Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anthem Reverses Course, Will Sell Plans On Individual Marketplace In Virginia
Reuters: Anthem To Sell Obamacare Health Plans In Virginia Counties That Don't Offer Them
U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc said on Friday it plans to sell Obamacare health plans in 68 cities and counties in Virginia next year, covering the only remaining U.S. counties that are currently without insurers offering the plans. Anthem said last month it was exiting the Obamacare market in the state, but reconsidered the move after no other insurer stepped up to cover most of Virginia's counties. (Erman and Humer, 9/15)
Bloomberg: Anthem Expands Obamacare Options In Virginia To Fill Gaps
Anthem had earlier said it would exit Virginia entirely next year, along with rivals Aetna Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (Edney and Tracer, 9/15)
The Hill: Insurer Anthem To Cover Bare ObamaCare Counties In Virginia
"Since learning that 63 counties and cities in Virginia would not have access to Individual health plans, Anthem has been engaged in further evaluation and discussion with regulators to ensure that no bare counties or cities exist in the state," Anthem said in a statement Friday. (Hellmann, 9/15)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Anthem Steps Back Into Individual Health Insurance Market In 68 Localities: Premiums To Rise 42 To 64 Percent
The monthly premiums for the new plans will increase by 42 to 64 percent, according to the company’s amended rate filing with the Bureau of Insurance. Those increases reflect higher medical costs and consumer use of services, as well as the expected return of a health insurance fee on Jan. 1. Before Anthem withdrew from the market, it had applied for premium increases ranging from 35 to 55 percent. (Martz, 9/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Anthem Reverses Decision To Pull Out Of ACA Exchange In Virginia
The decision is the latest twist in a continuing drama that has played out in states around the country, with state officials repeatedly—and, so far, successfully—scrambling to land insurers for potential bare patches on their ACA exchange maps. In addition to Virginia, states including Nevada, Ohio and Tennessee have managed to woo and cajole insurers to come in, after others decided to pull out, often citing uncertainty at the federal level about key aspects of the law. (Wilde Mathews, 9/15)
Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Obamacare Outreach Groups See Funding Slashed
The Trump administration is slashing funding for two organizations in Michigan that help residents navigate the complexities of signing up for and receiving benefits under the Affordable Care Act less than two months before enrollment begins. U.S. Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak, said this morning that Enroll Michigan, which provides funding to more than two dozen groups providing sign-up assistance, has been told its grant will be cut by 90%, from $1.2 million to less than $130,000 this year. (Spangler, 9/15)
Orlando Sentinel: Despite Cuts, Obamacare Navigators Gear Up For Nov. 1
The Trump administration cut the Affordable Care Act’s advertising budget, shortened the enrollment period to six weeks and reduced outreach by cutting the funding for in-person assisters. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office’s latest outlook projects an average 15 percent nationwide increase in premiums next year, although that won’t affect consumers who receive subsidies, which is the majority of enrollees in Florida. (Miller, 9/15)
And in other news —
Pioneer Press: Feds Still Considering Minnesota Proposal To Lower Insurance Rates As Time Running Out
Minnesota’s plan to lower health insurance premiums next year had just one little complication, but it’s threatening to turn into a big complication: It requires approval from the federal government. And with time running out, that approval still isn’t here. The $542 million proposal, called “reinsurance,” would keep premiums around 20 percentage points lower next year on the individual market than they’d otherwise be. That’s where the estimated 4 percent of Minnesotans without employer or government coverage get their insurance. But if the federal government doesn’t approve the plan — or waits too long to do so — many Minnesotans could pay thousands more per year for their coverage. (Montgomery, 9/18)
Nashville Tennessean: What's It Like To Be A Christian Scientist When The Country Is Laser Focused On Health Insurance?
Although they are free to seek medical care, many Christian Scientists do not. Still, the Affordable Care Act affects them. Unlike the Amish and some Mennonites, they are required under Obamacare's individual mandate to either buy health insurance or pay an annual tax penalty. The Boston-based denomination, which includes 1,400 churches worldwide and eight in Tennessee, lobbied for an exemption, but the effort failed. (Meyer, 9/15)
