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Not ‘Junk’: Setting the Record Straight on Short-Term Health Coverage Plans

By Brian Blase
Not ‘Junk’: Setting the Record Straight on Short-Term Health Coverage Plans

Several Democrats on a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee at a hearing Wednesday derided short-term health-insurance plans as “junk,” accusing the Trump administration of “sabotaging” the health care system with a rule that expanded people’s ability to purchase these plans. The accusations are without merit. While I was at the National Economic Council, I coordinated the process to implement several policies to expand Americans’ ability to purchase more affordable coverage, including short-term plans. Here are the key…

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Vaping Is the New Insurance Black Hole For Smokers

By Todd Halterman
Vaping Is the New Insurance Black Hole For Smokers

The American Heart Association is pretty clear on where they stand when it comes to e-cigarettes and vaping. Their initial policy statement on the products leaves little room for wiggling. The association says that, while unknowns still abound regarding the electronic cigarette industry, e-cigarettes are dangerous “because they target young people, can keep people hooked on nicotine and threaten to ‘re-normalize’ tobacco use.” The AHA says that “based on current evidence,” the association’s position is…

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Cadillac Tax Stays in GOP Healthcare Revamp

By Todd Halterman
Cadillac Tax Stays in GOP Healthcare Revamp

By Michelle Andrews Might Republicans make job-based health insurance taxable? And how can you fight an insurance denial for lung-cancer screening? Also, can pharmacists prescribe drugs? Here are answers to some recent questions from readers. Q: I’ve heard that Republicans plan to change the system so that I’d have to pay income taxes on my health insurance benefits. Is it true? It’s way too soon to predict what may happen as Republicans move to overhaul the health law and…

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Beware of fraud during Medicare enrollment

By Consumer Insurance Guide Staff
Beware of fraud during Medicare enrollment

Scammers love to target seniors and that’s especially true during the 2012 annual open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage Plans and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. During the enrollment period, which runs through Dec. 7, scammers typically call claiming to be a Medicare representative and attempt to get seniors to part with their financial information. The Better Business Bureaus reports its offices across the country have received calls from seniors being targeted for Medicare fraud. Seniors…

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