Would You Marry for Health Insurance?

In a recent poll by Kaiser Family Foundation, 7% of Americans said they decided to marry so they could get health insurance benefits via their spouse. It shows how paying for health insurance is reflected not only in family budgets but in life decisions.

Autism Health Insurance: Check Your Insurance Coverage for Autism Treatments

Autism Health Insurance

Reach Out to Children with Autism

Coverage for autism treatments is still far from common, but it is improving. Some large employers offer policies that cover treatment, and 15 states have passed laws mandating at least some autism health insurance coverage.  In addition, Maine and New Hampshire both have legislation pending that could pass soon. But as for why autism isn’t covered in the first place, the industry insists that behavioral therapy is an educational measure, not a medical one, and therefore not its bailiwick.

If you do have coverage, watch for limitations. Because treatment for autism is so individualized, there are few uniform standards or protocols for insurance companies to follow. That means parents often have to argue that a certain therapy or treatment is necessary. Also, be sure to check any caps on treatment, Mr. Sell warns. What may look generous — say $36,000 a year — can be spent quickly. Or there may be limits on how many sessions of a particular type of therapy will be paid for each year.

Health Insurance Benefits Not Available to Same-Gender Spouses

The Office of Personnel Management is being sued by a woman married to a woman because it is blocking her wife from receiving federal health insurance benefits available to spouses.

OPM has refused to obey a federal judge’s administrative order telling the agency to rescind a directive to Karen Golinski’s health insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, that said her spouse is not eligible to receive family health insurance benefits.

Health Savings Accounts Will Become More Popular in 2010

Health Savings Accounts

Health Savings Accounts, tax-advantaged medical savings accounts available to taxpayers in the United States, will become a more popular health insurance option in 2010 as consumers will be able to deduct more of their contributions to these accounts.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill signed by President Bush on December 8, 2003 and are designed to help individuals save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis. Though HSAs have expanded steadily since their introduction, they remain relatively rare.

Requiring Americans to Buy Health Insurance Unconstitutional

Buy Health Insurance or Get Fined

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said Tuesday that requiring Americans to buy health insurance or face a government penalty is unconstitutional and vowed to file a lawsuit to block it.

McCollum, a Republican who is running for governor in November, called the provision in the Democrat-driven health care overhaul a “living tax.” McCollum said provisions requiring people to buy health insurance  “violate constitutional principles and lack constitutional authority for Congress to enact.” He sent the analysis to Democratic and Republican leaders.

Obesity Health Insurance: Should Fat People Pay a Penalty just for Being Fat?

Obesity Health Insurance

Obesity Health Insurance

Charging obese policyholders more is a hot topic among private health insurers. The rationale is twofold. First, fat people are more likely to develop expensive health problems. Second, fat can be avoided or reduced through exercise and healthy eating. If we charge fat people more for health insurance—or charge thin people less, which amounts to the same thing—people will improve their habits.

Insurers have been moving aggressively in this direction. But there are two different ways to implement such “wellness incentives.” Some employers reward workers just for participating in wellness programs. Others peg their rewards to the bottom line. Hit the weight target, or you don’t get the discount.

Too Fat for Health Insurance?

Overweight Health Insurance

Did you know that being overweight can reduce your chances for health insurance? The reasoning is simple: overweight individuals cost the company more in health insurance costs.

Overweight Health Insurance

So you’re in perfectly good health, but you say to yourself, “I should get some health insurance.” If you’re fat, most insurers will turn you down. “That’s illegal, isn’t it?” you say. “Can they do that?” Well, they can and they do. You can be declined for the insurance on the basis that you are outside their accepted weight limits.

The underwriters use a system for determining your height and weight calculations to determine acceptable ranges. The correlation of the two defines a number called the BMI or ” body mass index” and gives the underwriters an estimate of body fat.

Buying Life Insurance with No Health Exam Required

Learn about buying term life insurance with no exams required and how you may apply for coverage online. What is term life insurance? Term life insurance is temporary life insurance coverage for a certain number of years.

Term life policies provide protection for up to 30 years. Many term life plans are available for a period for 10, 15, 20, or 30 years of coverage.

The Health Insurance System Discriminates Against Women

Why Women Pay More for Health Insurance

Women pay more for health insurance

Women pay more and get less in today’s health insurance system. They tend to need more preventive care and therefore are subject to more co-pays and deductibles, and single heads of households are often women, meaning they’re responsible for the family’s health care bills.

In a practice known as “gender rating,” insurance companies in the individual market routinely charge women higher premiums than men—in some cases up to 48 percent more—for the same plan. Women also have higher out-of-pocket costs and greater rates of being “underinsured” because they are more likely to suffer from a chronic condition and have more routine health care needs.

Do Married Couples Deserve Paying More for Health Insurance?

Under the health insurance bill, some married couples would pay thousands of dollars more for the same health insurance coverage as unmarried people living together.

Married to pay more for health insurance

People who get their health insurance through an employer wouldn’t be affected. Only people that buy subsidized insurance through new exchanges set up by the legislation stand to be impacted. About 17 million people would receive such subsidies in 2016 under the House plan, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

The bills cap the annual amount people making less than 400% of the federal poverty level must pay for health insurance premiums, ranging from 1.5% of income for the poorest to 11% at the top end, under the House plan.