There are two “open enrollment periods” that are critically important for individuals and seniors. These limited time periods are the only times that new ACA (Affordable Care Act) Medical plans can be purchased or...

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Individuals can shop for health coverage and may qualify for premium subsidy (reduced premiums) to begin the first of the following month. Your Health Idaho has extended enrollment until April 30, 2021Washington Health...

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Idaho's Health Exchange, Your Health Idaho, has extended open enrollment until Thursday, December 31st, to apply for a tax credit, select a plan, and enroll in coverage that begins January 1, 2021. Washington State has...

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We printed this Q&A column in the May 10, 2020 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: What now? I’ve lost my health insurance! A: We can help! If you have lost your health insurance because of the COVID-19 Pandemic...

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Updated Feb. 5, 2020 The certified Health Agents at American Insurance are pleased to announce the news from Regence BlueShield of Idaho that they have reached a new multi-year agreement that ensures their members can...

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Small employers and their employees will be able to pay for individual ACA medical plans with pre-tax premiums through an expansion of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). The new “Individual Coverage HRA” (ICHRA)...

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Did you know about 1 million Americans go to the hospital with pneumonia every year? Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by pneumococcal disease, which can also cause blood infections and meningitis. The bacteria that...

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are publishing a Safe Importation Action Plan that outlines two potential pathways that...

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We printed this Q&A column in the Jan. 10, 2019 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: Can I buy medical insurance when Exchanges are closed? A: The answer is “NO” – unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period! ...

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More than 103,154 Idahoans enrolled in health insurance coverage for the 2019 plan year during open enrollment held from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2018, through Your Health Idaho, the state’s health insurance marketplace....

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The Idaho and Washington health exchanges are reminding area residents who have not yet filed a federal tax return to do so by the Tax Day deadline or risk losing access to future tax credits. Customers who enrolled...

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We printed this Q&A column in the Nov. 10, 2017 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: Can I buy subsidized Medical Insurance now? A: Yes, ACA Health Exchanges are now open! Open Enrollment began on Nov. 1st and will...

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Individuals, small employers, employees, dependents, college students – anyone who relies on individual medical insurance coverage – must apply during open enrollment unless they are renewing existing coverage at a diff...

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Premium Subsidies Are Not Changed. To clarify, this information from recent news articles is NOT referring to the premium subsidies (tax credits) that lower the health insurance premiums paid by qualifying lower income...

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American Insurance is following the latest developments regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At the publication of this article, enrollments and renewals of ACA Medical Plans will proceed as scheduled. You can count...

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American Insurance health agents are certified to show all options to local clients. - Individual medical plan premiums through Your Health Idaho, the Idaho exchange, are going up in 2018. The Idaho Department of...

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We printed this Q&A column in today's edition (on Oct. 10, 2017) of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: Can I buy subsidized Medical Insurance now? A: As you may have heard, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), was not...

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We printed this Q&A column in the Dec. 10, 2017 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: What is the status of Obamacare? - A: It may take as long as three years for the Trump / Republican repeal of the Affordable Care...

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We printed this Q&A column in the Nov. 10, 2017 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: When can I buy individual medical insurance? - A: You can only buy or change your individual medical insurance plan during “Open...

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Major changes in medical premiums and provider networks are coming in 2017. Open enrollment began Nov. 1 in the Idaho and Washington Health Exchange Marketplaces. Anyone who needs or is covered under an Individual...

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Days are numbered for “grandmothered” small group medical plans. The so-called “grandmothered” medical plans are those small groups purchased from March 23, 2010 to Oct. 1, 2013 that are not yet ACA (Affordable Care Act)...

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The Idaho Department of Insurance is alerting Idaho residents about a possible scam by a company using deceptive practices to market health insurance in Idaho. Your Health Idaho, Idaho’s health insurance exchange, has...

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Premera Blue Cross has launched a new, easy-to-use bill payment portal for their members. Customers who currently pay their bills online will receive an email notifying them of the new portal and the action they should...

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Local agents with AMERICAN INSURANCE in Lewiston can help area business owners find qualified individual health insurance coverage for your employees, their spouses and dependents to meet health care mandates. “We...

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A new drug provides a novel approach to treating patients with influenza and will advance in development with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for...

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Lewis-Clark State College will no longer offer a Student Health Insurance Program (or SHIP) this fall, due to a change by the Idaho State Board of Education. Other regional schools that also have no SHIP include:...

