News For: Western Pa Individual health InsuranceHealth insurance premiums jump 5 pct this year U.S. health insurance premiums rose 5 percent on average this year and more companies shifted an additional share of the cost to workers, an annual survey of businesses said on Wednesday. Health insurance costs grow more gradually in 2008 Health insurance premiums rose a modest 5 percent this year for coverage that's getting skimpier, researchers say. The 5 percent increase was comparable to last year's uptick. Health insurance coverage of mental illnesses gets push Congress on Tuesday moved close to final approval of a bill that would require group health insurance plans to provide more generous coverage for treatment of mental illnesses, comparable to what they already provide for physical illnesses. The Senate approved the legislation as part of a tax bill promoting the use of alternative fuels, including wind and solar power. The bill, passed by a vote ... The number: 63#x25 Government-guaranteed health insurance Nearly two-thirds of Americans 63% favor a government guarantee of universal health insurance, even if it means raising taxes; 34% are opposed. Democrats continue to be the most supportive of government-guaranteed health insurance ��� 79% of Democrats, including 85% of liberal Democrats, favor it. Study: Hoosier health insurance rises 7 times faster than income The cost of health insurance climbed faster than median wages in Indiana in the first eight years of the decade, a report released Tuesday by nonprofit group Families USA states. Michele Swenson: Like On Wall Street, Current Health Care Policy Privatizes Profit And Socializes Risk The excesses of the health insurance industry resemble those of Wall Street and the subprime housing market, typified by privatized profits for insurers and socialized risk for taxpayers and consumers. Rising health insurance costs outpace income: report WASHINGTON Wisconsin workers who have trimmed family budgets to pay health insurance premiums already know the costs have risen, but they may be shocked to learn by how much. Grimes proposes insurance plan HELENA - Republican state auditor candidate Duane Grimes has proposed a five-point plan he says will control "skyrocketing health insurance costs" in Montana, including changes for the popular Insure Montana program for small businesses. Weigh options when deciding on health insurance if unemployed If you���ve recently lost your job, or are soon to be unemployed, you���re going to want to know what your health insurance options are. As health-care premiums rise, workers at smaller firms feel pinch Premiums for job-based health insurance are up 5 percent in 2008 and have more than doubled since 1999, a growth rate that far outpaces inflation and the increase in workers' wages over the same period, according to an annual survey of employers. Meanwhile, a growing number of workers at smaller firms are getting less coverage for their money as health plans with high deductibles and fewer ... |




