Department of Health and Human Services

• House Republicans Pressure HHS on MLR Issue

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  December 7, 2011

  House Republicans today sought to put new pressure on the Department of Health and Human Services over the medical loss ratio issue.

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  Agents Push Back on MLR After HHS Setback

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  December 5, 2011

  Independent insurance agents and healthcare agents say they will continue to pursue their goal of a medical loss ratio exemption despite a recent rejection of their request by the Department of Health and Human Services

• HHS Rejects NAIC MLR Request

  By Elizabeth Festa & Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  December 2, 2011

  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ request for an exemption from the medical loss ratio provisions of the healthcare reform law for insurance agents has been rejected.

• NAIC Resolution Supports Excluding Agent Commissions from MLR

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  November 23, 2011

  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners late Tuesday approved a resolution asking both the Department of Health and Human Services and Congress to act promptly to exempt insurance agents from the medical loss ratio provision of the healthcare reform law.

• The Council: PPACA Confusing & Raising Costs

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  October 14, 2011

  Speaking for the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, an insurance broker says certain provisions of the healthcare-reform law are raising healthcare costs, creating uncertainty among employers, and costing agents and brokers industry jobs

• Trade Groups Lay Out Legislative Agendas Beyond Flood Extension

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  September 2, 2011

  While insurance trade groups cite the flood program extension as their top priority this legislative session, they also plan to push for differentiating insurers from banks in the eyes of lawmakers and regulators, among some other key industry issues.

• Joel Ario Leaving HHS Health Exchange Job

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  August 3, 2011

  Joel Ario, former Pennsylvania insurance commisioner and head of the federal office that coordinates development of health insurance exchanges, is leaving

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  Humana v. GlaxoSmithKline Verdict: Why Casualty Insurers Should Care

  By Kathryn Bucher , Laura Foggan, A. Xavier Baker  |  July 28, 2011

  Last month, a U.S. district court joined a growing number of federal courts in rejecting a Medicare Advantage plan’s assertion of a federal private right of action against casualty insurers under the Medicare Secondary Payer laws.

• NAIC Drops Support Of MLR-Exemption Bill

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  July 21, 2011

  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has decided an indirect, behind-the-scenes approach to reducing the strain on health-insurance agents through the medical-loss ratio (MLR) provision will be most effective.

• NAIC Drops Support for Agent MLR Exemption

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  July 12, 2011

  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners today dropped its support for exempting insurance agents’ commissions from the medical loss ratio provision of the healthcare reform law.

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  Insurance Coalition Challenges CMS on Medicare Second Payer Reg

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  July 5, 2011

  Property and casualty insurers want federal regulators to re-examine rules allowing Medicare to be reimbursed for medical claims that are at least partially covered by private-insurance coverage such as workers’ compensation and auto.

• Could Promoting Efficiency Negatively Affect Med-Mal Insurers?

  By Mark E. Ruquet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  June 15, 2011

  One aspect of healthcare reform promotes the formation of provider organizations aimed at improving the quality of care and cost, but medical-malpractice insurers worry it could have a negative impact on their business, a recent broker’s report suggests.

• NAIC Panel Seeks More Info Before Backing Agent MLR Exemption

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  March 28, 2011

  State insurance regulators Sunday delayed for at least four weeks action on a resolution that would support the demand by insurance agents for an exemption from the medical loss ratio provision of the health care reform law.

• PIA Readies For Capitol Hill Summit

  By Staff Writer  |  March 13, 2011

  The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents said it will hold its annual 2011 PIA Federal Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. on March 30-31.

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  Dodd-Frank Should Be ‘Rally Cry’ For State Regulatory Reform

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  March 10, 2011

  State regulators and legislators are in a “new paradigm” as a result the Dodd-Frank financial services reform law, “certainly having at least a new cousin in the federal government,” industry officials said last week.

• HHS To Fund States For Reviewing HC Rate Hikes

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  February 25, 2011

  The Department of Health and Human Services will be providing $199 million to states to help defray the cost of reviewing health insurance premium rate increases of more than 10 percent.