Health Insurance Blog

For many American families, COBRA coverage is still too expensive even with the current COBRA subsidy which is temporarily in place.  The COBRA subsidy program pays 65% of the monthly premiums for up to 15 months, but still can require a substantial monthly expense, as the average family of four still pays on average $389 per month even with the subsidy.

A recent report by eHealthinsurance.com found that in twenty states, families could save $600 per year ($50/mo) by purchasing a family health insurance plan as oppose to opting for the COBRA coverage.  Even with the subsidy!

The twenty states that were found to offer the affordable health insurance identified in the report include:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Despite the fiscal crisis being experienced nationwide, 14 states found money this year to increase health insurance coverage for an additional 250,000 children nationwide.

The states took advantage of $33 Million that was appropriated by Congress when it reauthorized the Children’s health insurance program (CHIP) back in February.

the 14 states that are expanding their children’s health insurance programs inlcude: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and West Virginia

Since 2008, at least 21 other states have had to cut state sponsored health programs due to financial woes.  In addition the recession has caused at least 15 states to make cuts to Medicaid Programs during 2010-2011, and 8 states have made cuts to Medicaid benefits for 2009

Insurancejournal.com reports that The Arkansas Department of Health which launched ARHealth Network in 2006, and has recently expanded the enrollment cap to 50,000, although only 5,000 low-income Arkansas residents have enrolled in the plan to date.  This isn’t the first time The Arkansas Department of Health has been disappointed with the acceptance of a health program put in place for the uninsured, last year the Arkansas Rx (drug discount plan) was scrapped for that very reason.

The Department of Health is now considering allowing the self-employed participate in the ARHealth Network Program, which was previous only available to workers at companies with between 2 and 500 full-time employees, whose companies did not offer a employer sponsored health plan within the past 12 months.

For more information about Arkansas health insurance.