■ Late last month, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals gave Hobby Lobby a temporary reprieve from the birth control convenience item mandate. Last Friday, "U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton ... stayed the case until Oct. 1 to give the federal government time to consider filing an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court." So for now, at least, the owners of Hobby Lobby can enjoy their 1st Amendment rights (until SCOTUS rules it a tax, one supposes).
■ FoIB Holly R alerts us that Anthem Blue Cross will not be participating in the California small business health insurance Exchange:
"The company said it still intends to sell policies outside of the small-business exchange ... so its decision to stay out of the exchange could hamper the state's ability to make the marketplace attractive to businesses."
What does this mean? It means that Golden State businesses will have even fewer SHOP choices than they'd thought. Less competition means higher prices (compared to off-Exchange plans).
Econ 101.
■ And speaking of fewer choices:
"Nearly half of America’s brokers (45 percent) say they’re considering exiting the health insurance business altogether, with the majority (51 percent) saying they are only slightly or not at all confident about the future of their firm and their industry"
So if you like your agent, you can keep your agent.
Or not.
■ FoIB Holly R alerts us that Anthem Blue Cross will not be participating in the California small business health insurance Exchange:
"The company said it still intends to sell policies outside of the small-business exchange ... so its decision to stay out of the exchange could hamper the state's ability to make the marketplace attractive to businesses."
What does this mean? It means that Golden State businesses will have even fewer SHOP choices than they'd thought. Less competition means higher prices (compared to off-Exchange plans).
Econ 101.
■ And speaking of fewer choices:
"Nearly half of America’s brokers (45 percent) say they’re considering exiting the health insurance business altogether, with the majority (51 percent) saying they are only slightly or not at all confident about the future of their firm and their industry"
So if you like your agent, you can keep your agent.
Or not.
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