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We can all use some help managing stress in our lives. Here are 7 very practical, free and easy tips for managing daily anxieties from Business Psychology Associates (BPA). THE BINGE & PURGE PROBLEM: Do you...

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The latest legal attack on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has been decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. In KING v. BURWELL, plantiff's argued that the plain language in PPACA says...

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New choices and more competition in the Health Insurance Marketplace are giving consumers affordable options during Open Enrollment this year, and the majority of returning consumers who shop can save money on premiums,...

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A new initiative will change the way your doctor and health care providers delivery their services to you. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced an initiative that will fund successful...

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If you are currently enrolled in a health care plan through Washington Healthplanfinder, you will need to renew your coverage for next year. Customers who signed up for a Qualified Health Plan last year will be eligible...

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A report released by the Department of Health and Human Services projects that hospitals will save $5.7 billion this year in uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). States that have expanded...

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Up to 8% of the 164,000 Health Exchange customers of the Washington HealthPlanFinder experienced on-going billing and administrative problems. This caused some Washington residents to go without insurance, lose their...

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The Idaho Health Exchange, Your Health Idaho, is preparing to launch its own state exchange software platform prior to the 2015 Open Enrollment which begins on November 15, 2014. Last year, Idaho was a Federally...

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ProgramBusiness.com reports that the state of Oregon filed a lawsuit Friday against Oracle Corp. and several of its executives over the technology company's role in creating the troubled website for the state's online...

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Large U.S. employers expect a significant increase in 2015 health care costs. If no adjustments are made employers project a 5.2% growth rate, putting absolute cost per person for health care benefits at an all-time...

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A US appeals court ruled against Obamacare subsidies for policies issued through the Federal Health Exchanges. In the case, Halbig v. Sebelius, 14-5018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that...

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently announced a new Special Enrollment Period for individuals and families that are currently enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, known as the federal Consolidated Omnibus...

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When "Open Enrollment" is closed, individuals seeking medical insurance can only do so if they have a "Qualifying Life Event" which opens a "Special Enrollment Period" (SEP). If you qualify for a SEP then you can apply...

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Keeping your current non-grandfathered individual or small group medical plan (also referred to as "grandmothered" plans) has been extended for policies with annual renewals on or before October 1, 2016. This provides...

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Nearly all of us know someone that is touched by the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease. You may find some comfort to know that there is a National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease with a 2014 update released by the US...

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"Idaho's success in enrolling consumers during the 2014 enrollment period is due, in no small part, to the many Idaho insurance agents and brokers who provided invaluable assistance to Idaho citizens," said William (...

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Two entities have paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) $1,975,220 collectively to resolve potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (...

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"Be Healthy From the Start" is the main theme for National Public Health Week, April 6 - 12. HHS credits the Affordable Care Act's establishment of preventative services and the new National Prevention Council with...

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An extended "Special Enrollment Period" was announced by The White House to allow more time to finish health insurance enrollments with glitches or other special circumstances. The Health Exchange Marketplace was...

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What happens when the Health Exchange Marketplace "Open Enrollment Period" closes on March 31st? This is the next question as American's struggle to understand and comply with the massive, complicated and ever changing...

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The "keep your current health insurance plan" promise by President Obama is being extended even further. The Obama administration announced that Americans can keep their health plans that are non-compliant with the...

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Can I keep my plan? It depends says the Regence Group which does business in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Utah. - Fall 2013 promised to be a dynamic time in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, with the launch of...

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The Idaho and Washington State Health Exchanges including their navigators (online and phone assistants) will not explain or recommend any insurance plans offered in the exchanges. They feel that experienced and...

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The new Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace isn't just for the uninsured! Almost everyone needs to take a serious look at their own state's Health Exchange Marketplace before January 1, 2014. Here's who should obtain...

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The Obama administration claims that consumers saved $3.9 billion on their premiums in 2012 due to implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that...

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The penalties imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on large employers (50+ employees) has been delayed one year in an announcement by the Treasury Department for the Obama Administration. In the announcement by Mark...

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New data shows significant variation across the country and within communities in what hospitals charge for common inpatient services. Also, HHS made approximately $87 million available to states to enhance their rate...

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Republicans renew call to repeal the entire healthcare law while the Obama administration is providing $150 million for health centers to offer Affordable Health Care (AHC) enrollment assistance nationwide. House of...

