Calif. Weighs Giving Consumers Facing Tax Penalty New Chance To Enroll In Health Plans
Meanwhile, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber's resignation has provided a Republican-controlled congressional panel with a fresh opportunity to examine what went wrong with the state exchange. Other developments are tracked in California, Maryland, Minnesota and Missouri.
Los Angeles Times:
Covered California May Offer Special Obamacare Enrollment Period
California's health exchange, after notching 1.4 million in Obamacare enrollment as of Sunday's deadline, said it may give uninsured people subject to a tax penalty yet another chance to sign up. In addition, the Covered California exchange granted applicants until this Sunday to finish enrolling in case they ran into long lines or computer glitches. That matches what the federal marketplace is doing in 37 other states. California had previously offered an extension till Friday. (Terhune and Karlamangla, 2/17)
The Washington Post:
Kitzhaber’s Resignation Invites New Scrutiny Over Oregon’s Disastrous Health Care Exchange
House Republicans are using the resignation of embattled Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) to reexamine one of the most troubled state-based health care exchanges in the country. In a letter to Kitzhaber’s office sent Friday, Republican members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asked Kitzhaber’s administration to produce documents related to Cover Oregon. ... Cover Oregon was one of the most flawed state-based exchanges set up after passage of the Affordable Care Act. The state spent more than $240 million on outside contractors who built the site, mostly through lead contractor Oracle. But it flopped so badly that state officials decided last year to scrap it entirely and route Oregonians looking for health insurance through the federal HealthCare.gov Web site. (Wilson, 2/17)
The Baltimore Sun:
Twice As Many Get Private Insurance Through Md. Health Exchange
The number of people who bought private health plans on the Maryland exchange set up under health reform doubled from last year. Private plans were bought by 119,096 people during the three-month open enrollment that ended Sunday, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange said Tuesday. Last year, about 63,000 bought private plans during open enrollment. (McDaniels, 2/17)
Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Legislative Auditor: 'We Think MNsure Performed Badly'
An expansive new study that chronicles MNsure’s troubled debut concludes that failures outweighed achievements in the health insurance exchange’s first year. (Snowbeck and Olson, 2/17)
Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Audit Into Troubled Launch Lacks Input From Former MNsure Chief
An exhaustive state legislative audit on the start-up problems with Minnesota’s health insurance exchange lacked contributions from a key source — the executive director who had been in charge. (Olson and Snowbeck, 2/17)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Legislative Auditor Rips MNsure Leaders For Troubled Launch
Minnesota Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles on Tuesday ripped MNsure and its leadership for bungling the launch of the health insurance exchange. (Richert, 2/17)
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Health Plan Complaints Dominated Missouri Insurance Issues Last Year
More Missourians complained about health insurance than any other type of coverage last year, state regulators announced this week. About 1,600 residents filed complaints with the state insurance department against their health insurer last year. That's a considerable jump from 2013's total of about 900 health-related grievances. (Shapiro, 2/17)
