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Wall Street Approving of Senate Health Care Reform Bill

By U.S. News & World Report

Investors certainly seem to like what they see from the new Senate health care bill. Shares of a number of high-profile insurers, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals traded higher on Thursday after the Senate revealed the details of its Affordable Care Act replacement.

Key provisions of the Senate bill are mostly in line with the initiatives of the House’s American Health Care Act. The Senate plan includes dramatically scaling back federal Medicaid funding, significantly reducing premium insurance subsidies for low-income Americans and eliminating tax penalties for uninsured Americans.

[See: 9 Most-Loved Stocks in the Trump White House.]

The bill also allows insurers to raise the maximum rates they charge older Americans to up to five times the rates they charge younger customers. Under the ACA, that ratio was capped at three times the rate.

The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Exchange-Traded Fund (ticker: XLV) climbed 1.1 percent on Thursday and is now up 4 percent in the past week. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index ETF ( IBB) also gained another 1 percent to bring its total weekly gain to 8.6 percent.

Insurance stocks traded higher on news that cost-sharing subsidies for low-income Americans won’t be eliminated for at least another two years under the Senate plan. Anthem ( ANTM), UnitedHealth Group ( UNH) and Humana ( HUM) are all up more than 2.6 percent in the past week.

[See: 11 Health Care Stocks for a Regular Dose of Income.]

Some of the biggest health care winners on Thursday were hospital stocks. Molina Healthcare ( MOH) was up 2.2 percent, HCA Holdings ( HCA) was up 2.4 percent and Acadia Healthcare Co. ( ACHC) was up 4.7 percent on the day. Hospitals could potentially lose millions of customers if insurance coverage is reduced.

The unveiling of the Senate bill is just the first step in what may be a difficult road ahead for Congressional Republicans. The next step in the process will be a report from the Congressional Budget Office early next week on the potential cost and impact of the new bill. The CBO found that the House’s AHCA would leave 23 million fewer Americans uninsured.

Finally, Republicans must secure the necessary votes to pass the bill. Three Republican Senators currently oppose the bill, according to CNN, which could potentially leave Republicans one vote shy of passage.

[See: 8 Ways President Donald Trump Will Affect Wall Street.]

The unpopularity of the House health care bill puts Senate Republicans in a difficult spot. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll recently found that the ACA now has a higher approval rating among Americans than the GOP House bill to replace it.

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Wall Street Approving of Senate Health Care Reform Bill originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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