Cover Oregon Moves To Keep Exchange Semi-Independent
The state's governor favors allowing state agencies take it over. Also in the news, updates on health exchanges and Medicaid expansion efforts from Wisconsin, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Oregonian: Cover Oregon Board May Rebuff Gov. John Kitzhaber On Health Exchange Future
The Cover Oregon board on Thursday moved toward keeping the health insurance exchange semi-independent rather than having state agencies take it over. That position, if confirmed in a vote that could take place later this month, would be a significant rebuff of Gov. John Kitzhaber. In a statement Thursday, Kitzhaber said having state agencies take over the exchange "offers the lowest-risk path." