The year 2023 marks the tenth year of operations for the US health insurance exchanges since they launched as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. The individual market has remained fluid during this time, with insurer participation, pricing, and plans changing from year to year.
Consumer participation increased by 25 percent to approximately 16 million from 2020 to 2022, coincident with extended enrollment periods and enhanced subsidies implemented under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
We have collected and analyzed data from every health insurance exchange…
aetna
Many kids missed dental care during the pandemic. Luckily, these dentists visit schools for free
Hygienist Katie Wheeler cleans Sarahi Dominguez Rodriguez’s teeth during a Tri-County Dental mobile clinic, part of the Robert Glass Focus on the Children program, on March 21, 2023, at Appleton Bilingual School in Appleton, Wis.
When the Odle family had a career change, all five of their kids lost dental insurance.
“Unfortunately, our dental insurance changed, so we didn’t have any for the kids, which was terrifying because we had to,” said their mother, Judy. “It’s so important.”
The Odles were able to start getting care from Tri-County Dental, a volunteer-driven dental clinic serving people in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago…
Should employers offering health benefits get tax credits?
Québec (65 per cent)
Ontario (63 per cent)
British Columbia (60 per cent)
Atlantic Canada (59 per cent)
Saskatchewan/Manitoba (58 per cent)
Alberta (55 per cent)
The same is true among different age groups:
60+ (66 per cent)
45 to 59 (59 per cent)
30 to 44 (61 per cent)
18 to 29 (59 per cent)
A health spending account is among the top three features Canadians desire in a benefits plan, according to a previous RBC Insurance report.
Employer-provided plan
Currently, 64 per cent of Canadians have…
Ending pandemic prenatal health coverage for uninsured people is both costly and dangerous
On March 31, 2023 the Ford government in Ontario ended the expanded health-care funding it put in place when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
This funding allowed everyone in Ontario to access essential health care. For the hundreds of thousands of people living in the province without health insurance, this meant access to necessary surgeries, emergency care and labor and delivery services without thousands of dollars in hospital and physician bills.
As a midwife who has worked in Toronto for over 20 years, largely with uninsured populations, and an associate professor who has focused my research and activism…
EHR Threats? – Rickard & Associates
A recent warning highlights that electronic health records (EHRs) are a top target of cybercriminals.
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The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) issued a warning to healthcare entities regarding EHR vulnerabilities and protections.
Protected health information (PHI) continues to hold its value on the dark web and is a constant target of cybercriminals.
With the recent growth of telehealth and healthcare technology, we have seen a large increase in cybercrime and…
My Loved One Passed Away – What Do I Need To Do?
Losing a loved one is incredibly hard. We help our clients with the administrative and legal aspects following the death of a loved one.
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When a loved one dies, there are many things to do and many are time sensitive.
First, there are many practical items to consider. These may include:
Finding care for any pets;
Determining if there are funeral instructions, arrangements, or prepayments;
Notifying family and friends;
Preparing an…
Sources of financial aid and insurance for hearing aids
When you’re ready to purchase hearing aids, you don’t want to waste time finding out if you qualify for monetary assistance. Based on the way most people are provided with financial support, we have put together a prioritized list below to help uncover your options.
Does health insurance cover hearing aids?
Hearing aids are generally not covered by medical insurance, although insurers sometimes offer optional hearing/vision/dental plans that may include coverage for hearing tests and hearing aid fittings.
Other options for paying for your hearing aids may include financing offered by your hearing care professional, credit from a third party…
Healthcare Encryption Exceptions? – Rickard & Associates
We know that all emails and text messages that contain protected health information (PHI) should be encrypted.
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Are there any exceptions to the encryption rule?
Just one.
Patients can communicate with covered entities using unencrypted email and text messages, if the patients have been informed of the increased risk.
Patients can opt to have reminders sent via text messages or emails.
One issue that many healthcare providers have regarding encryption, is…