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Does insurance cover COVID-19 shutdowns? A Chicago ruling offers businesses hope

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A Chicago federal judge has rejected a bid by Society Insurance to toss a mountain of lawsuits filed by Billy Goat Tavern, Purple Pig, Lettuce Entertain You and other businesses hit hard by the pandemic, a departure from recent rulings in other courts that sided with insurance companies.

The Monday ruling gives hope to dozens of restaurants, bars and other businesses — including many in Chicago and its suburbs — whose claims for business interruption insurance were denied by the company after COVID-19 and government-mandated shutdowns forced them to close or severely curtail operations. Their cases can now move forward in court.

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Doctor on iPad

In ‘Do-Over,’ Enrollment in Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Reopens

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People who missed open enrollment for Affordable Care Act health insurance late last year will get another opportunity to sign up, starting in mid-February.

President Biden signed an executive order last month creating an extra, three-month enrollment period starting Feb. 15. Consumers can again shop for coverage on HealthCare.gov, the federal insurance marketplace, which serves three dozen states.

“It’s a chance for a do-over of open enrollment,” said Cynthia Cox, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on the A.C.A.

Because of the pandemic, millions of people lost their jobs, and the insurance that went along with those jobs, at a time of heightened health risk. Many of them may have found health coverage through Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income people. But many people remain uninsured.

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Health Insurance Policy

President Biden Plans To Reopen Online Health Insurance Marketplace

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PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – President Joe Biden plans to reopen the nations’ online insurance marketplace, HealthCare.gov amid the coronavirus pandemic. He is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday.

The online marketplace allows people who aren’t able to get afforable healthcare insurance through their employer, to shop for plans that are subsidized and based on a person’s income.

Reopening the marketplace would allow people to sign up for health insurance during a special enrollment period. Normally, sign ups are during a six week period in November and December.

“It’s really going to be huge,” says Jeremy Smith, Program Director of WV Navigator. “We know that thousands of people lost their health insurance throughout these past 12 months because of the pandemic. So, there are thousands of people out there that need health coverage, that are just used to really getting it through their job. Now because of job loss, they may be having to shop for health insurance for the first time in their lives. A lot of people may not realize where to turn to be able to get health coverage. So this is a really big step in making sure that everybody gets health coverage for them and their family.”

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White House

Health Care First Steps For President Biden And The Democrats

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After four years of the Trump administration’s undermining of The Affordable Care Act/Obamacare, what can we expect over the next few months from the new administration?

On the regulatory side, not as much as you might expect.

During the campaign Biden talked about building on the law’s success in covering the people it has covered––primarily through the Medicaid expansion and for lower income people who get the best subsidies in the insurance market.

A big difference will be an administration promoting the law, particularly during the fall’s open enrollment, rather than decrying it as a complete failure.

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Health Insurance Policy

Friday Is The Last Day In 2021 To Enroll For Health Insurance Through The Colorado State Exchange

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Friday is the final day to sign up for 2021 individual health coverage through the state’s insurance exchange.

The deadline is for Coloradans who need individual health insurance, meaning they don’t get it through their employer or a government program, like Medicare.

Missing the deadline means those who need coverage will have to wait until next year unless they experience certain life events, like marriage, birth of a child, divorce or loss of other health insurance.

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Health Insurance Folder

Open Enrollment For ‘Pennie’ Pennsylvania’s State Health Insurance Program Ends Friday

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HARRISBURG (KDKA) – Friday, January 15, 2020, is the deadline to apply for health insurance through Pennsylvania’s health insurance program “Pennie.”

The online marketplace replaced Healthcare.gov for open enrollment.

Those that apply would have their coverage begin on February 1.

After Friday, you can only apply through “Pennie” if you have what they describe as a “Qualifying Life Event.”

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Health Insurance with Words

Deadline Looms for Nevadans Shopping for Health Insurance Plans

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CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevadans shopping for health care coverage for 2021 still have time to enroll in a plan under the Affordable Care Act – the deadline is January 15.

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange – which operates through its online marketplace, Nevada Health Link – opted to give residents more time to decide on a plan this year. The deadline used to be December 15, according to the agency’s Communications Officer Janel Davis.

She said while health insurance has always been a top-of-mind priority for many Nevadans, the pandemic has brought the importance of coverage even more to the forefront. She said she hopes the extended enrollment period will help folks who lost their jobs in 2020 stay covered.

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Health Insurance

How To Attract Millennials To Health Insurance Industry

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While millennials earlier avoided health insurance plans, COVID-19 has opened a window of opportunity for insurers.

The early bird grabs the worm – this rephrased saying applies to financial planning decisions too. Yet, when it comes to insurance, especially health plans, millennials remained reluctant to invest their moolah in the same. Not anymore; the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s perceptions almost overnight.

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Health Insurance Form

NEW LAW WILL AFFECT HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

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(KNSI) – A new law going into effect on January 1st will affect how health insurance pays for certain items.

The way it stands now, if you switch your health insurance plan in between when you are approved for planned surgery and when the surgery takes place, your new insurance company doesn’t have to honor that pre-authorization.

Under the new law, the new provider “will be required to comply with previous prior authorizations for health care services for the first 60 days after enrollment while a new utilization review is conducted. The enrollee, or a medical professional acting on their behalf, will be required to submit documentation to access this.”

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Stethoscope on Health Insurance Form

Oregon Extends Telehealth Agreement For Health Insurance Plans

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SALEM, OR – The State of Oregon has reached an agreement with several health insurance companies to continue providing expanded telehealth options through at least June 30, 2021.

The agreement follows guidance issued by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Oregon Health Authority in late March requiring health insurance plans to provide in-network coverage for multiple telehealth platforms.

In June 2020, the state reached agreement with health insurance companies to continue providing expanded telehealth options, including payment to providers at the same rate as an in-person visit, through Dec. 31. This new agreement means health insurance companies will continue to provide coverage for expanded telehealth services and pay for these services at the rates they established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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