A weekly round-up of health insurance in the news on the insurance blog. Learn more about what major news outlets are saying about health insurance in the news now.
A weekly round-up of health insurance in the news:
Kids Get to Keep Parents Health Insurance
The Wall Street Journal reports that Florida’s governor promises to back legislation that will allow kids to stay on their parents’ insurance policies until they are 30. 17 states have passed laws that allow kids stay on their parents’ insurance policies until they are in 20’s in the last two years. More than 13 million people between 19 and 29 don’t have health insurance.
Americans Hide DNA Test Results to Get Best Prices on Health Insurance
A growing number of people aren’t getting DNA tests that could tell them a lot about their predispositions towards certain medical conditions because they’re worried they won’t be able to get affordable healthcare coverage, says the New York Times. In other cases, people get the DNA tests but pay for the expensive exams on their own, so they won’t be reported to their healthcare insurance companies.
Health Net Sued for Allegedly Denying Too Many Claims
Health Net is being sued for allegedly promising to provide coverage for medical expenses but then cancelling insurance policies of insureds who needed expensive medical treatment. The lawsuit claims the company had goals and bonus payments for employees who saved Health Net the most money through denying claims.
Fat Tax Levied on Obese Insureds in the UK
Insurance companies in the UK are levying a “fat tax” on overweight insureds. Insurance premiums for customers who are “seriously overweight” could be 50% higher than their skinnier counterparts, according to reports. The increased cost for health insurance will apply to people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
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