Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doctor Embarks On ACA 'Listening Tour,' Finds Outpouring Of Resentment, Bitterness
Los Angeles Times: A Doctor Bikes Across The Country To Ask Americans About Obamacare. This Is How He Ended Up Feeling Hopeful
On sabbatical from the University of Arizona, [Dr. Paul Gordon] set off in the spring on a cross-country bicycling trip and “listening tour” from Washington, D.C., to Seattle, talking along the way to Americans about the controversial health law that President Obama signed six years ago. Much of what Gordon uncovered was as unsettling as the current presidential campaign. Americans raged at the government, at the healthcare system, at fellow citizens who’d gained coverage through Obamacare. The outpouring of resentment and apparent lack of empathy disturbed Gordon at first. “Not a lot of generosity of spirit,” he noted glumly over the phone early in his trip. (Levey, 8/16)
In other health law news —
Politico Pro: CareFirst Defends Huge Maryland Rate Hikes
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield says it needs huge rate hikes next year to make up for nearly $300 million in losses in the individual market during its first three years of competing on Maryland’s Obamacare exchange. CareFirst CEO Chet Burrell made the case for increasing rates on his company's PPO plans by 36.6 percent and its HMO plans by 27.8 percent during a public hearing today before the Maryland Insurance Administration. (Demko, 8/15)
California Healthline: When It’s Time To Split Up The Family
Under the new rules, Covered California enrollees who receive tax credits — currently about 90 percent of them — will be able to select different plans for different members of the family in the online health insurance application. Tax credits will be distributed proportionally among the different plans.Previously, the online application only allowed those who were not eligible for tax credits to choose multiple plans within a family. (Bazar, 8/15)
