House Democrats propose making permanent expanded ObamaCare subsidies

House Democrats propose making permanent expanded ObamaCare subsidies

House Democrats late Friday night proposed making permanent enhanced ObamaCare subsidies that give people greater help in affording their premiums.

The American Rescue Plan signed by President Biden earlier this year provided larger financial assistance to help with health insurance premiums for Affordable Care Act enrollees but only until 2022.

The House Ways and Means Committee’s proposal released late Friday would make that larger financial assistance permanent as part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package.

The enhanced subsidies lower the percentage of income that any ObamaCare enrollee has to pay for health insurance from around 10 percent to 8.5 percent. Notably, the proposal also allows people who make more than 400 percent of the federal poverty limit (about $100,000 for a family of four) to access the financial assistance for their premiums.

Extending this enhanced financial assistance has been a priority of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), though there has been some debate with progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) who have prioritized adding dental, hearing and vision benefits to Medicare.

The House bill does not begin Medicare dental benefits until 2028, in part because there is limited money for both the Medicare expansion and making the ACA enhancements permanent.

Previously released sections of the House package would also create a new federal program to expand Medicaid in the 12 GOP-led states that have refused the expansion under the ACA.

A study from the Urban Institute released earlier this week found that the Medicaid expansion provision and making the enhanced ACA subsidies permanent would together reduce the number of uninsured people by 7 million, or about one quarter.

 

 

www.thehill.com

BY PETER SULLIVAN

What are health insurance benefits and coverage?

What are health insurance benefits and coverage?

Take a look at this easy-to-read summary that lets you compare the costs and coverage offered by different health plans side-by-side. You can compare your options based on prices, benefits, and other features that may be important to you. You received the “Summary of Benefits and Coverage” (SBC) when you purchased coverage yourself or through your job, when you renewed or changed coverage, or requested an SBC from your health insurance company.

 

You can use the SBC to compare prices, benefits, and other health plan options and features that may be important to you.

 

Although it is intended to make the information easier to understand, it may seem like a lot at first. It will be helpful to put together something to help your audience navigate through an SBC, so they can understand what to expect, especially if they are in need of specific treatment or in the event of an emergency.

 

The 10 Essential Benefits of Obamacare

 

Whether you purchase health insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace, from a private company, or through your insurance agents, you can receive the “10 essential benefits” for health care:

 

• Preventive care, general check-ups, chronic disease treatments

• Prescription drugs

• Medical emergencies

• Hospitalization

• Laboratories

• Pediatrics

• Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum

• Psychiatry, addiction treatments

• Rehabilitation Therapies

• Outpatient care

 

To apply for Obamacare benefits, you are required to meet two requirements: have legal status in the United States and a minimum income. The minimum income varies each year, call us for the most up-to-date information.

 

The process is very simple, and you will be able to access some of the best medical insurance plans in the United States.

 

If you need to review Obamacare plans, benefits, prices, and coverage options, you can contact us. Our agents will help you simplify the process.

Oscar Health, Inc. Announces 2022 Market Expansion Plans, Culturally Competent Care Focus

Oscar Health, Inc. Announces 2022 Market Expansion Plans, Culturally Competent Care Focus

Oscar Health, Inc. (“Oscar”) (NYSE: OSCR), the first health insurance company built on a full stack technology platform, announced its Individual & Family market expansion plans for 2022. During the upcoming Open Enrollment period, the company plans to offer health insurance to individuals and families in 3 new states and 146 new counties.1 With this expansion, Oscar will have a footprint in a total of 22 states and 607 counties across its Individual & Family, Medicare Advantage, and Small Group (including Cigna+Oscar) plans.

2022 will mark the fifth consecutive year Oscar expands its footprint. As a part of the 2022 expansion, Oscar will offer Individual and Family Plans for the first time in Arkansas, Illinois, and Nebraska. Oscar also will expand its existing state footprints in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas.2

“Our focus at Oscar has always been to expand access to high quality, low cost health care that meets the individual needs of our members,” said Oscar Co-Founder and CEO Mario Schlosser. “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has never been more important. With this latest market expansion, we’re doubling down on our efforts to bring our members the most innovative and personalized care possible.”

The expansion will also include the launch of new programs and plan designs built on Oscar’s full-stack, consumer-focused technology, which allows for rapid response and adaptation to members’ needs. Oscar will be expanding its Virtual Primary Care program offering to members on select plans in San Antonio and El Paso. Oscar’s Virtual Primary Care program is powered by Oscar’s technology platform, which is designed to help drive improved efficiency and superior engagement with members.

