Over at ProPublica, they recently learned what we at Consumerist have known since 2008: when you’re having customer service trouble, sometimes the best way to use alternate means to get the attention of someone who can help you. Propublica discovered that some consumers are using Twitter to navigate the intensely personal and deeply confusing world of health insurance. [More]
obamacare
Trader Joe’s Gets Rid Of Health Insurance Benefit For Part-Timers
By 9.13.13
At first glance, this story has a scary headline: Trader Joe’s is yanking health insurance away from many employees because of Obamacare. That is what’s happening, but leaves out that yes, workers are losing their coverage…because the Affordable Care Act means that adults whose jobs don’t provide health insurance but who are well above the poverty line will have access to reasonably priced insurance through state exchanges. [More]
Health Insurance Marketplace Goes Live Oct. 1, But Most Don’t Have A Clue What That Means
By 8.28.13
Unless you’ve had wool stuffed in your ears you might’ve heard the words “Affordable Care Act” bandied about for a while now. And starting Oct. 1, open-enrollment season officially begins for people to purchase insurance coverage. But what does that even mean? If you don’t know, you’re not alone: According to a new poll, 51% of Americans say they don’t understand how that will affect them or their families. [More]
If Someone Calls To Sell You Insurance For Obamacare, Hang Up And Call The FTC
By 8.20.13
While we’re starting to hear more about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act now that there are only a few months left until the health insurance mandate is in place and all Americans are supposed to have coverage. What you should know and remind the people you care about, though, is that no one is supposed to call you up to sell you any kind of special insurance. [More]
Forever 21: Decision To Cut Staffers’ Hours Was Made “Independent Of Affordable Care Act”
By 8.20.13
Forever 21 is facing a bit of social media blowback after a memo reportedly leaked online, detailing its plans to reduce “a number of full-time non management positions” like stock associates and sales associates to 29.5 hours or fewer starting this week. Some critics are accusing the company of doing so to avoid providing health care coverage to full-time employees under the impending Affordable Care Act mandate. [More]
Federal Judge Strikes Down Health Care Reform Bill
By 2.1.11
Health care reform legislation lost a significant court battle Monday when a U.S. District Court judge in Florida ruled that the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is void after finding that the portion of the law that requires people to buy health insurance is unconstitutional. [More]
Do Not Buy Insurance Called 'ObamaCare'
By 8.30.10
Con artists went door-to-door in California selling senior citizens fake health care policies called “ObamaCare,” threatening that they’d have to go to jail unless they paid up. The unfortunate marks fell victim to a con, unaware that the actual jail-threatening ObamaCare peddlers will be wearing official Star Wars stormtrooper uniforms and won’t be hitting the streets until well after the midterm elections. [More]