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Now a new series of shorter and easier applications have been released by CMS. Stinging from criticism that the new Health Care applications were too long and too complicated, the Obama administration went back to the...

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Agents and brokers will play a critical role in helping consumers access health insurance coverage through Affordable Insurance Exchanges or Health Insurance Marketplaces, according to an announcement today by The...

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Test your knowledge on key items from The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The health reform law promises to deliver big changes in the U.S. health care system. But, as with other sweeping pieces of...

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Confused about how the new health reform law really works? Get answers in just 9 minutes by watching this animated movie from The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. Click Health Reform Hits Main Street, featuring the "...

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A free replay of the webinar "Health Care Reform: Strategies to Help Control Costs, Mitigate Risk, & Decrease Penalties," has been made available by ADP ®, a leading provider of employer health care benefits...

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The federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of certain newly eligible adult Medicaid beneficiaries effective January 1, 2014. The final rule was announced today by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary...

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Health claim costs per member, per month for non-group individual health insurance plans will increase 32% under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a key finding in the Society of Actuaries study release in March 2013....

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Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter needs citizen support in his battle for a state-based Health Exchange. After winning a hard fought battle in the Idaho House on Wednesday, the legislation now goes again to the Idaho...

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A final rule that implements five key consumer protections from the Affordable Care Act were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). "Because of the Affordable Care Act, being denied...

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Final rules for "essential" health benefits were announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The rule outlines health insurance issuer standards for a core package of benefits, called essential...

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Only 11 of the 50 US states have moved to implement new consumer safeguards under President Barack Obama's healthcare law according to this Reuters report posted today by Insurance Journal. Read more...

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Governor Butch Otter is appealing to all Idahoans for help passing legislation for a state based health insurance exchange. Facing opposition from far-right legislators Otter has taken the cause direct to his citizens...

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Only 15 U.S. states so far plan to operate health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama's reform law, leaving Washington with the daunting prospect of creating and operating the new online marketplaces in at...

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It appears that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is here to stay. It survived the constitutional challenge in the US Supreme Court and the electoral challenge with the re-election of President...

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The Obama administration moved forward to implement provisions in the health care law that would make it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions beginning January 1,...

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Basic premiums for Medicare prescription drug plans, on average, are projected to remain constant in 2013, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius announced today. The average 2013 monthly premium...

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Women are getting access to eight new prevention-related health care services free beginning Aug. 1, 2012 announced Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The new rules in the health care law...

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The first Medical Loss Ratio rebate checks were mailed to small groups insured by Regence BlueShield of Idaho on July 16th. This is a rebate on their 2011 premium under the Affordable Care Act's requirement based on...

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More than 13.5 million Americans are now covered by Health Savings Account (HSA)-eligible insurance plans, a more than 18 percent increase since last year, according to a new census released by America's Health...

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Three different physician events saw national doctor groups calling for less medical care. In a bold and unprecedented announcement, they say doctors need to use clinical evidence to make care decisions. This can help...

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Skyrocketing costs for opioid pain management and abuse is damaging the health care and workers compensation systems. Dan Reynolds, managing editor of Risk & Insurance writes "An intense national focus on the...

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The newly formed Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) compared data from 2009 to 2010 showing that pure price increases for care rather than increased utilization is driving spending higher. In fact, the number of hospital...

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Washington and Oregon were among the six new states to take Health Exchange grants to implement the new health care law. Idaho, a highly conservative and Republican majority state, snubbed HHS and did not take the...

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Obesity now accounts for almost 21 percent of U.S. health care costs -- more than twice the previous estimates, reports a revised Cornell University study. The research, originally done in 2010, was the first to show...

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A typical American family of four receiving healthcare through an employer-sponsored preferred provider organization (PPO) plan now pays $20,728. This according to the latest study by Milliman, Inc., a premier global...

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1 in 3 U.S. adults-an estimated 68 million of us-have this and it is the "silent killer". Untreated high blood pressure, also called hypertension can damage the heart, brain, and kidneys without a single symptom. Each...

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What is the status of the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange? The US Supreme Court will be making its decision in June whether all, part or none of the Affordable Care Act will stand as constitutional. So, the Idaho...

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Ten states including Washington State received grants to provide early childhood support and home visits to families who volunteer to receive these services, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius...

