Health Insurance - Premium Up Sharply

Health insurance premiums rose this year at their slowest rate since 1999 However, that is still twice the rate of inflation.

Premiums rose 9.2 percent in 2005 and 11.2 percent in 2004, A Kaiser report said. Gary Claxton, a co-author, said the moderation in premium increases might be caused by a slowing in underlying medical cost inflation as well as by more competition in the insurance market.

The Kaiser Family Foundation's findings are based on a phone survey of 3,159 randomly selected private and public employers.

More than 155 million Americans get insurance through their jobs. Employers on average pick up 84 percent of the cost for individuals and 73 percent for families.

Overall, the total cost of health insurance for individuals now averages $4,242 a year. For families, the costs average $11,480.

Employers and their workers probably won't find much relief next year either, according to another survey of 167 large corporations that was conducted by Towers Perrin, a consulting firm. The companies expect their health care costs to rise by about 6 percent next year, which is well above the anticipated rate of overall inflation.

Health Insurance - New Massachusetts Health Insurance Plan

The premiums that health insurance companies in Massachusetts will charge to cover Massachusetts residents are in line with what the architects of the state's new health insurance law predicted, meaning there should be enough money to pay for the plan in its initial year, state officials said.

State regulators set the health insurance rates Thursday for residents who now lack insurance and earn less than 300 percent of the poverty level. The four insurers offering health coverage will charge monthly premiums of $276 to $391, depending on the type of plan a resident enrolls in and where they live. For residents at or below the poverty level -- $9,804 for a single person -- the state will pay the entire premium. For those above the poverty level, the state will pay a portion of the cost, with the state subsidy shrinking as income rises.

Health Insurance - Okhlahoma Health Insurance Rates

Family health insurance rates in Oklahoma rose 50% between 2001 and 2005 while the income of Oklahoma policyholders remained flat. Oklahoma led the nation in increased health insurance rates paid by employees of companies which offer health insurance coverage to their employees. The national average increase was 30% over that same period.

The average cost of family health insurance coverage jumped almost $2,500 across the nation, (from $8,281 in 2001 to $10,728). In Oklahoma, the cost of health insurance soared $3,664 (from $7,322 to $10,985)

Comparatively, the increase in health insurance premiums in surrounding states ranged from 8% in Kansas, 14.4% in Arkansas and 40% in Texas

Health Insurance - Uninsured Kids

Both poor & middle class kids under age 18 share at least one thing in common: If they do not have health insurance coverage, they are likely to go without any health care... period.

New research from the University of Rochester Medical Center said more than 40% of children in families earning between $38,000 and $77,000 annually without health insurance for 1 year see no physicians and have no prescriptions during that time.

The percentage is as high as 55% for uninsured children in families earning less than that.

Nearly 3 million uninsured children in the country received no medical care or prescription use for a full year, according to an analysis of nationally representative data from a 2004 survey. About 1.6 million of those children may qualify for public health coverage but are not enrolled for coveage.

Since 1997, the U.S. State Children's Health Insurance Program has provided health insurance to low-income children who are not eligible for Medicaid and do not have private coverage.

Health Insurance - Pennsylvania Health Insurance Reform Plan

A Pennsylvania health insurance reform plan adopted by the state House could cover almost 300,000 uninsured Pennsylvania residents affordably within 10 years

The Access to Basic Care program passed by the House, known as the PA ABC bill, utilizes private health insurance companies and offers health insurance coverage to eligible small businesses and low to middle income families. An estimated 767,000 adults are uninsured in Pennsylvania.

Adults without health insurance in Pennsylvania regardless of employment status will be able to buy health insurance on a first-come, first-served basis through the ABC program.

Total program costs would begin at just $501 million during fiscal year 2009 and would reach nearly $1.4 billion by fiscal year 2018.