The Insurance Mom, brought to you by Alison Gordon Insurance Services, Inc, CA Lic. 0780178

Please… sit up straight and pay attention class, elbows off the desks.   If you currently have an individual (not group) California health insurance plan with either Anthem Blue Cross OR Blue Shield, prepare for rate hikes heading our way October 1, 2010.

The rate hikes range from 14% to 20% with Anthem Blue Cross, and 19% to 29% for Blue…

ObamaCare — aka Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — aka PPACA — aka PeePeeCaCa — is about to launch the first round of big changes in health insurance plans in every state, every insurance company, every plan, every one.

No later than 9/23/10, there can be no lifetime limits on health plan coverage.  This will apply to new policies…

Want more take-home money in your paycheck?  Of course you do!   If you’re an employee (not an independent contractor) and are looking for ways to have more $$$$ in your checking account, then this article is for you.

Eva Rosenberg, aka TaxMama, has some great advice… it’s even easy to follow!   The Insurance Mom wants you to fight for your…

So you thought the new Health Care Reform law was on your side, didn’t you?  Ha.  Not so much.   There is nothing in the new law that will stop these unintended (but predictable) consequences.

A provision of the new “stealth” care reform law says that insurance companies must issue health insurance to children, regardless of their health status or history. …

The Insurance Mom wants you to stay pro-active about your preventive care (aka annual check-ups).    Besides keeping some yummy chicken soup handy, having annual check-ups will keep you well-informed about your lifestyle and future health care choices.

Something sort of good has actually been included in the federal government’s “stealth” care reform bill.    As of September 23, 2010, insurance companies…

In March of 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act—the new health law.  The law creates a new program – the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan — to make health coverage available to you if you have been denied health insurance by private insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition.

A couple of weeks ago, the government…

If you or anyone you know is currently on Medicare and enrolled in a Part D drug plan, the new “Stealthcare” reform laws enacted this year are now starting to offer you a small safety net… really small.   If you reach the dreaded “doughnut hole” — that place where you have to pay full price for your prescriptions until the…

Here’s an interesting opinion piece from the NY Times.   At least they’re willing to acknowledge that the rising health care costs are a primary reason for rising health insurance premiums.

Questions abound!   Here’s an answer:

HOW TO CLAIM THE TAX CREDIT

How does an employer claim the tax credit? The credit is taken on the annual tax return. The IRS will provide information on how tax-exempt employers can claim the new credit.

Does taking the tax credit affect an employer’s deduction for health insurance premiums? Yes. The…

I love this quote:

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Hmmm… somehow I just know I can find a way to apply this to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka HR 3950, aka health care reform, aka stealth care reform).