Consumers Find Wide Disparities In Health Marketplace Premiums
The New York Times examines the "price pandemonium." Also in the news about the health overhaul are stories about the requirement for individuals to get coverage and the tax implications of the law this year.
The New York Times:
In Year 2 Of Affordable Care Act, Premiums Diverge Widely
At first glance, Colorado would seem to be one of the federal health law’s clearest success stories, offering nearly 200 plans and average premiums nearly unchanged in the coming year. But zoom in closer, and it is clear that a kind of pricing pandemonium is underway, one that offers a case study of the ambitions and limits of the Affordable Care Act during this second year of enrollment. (Abelson and Armendariz, 1/19)
KHN also examined the most expensive and cheapest premium areas: Alaska Health Plan Premiums, Highest In Nation, Are Triple Those In Phoenix (Rau, 1/15)
Politico Pro:
Mandate Figures In Final Stretch Of Obamacare Messaging
Obamacare’s individual mandate is beginning to creep into outreach about signing up for health insurance this year. ... Focusing on the mandate poses a conundrum. It remains one of the most unpopular parts of the Affordable Care Act; many Republicans want to do away with it. Yet surveys show that it has gotten people, especially younger adults, to sign up for health insurance. (Pradhan, 1/16)
San Jose Mercury News:
Obamacare Recipients, For First Time, Reporting To IRS
It's tax season, and for the first time Obamacare is showing up on tax forms. And it's leading to confusion and angst over new rules and their impact on taxpayers' pocketbooks. (Seipel, 1/18)
Related KHN coverage: Most Marketplace Customers Have New Filing Requirements This Tax Season (Andrews, 1/13)
And in other health care law news --
The Associated Press:
New Privacy Concerns Over Government's Health Care Website
A little-known side to the government's health insurance website is prompting renewed concerns about privacy, just as the White House is calling for stronger cybersecurity protections for consumers. It works like this: When you apply for coverage on HealthCare.gov, dozens of data companies may be able to tell that you are on the site. Some can even glean details such as your age, income, ZIP code, whether you smoke or if you are pregnant. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Gillum, 1/20)
Fox News:
Administration Lawyers Argue Hobby Lobby Ruling On Birth Control Doesn’t Apply To Religious Groups
The Obama administration says faith-based nonprofits should comply with ObamaCare’s birth-control mandate because they have more leeway than the corporations that won a Supreme Court ruling on the issue last year. (1/18)
