Insurance group offers individual coverage plan
Insurers announced plans in December to enable more individuals, even those with health problems, to get health insurance. A report titled “Guaranteeing Access to Coverage for All Americans,” released by America’s Health Insurance Plans, listed proposals that would make it more difficult for insurers to cancel policies or deny coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Survey says health coverage is accessible
Healthcare coverage is more accessible and affordable than widely believed, according to a survey by America’s Health Insurance Plans. The study found that 89 percent of applicants who went through the application process were offered coverage. Some 40 percent of these offers were at standard premium rates, and 49 percent were offered at lower, or preferred, rates. Even among those ages 60 to 64, some 71 percent were offered coverage, and 74 percent of these were at standard or preferred rates. Nationwide, annual premiums averaged $2,613 for single coverage and $5,799 for family plans in the 2006-2007 period.
States facing unfunded bill for retiree healthcare
Post-retirement benefits, including healthcare coverage, represent a significant future burden for state governments, according to recent research by the Pew Foundation’s Center on the States. The organization estimated that all states’ retiree pensions and other benefits represent $2.73 trillion. That includes $381 billion for retiree healthcare and other non-pension benefits for state employees only, excluding those for teachers and a handful of other groups. The report says that while states have set aside 85 percent of what they need to cover pensions, they’ve put very little aside for non-pension benefits.
Lack of insurance hurts cancer patients’ chances
Cancer patients who don’t have adequate health insurance coverage have less access to care and poorer outcomes, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society. The report says the uninsured are less likely to have recommended cancer screening tests; more likely to be diagnosed with cancer in later stages, limiting treatment options; are more likely to have lower survival rates than those with private insurance for several cancers. The research used data from the National Cancer Database, a hospital-based registry sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society.