of 40. In the individual market, 25 percent of HSA-eligible plan enrollees were younger than age 20.
The 2009 Kaiser Family Foundation study of employer-based health benefits found that 71 percent of employers that offered HSAs contributed to their employees’ accounts, and that the average contribution for accounts was $1,000 for individuals and $1,640 for families.

Filed under Health insurance made simple · Tagged with health insurance, health insurance savings, health savings account, health savings insurance, HSA, prevention, wellness

When Will Obama’s Health Care Policies Become Reality?

Posted by IQ HSA on February 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment

When will Obama’s health care policies become reality?

Ah Never! Obama’s approach is to radical and would be completely ineffective at solving the real problems.Why are the costs of food, transportation, and even auto insurance not rising at the same pace as health insurance/ healthcare costs? The answer is that these other major segments of our economy function in a true marketplace where the consumer interacts directly with the provider of services.

Still don’t get it? How many of you know what the “true” cost of an average doctors visit or CAT Scan is? Answer, you really don’t. You may have said I pay a $25 copay when I go to the doctor, but that is not the true cost to someone walking in off the street without insurance.Now ask yourself what a gallon of milk costs? I’d be willing to bet 90% of you can come within $0.50 of knowing the answer.

It’s real simple, you don’t have the Grocery Company and your employer making decisions as to where you shop and what gallon of milk you buy thus driving up the costs. Obamacare is not a solution. If implemented costs would continue to rise, care would decrease, national debt would rise and we would have another wonderful beauracracy. Sounds like Utopia to me.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with Arizona, auto insurance, cost, cut expenses, government healthcare, health insurance, health insurance savings, health savings insurance, premium savings

Tips For Successfully Completing Your Insurance Application

Posted by IQ HSA on February 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The following are tips to avoid delays in underwriting processing of your health insurance application. Simply by following these guidelines can save you days or even weeks of processing time for your health insurance application.

The top five reasons for delays in processing are:

Verify Height and Weight: Height and weight accuracy, especially for children, is necessary to properly process applications.
» This area of the application amounts to 25% of the call-backs underwriters make for incomplete or inaccurate information.

Specify Diagnosis: A specific diagnosis needs to be provided (e.g. Crohn’s disease) not a general description of health issue (e.g. digestive issues).

Specify Affected Areas: Accurately identify areas of the body that have been treated (e.g. RIGHT foot broken, LEFT knee replaced, etc.).

Specify Treatment Dates: Both beginning and end dates are needed. Also, details about the treatments success, i.e. if the treatment is ongoing or if there has been a complete recovery.

List Medications - Name, Dosage and Frequency: Many medications share similar names and accuracy is key. Specific dosage amounts (e.g. 50 mg) and directions of use (how many times a day) should also be provided.
» If a prescription is taken “as needed” or “seasonal,” please provide information how often it is refilled.

The people we work with are saving 1,000’s of dollars each year without sacrificing benefits. Contact us today at 602-510-7507 to find out how an HSA can benefit you.

Filed under Health insurance made simple · Tagged with health insurance, HSA

Latest On Health Care Reform

Posted by IQ HSA on January 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment

In it’s current form the Health Care Legislation includes several provisions that will disadvantage or threaten HSA health plans, including:

A new premium tax that will cause premiums to rise for individuals, families and small businesses;
Mandated benefit levels that could eliminate HSA health plans as an option for coverage;
A rule against using money in your HSAs to buy any over-the-counter drugs, such as allergy medications, that you now get without a prescription; and
An increased penalty for the use of HSA dollars for non-qualified medical expenses from 10% to 20% of the reimbursement.

The window of opportunity is closing, but there is still time to contact your elected representatives in Congress and to let them know how you depend on your HSA health plan for quality coverage and to save for medical expenses.

Call, email, write or visit your Representative and Senators today. Look up their contact information here.

Get quotes for individual/family health insurance in Arizona here. Contact us today at 602-510-7507 to find out how an HSA can benefit you.

Filed under Health Care Reform · Tagged with affordable, Arizona, government healthcare, health insurance, health savings account, health-care, healthcare, HSA, legislation, Medicare, reform, Self employed

House And Senate Conferees Will Have To Reconcile Two Bills

Posted by IQ HSA on December 30, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Abortion: The House version includes stricter language designed to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortion coverage, except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. That helped appease House conservatives, but abortion was even more of a make-or-break issue in the Senate, so that chamber’s slightly milder language could win out.
Taxes: The House and Senate bills would fund health reform in entirely different ways. The House bill would tax individuals making more than $500,000 a year and families making more than $1 million. The Senate bill would tax so-called “Cadillac” or high-cost health plans – an idea opposed by labor unions and many House Democrats. The Senate version would also impose annual fees on health insurers starting at $2 billion in 2011 and going up to $10 billion in 2017.
Public plan: The House bill includes a government-run plan that progressives fought hard to include. Instead of a government-run plan, the Senate version would instruct the federal Office of Personnel Management to contract with private insurers to offer at least two national health plans for individuals and small businesses. One of those plans would have to be nonprofit. Conventional wisdom says the final, combined bill will not include a public plan, but House leaders could seek other tweaks in exchange for dropping the idea. Possibilities include increasing federal subsidies to help low- and middle-income people afford coverage, creating a single, national insurance exchange instead of one in each state, or introducing those exchanges earlier – in 2013, a year earlier than the Senate bill stipulates.
Medicare Advantage:Each bill would cut funding for the Medicare Advantage program, but the amount differs substantially. The House bill includes cuts of $170 billion over ten years. The Senate bill would trim reimbursements by $118 billion over the same ten-year period. We didn’t mention the potential impact on Health Savings Accounts (HSA) because it is unclear what if anything will change with the final bill. As stated previously, two components of health care in this country that work are Medicare Advantage and Health Savings Accounts. Ironically these are two programs on the chopping block of both pieces of legislation. Very unfortunate how we have come to accept mediocrity in this Great Country.

For more, check out these side-by-side comparisons from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Get quotes for individual/family health insurance in Arizona here. Contact us today at 602-510-7507 to find out how an HSA can benefit you.

Filed under Featured Posts, Health Care Reform · Tagged with Arizona, Cheap Health Insurance For Students, employee benefits, government healthcare, health, health care cost, health insurance, health savings account, HSA, legislation, Medical Savings Account, Medicare, new york times, rate increase, reform, side by side comparison, single payor, value, Wall Street Journal

Health Care Reform – Summary of Legal Challenges

Lawsuits Challenge Health Care Reform Mandate

Health Care Reform Is Here

Health Care Reform – Democrats Admit Premiums to Rise

Impact on Individual Health Insurance Market Premiums in 2016 Under Various Democrat Proposals According to CBO

Impact on Individual Health Insurance Market Premiums in 2016
Under Various Democrat Proposals According to CBO