Burwell: No Evidence Of Fraudulent Obamacare Enrollments
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell testified on Capitol Hill to respond to a preliminary report by the Government Accountability Office that detailed how investigators were able to sign up for coverage and qualify for subsidies with phony information. Also in the news, Wheaton College will take a stand against the health law's contraception mandate by ceasing to provide health insurance to students.
Modern Healthcare:
HHS: No Evidence Of Fraudulent Healthcare.gov Enrollment
HHS is not aware of any consumers intentionally falsifying information to get subsidies for insurance exchange coverage, Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell testified Tuesday at a hearing. Her testimony came days after the Government Accountability Office issued a preliminary report that documented how its investigators were able to sign up for coverage, get insurance subsidies and re-enroll with made-up information. (Dickson, 7/28)
The Chicago Tribune:
Wheaton College Ends Coverage Amid Fight Against Birth Control Mandate
Taking a firm stand against Obamacare's controversial contraception mandate, Wheaton College on Friday will stop providing any health insurance for students. The decision, announced to students July 10, will halt health care coverage for about a quarter of the college's 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, forcing them to shop for other plans just weeks before their coverage ends. (Pashman, 7/28)
And a JAMA study offers positive news about the health law's impact to date -
USA Today:
Obamacare Reduces Uninsured Rates, Improves Access To Care, Study Finds
Since the Affordable Care Act took effect, fewer Americans lack health insurance or have trouble getting the care and medicines they need, a study released Tuesday says. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the number of Americans who reported being uninsured dropped 7.9 percentage points by the first quarter of this year. Minorities saw the biggest reductions — with uninsured rates among Latinos, for example, dropping by 11.9 percentage points. (Ungar, 7/28)
Reuters:
Americans Report Improved Health, Better Healthcare: Study
Americans are reporting improved health and better healthcare two years after health insurance became available under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study of more than 500,000 Americans found improvements in insurance coverage, access to primary care and prescription medicine, affordable healthcare and overall health since late 2013. (Seaman, 7/29)