Oscar will leverage its insights and platform to build upon its Culturally Competent Care program, which was designed to provide tailored care access for members with diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors. This includes connecting members with culturally competent providers who can deliver care that meets their social, cultural, and linguistic needs.

Oscar also plans to launch an innovative new plan to better serve diabetic members. The plan will be available to members on Individual and Family Plans in most Oscar states3. For members who enroll in the diabetes plan, they will enjoy cost-saving benefits, including:

  • $0 diabetic eye and foot exams
  • $0 labs to manage diabetes
  • Out of pocket costs for insulin are capped at $100/month
  • $0 PCP visits


“Our clinical philosophy centers around a belief that people will live a happier and healthier life if they have access to quality high-value care at an affordable price,” said Sameer Amin, Oscar’s Chief Medical Officer. “By empowering patients with diabetes and helping them engage with the health care system early and often, we hope to create a differentiated experience for our members.”

The specifics of Oscar’s 2022 insurance plan portfolio are still being reviewed by regulators. Details regarding pricing, network partners, and added benefits will be available closer to the Open Enrollment Period this fall. More information can be found at www.hioscar.com.

About Oscar Health
Oscar Health, Inc. (“Oscar”) is the first health insurance company built around a full-stack technology platform and a relentless focus on serving its members. At Oscar, our mission is to make a healthier life accessible and affordable for all. Headquartered in New York City, Oscar has been challenging the health care system’s status quo since our founding in 2012. The company’s member-first philosophy and innovative approach to care has earned us the trust of approximately 560,000 members as of June 30, 2021. We offer Individual & Family, Small Group and Medicare Advantage plans, and +Oscar, our full-stack technology platform to others within the provider and payor space. Our vision is to refactor health care to make good care cost less. Refactor is a term used in software engineering that means to improve the design, structure, and implementation of the software while preserving its functionality. At Oscar, we take this definition a step further. We improve our members’ experience by building trust through deep engagement, personalized guidance, and rapid iteration.

1 Pending regulatory approvals.
2 Pending regulatory approval.
3 The Oscar diabetes plan will be available to Individual & Family plan members in all states where Oscar offers health plans, except California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and Michigan.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jackie Kahn, Oscar
202.538.0128
JKahn@hioscar.com

Source: Oscar Health, Inc.

New Health Partner Contact Information 

info@newhealthpartner.com

305-962-0942

www.newhealthpartner.com

Choosing Health Insurance

Choosing Health Insurance

Considering choosing an insurance plan can be complicated, as many questions arise along the way. The Internet can give us a broad vision of what the health market offers, but how do you choose the right one?

Here are some tips to make the process faster and more reliable.

If you do not have a chronic disease or a major condition, it is best to start with a basic plan that helps you cover your needs, but which company do you choose and how do you know what your deductibles are? 

The first thing we need to know is what benefits do insurance companies provide? In this case, you can always have the help of a (certified) insurance agent who will give you the necessary guidance to find the plan that best suits you.

There is no universal health coverage in the United States. In this country, medical assistance is completely private and citizens are obliged to take out medical insurance if they want to receive such medical assistance.

One of the best options is the ACA; formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and often just called Obamacare, the law includes a list of healthcare policies intended to extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

Lower-income families qualify for subsidies for coverage purchased through the Marketplace. It was designed to extend health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

Health insurance helps people protect themselves against high medical costs in the event of any health need.

What are the factors that influence when selecting a health insurance plan?

1) Age: it is perhaps the most determining factor if we talk about calculating risks. In this case, two people with a large age difference will have disparate needs.

2) Health Status: The vast majority of health insurance plans established as a requirement for contracting the need to respond to a medical questionnaire or even medical tests to determine the level of treatment or health plan that the person will need in the future.

3) Place of residence: This is to define that there are specific products or health centers that vary in price depending on the region or locality.

4) The number of insured: In general, when it comes to a family group, insurers usually offer a percentage discount for their members.

All these variants will depend on various factors that will be broken down according to the conditions of each person. What is important to bear in mind is that being insured can offer you many advantages and the most specific are:

  • Security for family members and assets
  • Financial guarantee
  • Trust and freedom

The health plans offered by the government may be a good option if you are looking to save money and fulfill your well-being.

So if you are not insured, now you know what to expect when choosing your health plan.