Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Changes To ACA Marketplaces Likely To Tamp Down Enrollment
The Hill: ObamaCare Enrollment Unlikely To Increase In 2019
Enrollment in ObamaCare plans is unlikely to increase next year as the Trump administration provides an escape hatch for people who say they have been priced out of coverage. The repeal of the penalty for not having insurance and the administration’s expansion of cheaper, slimmed-down plans that don’t meet ObamaCare’s requirements could cause more people to leave the exchanges when the sign-up period starts Thursday, according to health experts. The administration will also fund fewer local groups this year that help people enroll. (Hellmann, 10/30)
Kaiser Health News: With One Hand, Administration Boosts ACA Marketplaces, Weakens Them With Another
In the span of less than 12 hours, the Trump administration took two seemingly contradictory actions that could have profound effects on the insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act. ... Both efforts play into the parallel narratives dominating the bitter political debate over the ACA. (Appleby, 10/30)
Pioneer Press: 2019 MNsure Open Enrollment Begins On Thursday
The 2019 MNsure open enrollment period begins Thursday. Starting at 7 a.m. Nov. 1, Minnesotans can log on to the MNsure website and enroll. For those who want coverage that begins Jan. 1, they must enroll by Dec. 15. Open enrollment runs until Jan. 13. MNsure is a Minnesota-made health insurance marketplace created in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. At MNsure.org, Minnesotans can compare plans from multiple companies and estimate out-of-pocket costs. Current enrollees can check to see if their 2018 plan will be available in 2019 and also compare plans from multiple companies to look at premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. (10/29)
Houston Chronicle: Plan Choices Mostly Unchanged As ACA Enrollment Opens Thursday
The landscape for Houston individual exchange plans is mostly unchanged from a year ago, something supporters say is a tribute to the adhesiveness of a health care law that has been under attack from the moment it was passed in 2010. Last year there was one more plan offered for a total of 34 but the number of insurers in Houston remains unchanged in 2019 at four. They are: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Community Health Choice, Molina Healthcare, and Ambetter from Superior HealthPlan. (Deam, 10/30)
Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel: Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Open Enrollment 2019: What's New To Know In Tennessee
In 2017, for a time, it was unclear if any insurers would offer ACA plans in Tennessee. In 2018, every county in the state was covered — but many by only one insurer. In 2019, two new companies have entered the game: Bright in three metropolitan markets and Celtic in two. In addition, Oscar and Cigna are expanding their coverage areas, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee will offer insurance everywhere but Nashville and Memphis. That means most counties will have at least two options, and some will have even more. (Nelson, 10/29)
