Stronger children’s coverage rules may raise insurance costs

Some families may face higher insurance premiums because of a requirement in the new healthcare law that plans cover sick children, state insurance commissioners said Friday.
The rule barring insurance plans from turning away sick children or denying coverage for specific illnesses for children who are already covered [...]

Feds Move to Improve Health Insurance Appeals

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration took the first step Thursday to guarantee that consumers can appeal to a neutral referee if their health insurance company denies a medical claim.
However, because health insurance and President Barack Obama’s overhaul law are both complicated, the new federal safeguards will [...]

Obama Administration Rolls Out New Insurance Appeals Rules

Want to appeal an insurance company’s denial of services or coverage? You now have the right to present your case for independent, outside-of-your-insurance-company review, no matter what state you’re in. The Obama administration today announced the new regulations spelling out the appeals guarantee. Here’s the administration’s fact sheet on the new regs.
As Kaiser Health News [...]

New rules make it easier for public to appeal denials of health insurance claims

Patients will find it easier to appeal the denials of health insurance claims under rules being issued Thursday by the Obama administration, which is trying to boost political support for the new health-care law by highlighting advantages for consumers.
The regulations guarantee consumers the right to appeal denials [...]

State plans clash with health pools

In the early implementation of health reform, states with the most progressive health policies are having a more difficult experience than others locking down a share of the $5 billion of federal funding for new high-risk pools.
Five states — Vermont, Maine, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts [...]

Insurers Push Plans That Limit Choice of Doctor

As the Obama administration begins to enact the new national health care law, the country’s biggest insurers are promoting affordable plans with reduced premiums that require participants to use a narrower selection of doctors or hospitals.
The plans, being tested in places like San Diego, New York and [...]

Cigna Jockeys for Position in Overhaul

While he awaits regulators’ draft of important new health-care rules this summer, Cigna Corp. Chief Executive David Cordani is looking for ways to benefit.
Cigna mainly administers insurance policies for big businesses—an area little affected by the health-care overhaul. But Mr. Cordani hopes to sell more policies to individuals if the new health-care rules create an [...]

Health Plans Must Provide Some Tests at No Cost

WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday issued new rules requiring health insurance companies to provide free coverage for dozens of screenings, laboratory tests and other types of preventive care.
The new requirements promise significant benefits for consumers — if they take advantage of the services that should now be [...]

Firms Find Changing Insurance Is Trickier

Many small-business owners are caught in a bind created by the federal health-care overhaul that has made choosing health-insurance plans for their workers a trickier calculation.

Writing The Rules For The Health Law

The Obama administration faces a monumental task this year in implementing the first changes dictated by the new health care reform law, not to mention laying the groundwork for the bigger changes to come in 2014.