Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Look At How The Health Law Marketplaces Are Faring As Open Enrollment Nears
USA Today: Obamacare: As 2019 Open Enrollment Nears, Signs Of Trouble, Progress
The latest health insurance data gives new ammunition to the Trump administration as it touts the latest bad news on Obamacare, but supporters of the law say there are positive signs for the state and federal marketplaces as 2019 open enrollment nears. A study out Thursday showed the number of uninsured people increased in 2017 for the first time since the Affordable Care Act exchanges opened in 2013. Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported 2.5 million people left the Obamacare health insurance exchanges between 2016 and 2018. (O'Donnell, 8/19)
In other insurance news —
WBUR: Report Aims To Reduce Uninsured In Mass. By Highlighting Hotspots
Massachusetts has the lowest rates of uninsured residents in the U.S. But the average, 2.8%, masks some big differences. Thirty communities in Massachusetts have no uninsured residents, while 137 communities have uninsured rates that range from 3.4% to 25.8%, according to a report released by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. (Bebinger, 8/20)
