Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
ACA Enrollment Opens With Hefty Subsidies Still Available For Many
AP: Low Costs Expected To Keep Obamacare Interest High
Millions of Americans can begin selecting their 2023 health insurance plans on HealthCare.gov on Tuesday, as the Biden administration pushes to keep the number of uninsured Americans at a record low. Those searching for coverage will largely be shielded from an increase in costs because of the extension of the generous subsidies that began last year as part of Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief law and drove a big increase in enrollment. (Seitz, 10/31)
Axios: ACA Sign-Ups Begin With Millions Likely To Duck Big Premium Hikes
Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage begins today, with enhanced subsidies that Congress renewed through 2025 expected to cushion the blow of premium increases for millions of Americans. (Dreher, 11/1)
KHN: This Open Enrollment Season, Look Out For Health Insurance That Seems Too Good To Be True
Complaints about misleading health insurance marketing are soaring. State insurance commissioners are taking notice. They’ve created a shared internal database to monitor questionable business practices, and, in the future, they hope to provide a public-facing resource for consumers. In the meantime, consumers should shop wisely as open enrollment season begins. (Sable-Smith, 11/1)
Fox Business: Obamacare Call Center Workers Plan Strike For First Day Of Open Enrollment
Hundreds of call center workers trained to field Americans' questions about ObamaCare health insurance coverage are planning to walk off the job on the first day of Affordable Care Act open enrollment Tuesday in a protest aimed at seeking higher pay and better working conditions from their private-sector employer. A public relations firm representing the workers said in a media advisory that more than 650 employees of Maximus, a federal contractor that operates call centers serving the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), have pledged to strike at facilities in Bogalusa, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; London, Kentucky; and Chester, Virginia, on Nov. 1 when "call volume drastically increases." (Dumas, 10/31)
And on Medicare enrollment —
Axios: Medicare Expands Special Enrollment Periods For Extenuating Circumstances
People who miss Medicare's open enrollment next year because of extenuating circumstances will get a special sign-up period to ensure continuous coverage under a rule finalized Friday. (Goldman, 10/31)
