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Obamacare Archives - Steinlage Insurance Agency

Sep 08
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What to expect for your 2017 Obamacare Plan

By | Obamacare, Understanding Health Care Reform | No Comments

Fixing the insurance exchanges By Bob Herman | August 6, 2016 Like basketball players who are sick of losing a game, many health insurers who ventured into the new marketplaces are sending a clear message: We’re taking our ball and going home. And if the government wants them to play again, they want more of the rules changed. The large publicly traded insurers wrapped up second-quarter results last week. Adverse selection continued to weigh down the finances of health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. More companies are dropping enrollment to satisfy investors. But many health policy experts say the Obama administration will alter the still-nascent exchanges to make them more financially palatable for insurers. The marketplaces also will shift to even more high-deductible, narrow-network plans that are common in managed Medicaid. “I do remain bullish on the marketplaces,” said Katherine Hempstead, a senior adviser at the Robert Wood…

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Dec 22
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ObamaCare’s Threat to Private Practice

By | Obamacare, Understanding Health Care Reform | No Comments

Here’s a dirty little secret about recent attempts to fix ObamaCare. The “reforms,” approved by Senate and House leaders this summer and set to advance in the next Congress, adopt many of the Medicare payment reforms already in the Affordable Care Act. Both favor the consolidation of previously independent doctors into salaried roles inside larger institutions, usually tied to a central hospital, in effect ending independent medical practices. Continue at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/scott-gottlieb-obamacares-threat-to-private-practice-1417990367

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Nov 09
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Cigna will include Washington University and Barnes Jewish providers in the 2015 Individual “Obamacare” market

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Important Updates Today Cigna announced a new collaborative partnership with BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians. This announcement represents an expansion of Cigna’s product offerings in Missouri, both on- and off- the public marketplace. This collaboration will give customers who enroll in Cigna Individual and Family Plans access to care provided primarily by the region’s leading health care organizations – BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians. The network will also include Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the more than 1,300 Washington University primary care doctors and specialists affiliated with these hospitals. The network will also include the additional 10 hospitals and four service organizations that are part of BJC HealthCare. You can read more about this collaboration here. We are excited about this collaboration with BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians and look forward to providing you with new solutions for your customers in Missouri. Contact the…

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Oct 31
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The importance of being a “Savvy Patient”….

By | Making the Most of your Medicare, Obamacare, Understanding Health Care Reform | No Comments

A doctor’s care is now a commodity and you are no longer a patient. You are now a consumer. As a consumer of healthcare it’s important to shop around for the best deals and be aware of a hospital or provider’s “upsell”. Staying educated and well-informed may protect you against inflated medical bills. Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/us/as-insurers-try-to-limit-costs-providers-hit-patients-with-more-separate-fees.html?_r=0  

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Jul 16
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Scared of messing up your Obamacare application? You’re not alone.

By | Obamacare, Understanding Health Care Reform | No Comments

Article from Modern Healthcare — Paul Demko Obamacare signups suspected of being flawed; GOP to investigate.  “The 2014 open enrollment period ended on a triumphant note for the Obama administration with more than 8 million individuals ultimately signed up for healthcare coverage. But a report released this month by HHS’ Office of the Inspector General suggests that many of those enrollment applications are flawed. HHS was unable to resolve 90% of the 2.9 million discrepancies found in applications submitted through HealthCare.gov during the first three months of exchange operations, according to the report. Republicans were quick to seize on that report as evidence that, despite enrollment successes, implementation of Obamacare continues to be a mess. They will dig into the details of the OIG report at a Wednesday hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health. Officials from the watchdog agency are expected to testify. The report…

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