COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, which is the federal law that allows many workers to be able to continue their group health insurance coverage, at least temporarily, through a continuation of coverage program. Although COBRA does not apply to all employers, there are other state and federal laws which make it possible for most employees who lose their employment due to a qualified event
Health Insurance Glossary
Shopping for health insurance? Deciphering the costs and provisions of the various plans out there can be very confusing. Here are some key terms that will help — whether you’re selecting a new plan or just trying to figure out your existing one. Quick-Reference Guide to Health Insurance Terms Allowed Amount – (also known as eligible expense, payment allowance, or negotiated rate) Your health insurance company has negotiated a pre-agreed
Could Affordable Care Insurance Grace Period Lead to “Gaming the System?”
Several weeks ago, we wrote about possible disincentives for doctors to accept health insurance sold on the marketplace (also known as exchanges). A recent article in the Sacramento Bee highlights a loophole in the law that deserves a further look. For subsidized policies sold in the exchanges, a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (federal law) provides for a three-month grace period during which the policyholder’s health insurance can
Great Overview of Affordable Care Act
Much has been written about the Affordable Care Act in advance of the opening of the exchanges scheduled for October 1, 2013. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal provides a terrific overview of what it will be like to buy health insurance after the exchanges open for business on October 1, 2013. Here are some key points from the article, the full text of which you can read
Policies Sold in the Health Care Exchanges May Offer Fewer Providers
Mandatory health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for most Americans starting on January 1, 2014 will cause a flood into the market of previously-uninsured individuals and those needing to get new coverage. Coupled with the fact that insurance plans will be required to cover a comprehensive list of essential health benefits, insurance companies and government officials are trying to find ways to hold down medical costs. Renegotiating
Like Your Health Care Policy? You May be Losing It!
In the spirit of full disclosure, the title of this post comes directly from an article published recently by the Associated Press, the full text of which you can read here. While we don’t want to be alarmist, we like the title because it really sums up the gist of what we may be seeing in the not-too-distant future. Some individuals who buy their insurance privately, as well as some
Four Months and Counting to the Insurance Exchanges
Is anybody else as focused on October 1 as we are here at Virginia Medical Plans? Tomorrow, June 1, will start the four-month countdown to the opening of the health insurance exchanges (also known as the marketplace) created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Staying abreast of the latest news about ACA is almost like watching a race — a months-long race to a finish line that presents us with
What is a Health Savings Account (HSA)?
(This post was originally published in May 2013 and was updated in Nov 2016, Oct 2017, May 2018, Aug 2018, Nov 2019, May 2020, June 2021, May, 2022, September, 2023, October 2024, and January, 2026) When you have insurance coverage through a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you may establish a Health Savings Account (HSA). An HSA is an account where you can deposit money to pay for medical-related costs. There
What is a High-Deductible Health Plan?
(This post was originally published in May, 2013 and was updated in Nov 2016, Oct 2017, Aug 2018, Nov 2019, May 2020, June 2021, May 2022, September 2023, October 2024, and January 2026) A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) is just what the name implies. It is a health insurance plan that has a higher deductible than traditional insurance plans. An HDHP also has lower premiums than traditional coverage. In plain
Health Insurance – Daily News Briefings
Every day brings new developments in the health insurance and related industries. As you can imagine, it is almost a full-time job to keep up with everything! At Virginia Medical Plans, we rely upon a daily news briefing published by the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) to give us the highlights of what’s happening on any given day. We publish these NAHU updates every day, Monday through Friday, so
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