Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Premium Spikes Loom, White House To Dole Out $22M For States To Keep Insurers In Check
The Hill: White House Urges States To Resist ObamaCare Hikes
The White House is urging states to be more aggressive against health insurance companies as it looks to prevent expected and widespread premium hikes of 10 percent or more this year. The federal health department announced Wednesday that it will dole out about $22 million to boost state-level "rate reviews," considered one of the strongest weapons against premium increases. Under the system, health insurers are required to justify rate increases to state insurance departments, some of which have the power to reject “unreasonable” increases. With the new funding, federal health officials hope states can hire outside insurance experts to dig deeper into the proposed rates and prove the hikes are unjustified. (Ferris 6/15)
The Hill: GOP ObamaCare Replacement Will Leave Out Key Dollar Figures
House Republicans’ ObamaCare replacement plan will not include specific dollar figures on some of its core provisions, and will instead be more of a broad outline, according to lobbyists and aides. The plan, set to be released next week, will include a tax credit to help people afford insurance and a cap on the current exclusion of employer-based health insurance plans from taxation. However, it will not include specific dollar amounts on how large the tax credit would be, nor will it note which employer health insurance plans would be subject to taxation, lobbyists and aides said. (Sullivan, 6/15)
In other news, the health law is shifting the business model of family planning clinics —
KQED: Why Stand-Alone Family Planning Clinics Struggle To Survive In Age Of Obamacare
For free checkups, testing, treatment and contraceptives, (Mary-Michael) Watts has referred hundreds of students — many of whom are low income — to the New Generation Health Center, about a mile from Mission High. ... So Watts and her young patients were shocked to learn that New Generation was supposed to close down in July due to financial troubles. ... New Generation’s troubles stem in part from the very specialization in reproductive health that has made it such a valuable resource for young patients in the Mission District, say experts. They contend that the Affordable Care Act has changed the business model for clinics like this, forcing most to transform by adding primary care services or merging with other health centers in order to remain competitive. (Romero, 6/15)
