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Wall Street Journal Examines Group Health Insurance Policies As Option For Uninsured
People who no longer have health insurance because of a job loss, voluntary retirement or other reasons have begun obtaining health coverage through the "little-known" option of group coverage, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, the option is especially beneficial for people with pre-existing conditions to whom some insurers deny coverage. Federal law requires group policies to cover pre-existing conditions provided a person has not been uninsured for more than 63 days.To qualify for group coverage, an individual, a couple or a small group of people must provide evidence of ownership of an actual business, which could include freelance, contract or consulting work. Industry experts note that rules vary between states. In addition, group coverage could cost more than individual coverage, according to the Journal. The Journal reports that insurance companies might add extra fees for smaller groups. The smallest groups, sometimes of two or three people, can face surcharges of about 30% more than what larger groups pay, according to insurance broker Rick Martin.According to the Journal, it is unclear how many business owners currently are eligible for group coverage. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicate that about one-third of the four million uninsured U.S. residents between ages 55 and 64 are self-employed, the Journal reports (Greene, Wall Street Journal, 5/27).
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Change4Life Corner Shops To Open Across The Country, UK
Corner shops nationwide will get help from Change4Life to sell fruit and veg - this will mean more people will get their 5 a day and shops will see an increase in profits, Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham said today.
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New Survey Shows Americans Strongly Support Guaranteed Dental Coverage In Healthcare Reform
Nearly 2 in 3 U.S. adults (63%) think that it is important that dental coverage is part of an overall health reform package, and 40 percent say it is very important, according to a new public opinion survey commissioned by Oral Health America. The survey, sponsored by the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, and conducted by Harris Interactive(R), was released today at the launch of National Smile Month, the largest independent international campaign promoting good dental care including brushing, regular dental visits, and healthy food choices as well as the need for effective oral healthcare policies.
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Health Reform: Good For Small Business, According To President's Economic Advisors

A report from President Obama"s Council of Economic Advisers finds that "health care reform would be good for small businesses because it would enable them to obtain better insurance coverage for less money," The Denver Business Journal writes. "Small businesses pay up to 18 percent more than large businesses do for the same coverage because of high broker fees, administrative costs and adverse selection, according to the CEA"s report." Christina Romer, chair of the CEA, "said the health care reform bills moving through Congress are specifically designed to address the burden the current health care system places on small businesses. The legislation would create insurance exchanges, where individuals and small businesses could "choose among a multitude of plans that would provide better coverage at lower costs than they could find in the current small group market," the report said." But, The Journal notes: "Many small business groups also doubt that health insurance would be cheaper under the House bills or the Senate HELP Committee bill. Including a government-run plan in the insurance exchange would undermine private insurers, ultimately driving premiums higher, they contend. Not all small businesses would be able to access the exchange. Plus, the bills call for the federal government to establish minimum coverage levels for insurance plans, which could be pricier than what small businesses now provide. (Hoover, 8/3). In other news, "after a couple of largely fruitless months talking up how retooling health care will squeeze hundreds of billions of dollars of savings from a broken system, the White House is recalibrating its message and emphasizing consumer-friendly aspects," CQ Politics reports. "Beginning Wednesday with a return trip to economically devastated Elkhart, Ind., the president and his proxies will launch a monthlong blitz of town hall meetings, grass-roots lobbying and television advertising designed to rally public support for quick votes on health plans in the House and Senate following the August congressional recess." A September address to Congress may also be in the works" (Bettelheim, 8/4). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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