Did you know…

• As a general rule, employers are not permitted to place annual coverage limits that are less than $750,000 for health benefits considered essential, such as hospital services, drugs, emergency services and/or maternity leave and newborn care?
• By 2014, these coverage limits will be gone?
• By September 23rd of this year, more regulations will be put into effect for new plans either offered by employers or bought by individuals since March 23rd? These include (but are not limited to) insurers: covering the entire cost of preventive services with the highest recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, allowing women to see an OB-GYN sans referral and not making plan members pay higher co-payments/coinsurance for out-of-network emergency services.

Catch up on the beginning of this health insurance for children discussion here.

We wanted to add one additional piece of information regarding this topic, and that is regarding preexisting medical conditions.

Unlike in previous years, employer plans are no longer allowed to refuse coverage to children under age 19 because of a serious medical condition. Unfortunately, although the new law permits children to remain on their parents health plan until the age of 26, they may be refused coverage due to a preexisting medical condition if they are applying after they reach the age of 19. A ban on coverage exclusions for adults that is similar to the one for children is planned to take effect by 2014.

Fall is a time for new beginnings (not to mention warm clothes and pumpkin spice lattes!). So what better time to purchase health insurance coverage for children, especially for your children? Since Obama’s new health care plan, children under the age of 26 are allowed to remain on their parents’ plans, regardless of marital or financial status. This is good news! Here are a few helpful hints to guide you along the way.

According to the article, “CSU records show that its 23 campuses already graduate most of the state’s nurses. This bill would address a big part of the problem that has led to the nursing shortage.”

It is evident that this bill, created by Juan Arambula and Pedro Nava, would greatly improve the California health care system. There are never enough medical professionals, especially right now. Let’s hope that this bill passes smoothly and swiftly!

Improv Everywhere is slowly but surely becoming our new favorite group of comedians. This is their latest “mission,” and we think it’s adorable.

Black Tie Beach

Interesting and hopeful news on the California health care front: if California lawmakers and Governor Schwarzenegger stand behind a bill (being dealt with for a year now) that would allow the CSU school system to offer a doctorate in nursing, the state nursing shortage just may be reduced.

Did you know that 30% of households in the U.S. have absolutely no life insurance? This is what Francine Knowles revealed in her insurance article.

Life insurance numbers sure have dwindled from years past, and what a vast difference it is. In just 6 years, a million fewer individual life insurance policies have been issued, and this is mainly due to financial issues such as more important bills.

What do you think? Is there any reason that life insurance should ever go on the back burner?

Catch up on the first part here.

Under new health care law, such as the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, rate increase proposals seen as unreasonable will not be permitted to fly under the radar. Instead, they must be justified, both by state regulators as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And each state may receive backing (to the tune of $1 million!) to get started on this. Some states are a bit further ahead than others.

David A. Paterson, Governor of New York, signed legislation just 3 months ago that will bring back prior approval for health plans and premiums there. And a month later, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner declared that all California health insurance filings for the individual market will be publicized on the DOI website for consumers to view as they please.

We literally squealed upon seeing this video. Try not to when you see it. We dare you.

Otters Holding Hands

A bill that has been in the works to impose mandatory rate reviews on California health plans took a step forward when the Appropriations Committee handed it to the full Senate, who voted 7-4. Should this bill pass, health insurers will be required to abide by the same rules that automobile and homeowners insurance policies follow.

Assemblymen Dave Jones had the following to say.

“In California, we’ve had positive experiences in 22 years of rate regulation,” Jones said. Given “excessive, double-digit” increases in recent years, rate review is “one of the most critical missing pieces from the national health care reform legislation,” he said.

More to come on Thursday.