California Is The First State To Implement Health Insurance Exchange
California Is The First State To Implement Health Insurance Exchange
Last week, the governor of California signed off on 7 huge healthcare reform bills...one of which was a bill to create a medical insurance exchange online that will offer consumers the opportunity to shop online for medical insurance.This action made California the forerunner state in implementing an oversight board for the medical insurance exchange since healthcare reform laws were passed in March. The bills that were signed off on will encourage competition among insurers and will create more affordable plans for small businesses and individuals & families.Other bills signed last week address the prohibition of insurers from being able to deny medical insurance coverage to kids due to pre-existing conditions. Also, dependents up to the age of 26 will be allowed to remain on their parents' plans. These new bills hope to bring California, which is the most populated state, in compliance with federal reform laws that are going into effect in the year 2014.When healthcare reform is fully enacted, most citizens in the U.S. will be required to purchase insurance by federal law. Currently, there are over 6.7 million people in California without any medical insurance...which is roughly 4.5% of the nation's total uninsured.The medical insurance exchange will be managed by a board of 5 members. The Governor will appoint 2 of the 5 members by the end of his term, and the remaining 3 would be appointed by the Legislature.Republicans have disputed that the full responsibility of creating the medical insurance exchange should fall on the federal government, because a program that is run by the state could turn it into a bureaucracy that's unaccountable.Opponents have also brought up concerns regarding the medical insurance exchange further burdening California's general fund...which has a deficit of $19 billion.The CA Chamber of Commerce released an analysis last month that stated that the costs of this medical insurance exchange could be more than $1 billion per year. However, California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office stated that the medical insurance exchange would be funded by the federal government until the year 2016.After 2016, the costs would fall upon health insurance companies, and passed onto their members through escalating premiums.Emergency Room Usage On The RiseAbout 1 in 5 Americans had visited an emergency room at least one time in 2007, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. In fact, it has been reported that demand for emergency room services in America has been increasing at a steady pace since 1996, while at the same time the number of emergency rooms across the U.S. has diminished.The high usage of emergency rooms has greatly contributed to escalating medical costs. Many uninsured frequent emergency rooms because instead of going to a doctor, who is going to either require payment at the time of services or proof of insurance, many uninsured elect to use the emergency room instead for non-urgent medical issues because by law, emergency rooms cannot deny coverage to the uninsured. Helping Your Family Eat Healthy Understanding Catastrophic Health Insurance Plans In Wisconsin Reason Behind Opting For Georgia Health Insurance Plans Compare Health Insurance - Why Must You Get It Lessons From The French On Health Insurance Where Can You Turn When Living Without Health Insurance? Is More Health Coverage Worth The Purchase? Doctors Say Florida Health Insurance Mandate Is Necessary The Best Tips For Shopping For Health Insurance Georgia Health Insurance Plan: Adequate Health Cover Benefits Served No Health Insurance Employee Health Insurance Explained Health Insurance And Medications