Obama announces grace period plan for canceled insurance policies
adminHealth, News, Top StoriesComments Off on Obama announces grace period plan for canceled insurance policies
The Associated Press
President Obama announced Thursday morning that he will support a plan that allows Americans to keep insurance policies that would otherwise be canceled under the Affordable Care Act. People will be able to keep insurance coverage that doesn’t meet standard Obamacare mandates until a transition can be made.
“The policy also would require insurance companies, if they extend such policies, to notify customers that alternative policies might be available under the government exchange and to tell them what benefits they wouldn’t be getting if they remained with their current plan”.
The announcement comes after people began receiving policy change and cancellation notices when Obamacare went into effect on Oct. 1, despite the president’s claims that those who were happy with their insurance plans could keep them under the law.
Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that Obama should honor that promise.
“I personally believe even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those and let them keep what they got,” he said in an interview with Ozy magazine.
During the announcement, Obama said 106,000 have enrolled since the Healthcare.gov marketplace opened despite problems. He said isn’t happy with the problems and the administration has been “working 24/7” to resolve the issues.
He also acknowledged the concern of those who plans have been canceled or changed.
“I completely get how upsetting this could be for those Americans,” he said.
“If you received one of these letters I encourage you to take a look at the marketplace even if the website isn’t working as it should,” he said. According to him the plan comparison tool is “working just fine.”
He said he is willing to work with Congress to fix the problem, but won’t accept plans that put the American people back into what he called a “broken” healthcare system.
“We’re going to get it right and the Affordable Care Act is going to work for the American people,” he said.
Myrlie Evers-Williams says people praised her poise after her husband, Mississippi NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers, was assassinated 50 years ago in the state. But she says she struggled with wanting revenge.
Evers-Williams, 79, said at a prayer luncheon Thursday in Jackson that her faith helped her find peace, and her daughter once reminded her that Medgar Evers had taught people not to hate.
Now, Evers-Williams said: “I am proud to be a Mississippian. And I dare anyone to challenge me on that point.” […]
First lady Michelle Obama and Food Network star Rachael Ray visited about 400 students at Northside and Eastside Elementary Schools in Clinton Wednesday in celebration of the third anniversary of Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign.
As part of the celebration, Mrs. Obama highlighted change happening across the country to keep children healthy – from new school lunches nationwide to localities where the childhood obesity rate is declining.
Mrs. Obama praised these changes, and called on leaders from across the nation to keep working to improve our children’s health. […]
The Mississippi Link Newswire
V. Lynn Evans of Memphis was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. The confirmation was approved on January 1, 2013 before the close of the 112th Congress. Evans, a native of Anguilla, Mississippi (Sharkey County) is the daughter of Bettie Evans the late King T. Evans…. […]