Health Insurance Costs Rise Faster Than Wages
By Maggie Fox - Health and Science Correspondent - 09-28-2004
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Health insurance premiums for workers are rising around three times faster than their wages, and health costs eat up a quarter of earnings for more than 14 million Americans, according to a survey on Tuesday.

Court limits HMO suits over care denial
Supreme Court rejects malpractice cases based on state laws
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:25 p.m. ET June 21, 2004
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court said Monday that patients who claim their HMOs wouldn't pay for recommended medical care cannot sue for big malpractice damages, removing a weapon that trial lawyers and patient rights advocates said was crucial to keep the insurers honest.

$200 job tax credit for Colorado employer health insurance. In order to encourage employer-sponsored health insurance plans, a taxpayer with a qualifying new business facility is allowed a two-year $200 tax credit for each new business facility employee who is insured under a qualifying employer-sponsored health insurance program. For more information on the $200 job tax credit for employer health insurance, see the Department of Revenue FYI Income 10, New Business Facility Jobs Credits.

Reality: During 1999, an estimated 42 million people in the United States lacked health insurance coverage (Mills, 2000). This number represents about 15 percent of a total population of 274 million persons. According to Census Bureau statistics, the number of Americans under age 65 without health insurance grew from 39 million (17 percent of the population under age 65) in 1994 to 44 million (18 percent) in 1998, before falling to 42 million (17 percent) in 1999 (Source: Fromstein, 2000d).

By 2020, the number of people living with chronic conditions is expected to rise to 157 million and direct medical costs are expected to double to more than $1 trillion (80 percent of the nation's health care spending). Source: Partnership for Solutions - Chronic Conditions: Trends and Projections, 2001
   

If you are aware of a News Item that may be helpful to our readership, please provide it for consideration via our ... Submission Form.

The links listed herein are not maintained by Insurance Matters, Inc. They are provided as a service to visitors and Insurance Matters, Inc is not responsible for the content of these sites. You agree to access these links at your own risk; and Insurance Matters, Inc. makes no representations or warranties about the content, completeness or accuracy of these links or the sites linked to their sites. The inclusion of any link to a third-party site does not necessarily imply endorsement by Insurance matters, Inc. of that site.