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A proposed rule that would establish a unique "health plan identifier" under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was announced today by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...

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New rules released today will offer states substantial flexibility as they design a health insurance exchange marketplace that works for their residents. The Idaho Legislature said "no thanks" this week and has failed...

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The maximum benefit limits under medical insurance plans for an individual's lifetime have been eliminated under the Affordable Care Act. "For years, Americans with lifetime caps imposed on their health insurance...

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Don't forget you have free preventative services to use in 2012! "Americans of all ages can now get the preventive services they need, like mammograms and the new Annual Wellness Visit, free of charge, as a result of...

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Do you have trouble understanding health insurance? People in the market for health insurance will soon have clear, understandable and straightforward information on what health plans will cover, what limitations or...

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In a surprise move, the Obama Administration has announced that each state can decide what "essential health benefits" will be offered in their state Health Care Exchanges beginning in 2014. Under the Affordable Care...

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The US Supreme Court has agreed to decide the constitution issues of the Affordable Care Act. The court will hear oral arguments in March and then is expected to render a decision in June 2012. So, President Barack...

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Idaho is one of 13 new states to receive grants to help them create Health Insurance Exchanges. The Affordable Care Act mandates that every state have a Health Insurance Exchange, either a state or a federal exchange,...

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The Affordable Care Act became law on March 23, 2010. The law's provisions are being implemented on a timeline through January 1, 2015. There are four new items being added in 2012. A brief explanation of each is listed...

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Physicians have faced steep payment cuts annually because of a flawed 1997 law according to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Secretary Sebulius released this...

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Medicare Part B premiums in 2012 will be lower than previously projected and the Part B deductible will decrease by $22 according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While the...

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The Obama administration is asking the US Supreme Court to decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act . Political battle lines were drawn since the Act was signed into law in March 2010. As many as 26 States have sued...

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This year marks an important change in Medicare's annual open enrollment, the time period during which people can choose to change plans or shift from Medicare Advantage to Traditional Medicare. Open Enrollment starts...

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Historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services at no additional cost were announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Developed by the independent...

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The median premium cost per employee was $400 per month under private-sector group health insurance plans in 2010 according to a survey just released by the US Dept of Health & Human Services. The Medical...

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March 23rd marked the one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The date was marked with numerous events on Capitol Hill and around the country, some celebrating its enactment and...

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An estimated 9 million working-age adults became uninsured last year due to recession job losses according to the new Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey. The recession has stripped millions of...

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Employers are taking bold action to manage health care costs and offer affordable care according to the National Business Group on Health Survey just released by Towers Watson. Over the past year, employers have focused...

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Oregon is one of seven states awarded "Early Innovator" grants to design and implement the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure needed to operate Health Insurance Exchanges as part of the Affordable Health Care...

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Every business owner will be impacted by the troubles brewing in workers compensation insurance. Among the top trends identified to watch are - medical costs continue to rise, injured employees are staying out of work...

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The number of uninsured rose sharply in 2009, reaching 50 million people. Decreasing the number of uninsured is a key goal of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will provide Medicaid or...

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If you have a health claim denied in Idaho you have the right to the have the decision independently reviewed. This independent review process was instituted as part of Idaho's Health Carrier External Review Act (Title...

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The area's only free medical clinic is serving the uninsured and medically needy of the Lewiston-Clarkston valley. The Snake River Community Clinic (SRCC) has limited hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on a first...

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Higher auto insurance rates for New Yorkers is blamed on rampant fraud by unscrupulous medical providers. Health care costs for automobile accident victims in New York increased 42 percent faster than overall medical...

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Hospitals and physicians should prepare for increasing liability costs, according to the 2010 Hospital Professional Liability and Physician Liability Benchmark Analysis created by Aon Risk Solution. In its 11th year,...

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Tens of millions of dollars are being spent by insurance companies to comply with Health Care Reform. September 23rd was a major deadline, ushering in new health benefits for consumers mandated by the Affordable Care...

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Idaho, Washington and Oregon receive $1M each to police unjustified health insurance premium increases. The Department of Health and Human Services announced the award of $46 million in the first round of grants to...

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On average there is nearly one medical liability claim for every physician. This is one cost driver of higher medical fees passed on to consumers. The AMA reports the high number of claims is not an indication of...

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President Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010 H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This sweeping and controversial reform law includes many provisions that will impact employers, employees and...

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