Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abbreviated Enrollment Period Ends Today For Federal Exchanges, Some States
The Associated Press: At Crunch Time For Health Sign-Ups, Hold Times Are Growing
President Donald Trump's administration says it is trying to accommodate consumers as hold times grow for those seeking to enroll in insurance under the federal health care law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday that some callers to HealthCare.gov are being asked to leave their contact information. A spokeswoman says operators will call them back and they'll be able to get coverage effective Jan. 1. (12/14)
The Hill: ObamaCare Expected To Suffer Enrollment Decline As Trump Cuts Timeframe
Fewer people are expected to sign up for ObamaCare coverage ahead of Friday’s deadline to enroll in the exchanges. The Trump administration’s abbreviated enrollment period has left advocates acknowledging the numbers are almost surely going to be lower than the 9.2 million who signed up on HealthCare.gov at the end of the last open enrollment season. (Roubein and Hellmann, 12/14)
California Healthline: Oh, That Deadline? Doesn’t Apply To California
Don’t be fooled, Californians. Despite what you may be seeing or hearing about a Dec. 15 enrollment deadline, you still have more than six weeks to choose or switch your Affordable Care Act health plans. It’s true that Americans who live in the 39 states that rely on the federal health insurance marketplace, healthcare.gov, face a final deadline Friday to sign up for plans. But Californians who buy their own insurance via the private market or the state health insurance exchange, Covered California, have a three-month open enrollment period that ends Jan. 31, 2018. (Ibarra, 12/15)
San Jose Mercury News: Covered California Extends Deadline For Plans Starting Jan. 1
Responding to a strong surge in demand, Covered California on Thursday announced that anyone who still hasn’t enrolled in a 2018 health insurance plan on the individual market now has until Dec. 22 to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1. ... While open enrollment ends for most states on Friday, Californians have until Jan. 31, 2018, to sign up. (Seipel, 12/14)
Denver Post: Friday Is Deadline In Colorado To Buy Health Insurance That Starts Jan. 1
In Colorado, people shopping for health insurance on the individual market use Connectforhealthco.com to pick a plan that comes with tax credits provided under the Affordable Care Act. While Friday is the deadline to buy a plan that starts Jan. 1, open enrollment in Colorado lasts until Jan. 12. That’s because Colorado gained greater autonomy when it chose to set up its own health insurance exchange, rather that going with the federal Healthcare.gov. (Ingold, 12/14)
Concord (N.H.) Monitor: Shortened Enrollment Period Likely To Result In Few N.H. Signups
The numbers paint a contrast. By late December 2016, the end of the enrollment period, New Hampshire had seen 35,000 people choose individual marketplace plans, according to figures by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As of Dec. 9 this year, a week before the deadline, that number hovered around 25,000.Now, with the new midnight Dec. 15 deadline approaching, officials assisting with signup efforts say enthusiasm can only take the numbers so far. (DeWitt, 12/15)
Miami Herald: Florida Obamacare Deadline Extended To Dec. 31
The deadline to enroll in an Affordable Care Act plan is Friday, but most Florida residents will qualify for an extension until Dec. 31 to sign up for coverage through the healthcare.gov insurance exchange because of damage caused by Hurricane Irma. A special enrollment period for Floridians kicked in after the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared all of the state’s 67 counties eligible for assistance as a result of Irma, which made landfall in South Florida on Sept. 10. (Chang, 12/14)
Orlando Sentinel: Obamacare Open Enrollment Ends On Friday
Florida is leading the nation with more than 1 million people signing up for health insurance in the federal marketplace since open enrollment began Nov. 1, according to numbers released by the Trump administration this week. Nationwide, almost 4.7 million people have signed up for a plan this year, which is 17 percent more than the same time last year. (Miller, 12/14)
Boston Globe: Deadline Looms For Health Connector Signups
With a deadline looming next week, officials at the state’s health insurance exchange are urging residents to enroll in coverage for 2018 as uncertainty around federal health care policy continues to swirl. So far, more than 260,000 people have selected plans or have been auto-enrolled in coverage through the Massachusetts Health Connector. (Dayal McCluskey, 12/14)
Dallas Morning News: Haven't Purchased A Health Plan Yet? Here's What Texans Need To Know By Friday
The deadline to shop for a health insurance plan on the federal marketplace is here, and so far more than 579,000 Texans have purchased insurance on healthcare.gov. While that’s nearly 30 percent higher than the sign-up rate this time last year, one reason the pace might be accelerated is because the period to enroll in 2018 plans is 45 days shorter this year. Most Texans have until Friday to shop on the federal marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. Indeed, despite a tumultuous year of back-and-forth debate and various failed attempts by Republicans to repeal or replace the Obama-era health law, it remains in effect. (Rice, 12/14)
