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12+ min ago (824+ words) With insurance premiums set to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans, Mike Johnson unveils alternative With health insurance premiums set to rise sharply for at least 22 million Americans who purchase their coverage through Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces using tax credits that will expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts, the US House speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative late Friday. Johnson's bill comes as his party refuses to extend the enhanced tax subsidies for people who buy policies through the ACA, dubbed Obamacare by opponents of the 2010 law. Those subsidies help lower premiums for Americans who do not get insurance through employers. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, huddled behind closed doors to assemble the package for consideration next week as the House focuses the final days of its 2025 work on healthcare. "House Republicans are tackling…...

1+ hour, 16+ min ago (127+ words) 97 percent of inpatient hospital markets lack meaningful competition....From 2014 to 2026, individual market premiums are up 129 percent, employer-sponsored insurance premiums are up 68 percent, and general inflation is up 39 percent...In 2026, the average deductible for an individual on a bronze plan is $7,476, and the average deductible for an individual on a silver (no CSR) plan is $5,304....The federal taxpayer share of the premium increased gradually from 68 percent of the premium in 2014 to nearly 80 percent in 2020. As a result of the COVID credits, the federal taxpayer share of the premium reached 93 percent... Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you....

1+ hour, 54+ min ago (507+ words) Pandemic-era tax credits for Affordable Care Act premiums are set to expire at the end of the year if lawmakers don't find a solution soon. Now, many are left wondering if they can afford to stay insured. For millions who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance, time to enroll is about to run out. Pandemic-era tax credits that help keep premiums low are set to expire at the end of this year. Congress is deadlocked on a solution and many are left questioning whether they can afford marketplace insurance at all. According to independent health policy research organization KFF, most enrollees will see their premiums more than double on average if the enhanced tax credits expire. The deadline to enroll in an ACA plan for Jan. 1 is Monday. The last open enrollment period ends Jan. 15 for coverage…...

3+ hour, 39+ min ago (325+ words) Latino families in Florida are facing a more severe affordability crisis " particularly in health care and child care " compared to Latinos nationally. The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State. "For Florida families whose children have not received child care, 47% say this is due to a lack of affordable child care options, compared to 32% nationally," according to the report. The survey revealed that "34% of Florida families reported having to reduce working hours due to a lack of affordable child care," a figure substantially higher than the 24% national average, underscoring how child care access directly dictates economic productivity for these families. Gaps…...

3+ hour, 57+ min ago (590+ words) MANILA, Philippines " In a population of 116.6 million, only 28% of Filipinos hold a life insurance policy in 2025. The industry penetration remains stuck at 1.7% of GDP, one of the lowest among the countries in Southeast Asia, according to data from analytics firm Inquiro. The newly released PURPLE Report, commissioned by EastWest Ageas Insurance, also showed that the average Filipino has only set aside P50,000 for emergencies, which is barely enough to cover a routine medical procedure, let alone a major illness like ischemic heart disease " the country's top cause of death " where treatment can cost P690,000." This readiness gap is not just financial. It is structural, cultural, and educational. It is also deeply personal. New analytics from Inquiro's MarketScan dataset reveal that while the digital shift toward insurance is real, it remains uneven across the country. Among the 5.2 million Filipinos tracked for app-based insurance…...

4+ hour ago (1021+ words) The political stakes of rising health insurance premiums are looming as affordability concerns have emerged as a key issue for voters going into the 2026 midterms. When senators'voted on rival health bills'Thursday, they had two chances to address'expiring COVID-era subsidies'that will result in millions of Americans saddled with higher insurance costs in the new year. But the Senate rejected both, and hopes of solving the problem this year are running dry. Affordable Care Act subsidies will end in three weeks,'more than doubling the premiums'for many with health coverage through the 2010 law known as "Obamacare." Meanwhile, the'political stakes of rising premiums'are looming as affordability concerns have emerged as a'key issue'for American voters going into the midterms next year. Here's a look at the subsidies in limbo, the proposals to address the problem and how American voters are feeling about the issue....

4+ hour, 44+ min ago (201+ words) Jaipur: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision that families of private doctors who died on duty during COVID-19 are eligible for Rs 50 lakh insurance cover under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY). In a post on X, Gehlot said the ruling offers the Centre an opportunity to reconsider the scope of its scheme. "The Supreme Court's decision directing that private doctors who lost their lives while serving during COVID be given Rs 50 lakh compensation under the Centre's insurance scheme is commendable," the Congress leader wrote. Gehlot said the then Congress government in Rajasthan had taken a more inclusive approach during the pandemic. "We not only provided compensation to doctors, but also to police personnel, government employees, contractual workers, journalists, sanitation workers and ration dealers who died while performing COVID duty. All were…...

4+ hour, 48+ min ago (427+ words) Top healthcare executive John Driscoll calls the looming expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies "a tragedy in the making," warning that millions of Americans are about to be hit with higher premiums, lost coverage, and rising medical debt as Washington gridlock hardens. Driscoll, who is currently the chairman of UConn Health after a 25-year career in health care including a previous position as Walgreens Boots Alliance president, said the policy reversal amounts to "a self'inflicted wound" that will push costs up for both low'income families and the affluent professionals who thought they were insulated." Driscoll cited CBO estimates that if Congress allows the subsidies to lapse, premiums will jump for roughly 24 million marketplace enrollees, and around 2 million people will lose coverage entirely in the near term. "You don't solve higher health care costs with fewer people getting insured," he…...

5+ hour, 12+ min ago (78+ words) CHARLESTON " The finance board for West Virginia's Public Employee Insurance Agency recently approved slight premium increases and other fee hikes for the state's health coverage program beginning in July, though lawmakers had questions about possible changes. The Joint Standing Committee on Insurance and PEIA met Monday morning during December legislative interim meetings at the [] West Virginia lawmakers briefed on approved changes to PEIA coverage West Virginia lawmakers briefed on approved changes to PEIA coverage...

5+ hour, 57+ min ago (715+ words) Indian companies are rethinking the benefits they offer their staff, such as healthcare, retiral plans, wellbeing perks, and leave, as they seek to control budgets while retaining top talent without compromising on employee experience. The move comes as employee costs escalate, and health insurance premiums balloon, prompting firms to redesign their benefits programs to align with the needs of a multi-generational workforce and ensure financial discipline. Companies are phasing out benefits like telemedicine, which was indispensable during the pandemic but no longer essential, as they seek to cut unnecessary costs, he said. To be sure, technology is reshaping employee profile, prompting companies to look at their benefits programs through a new lens. According to a C-suite executive at one of the top three private banks in India, employee costs along with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) have pushed them…...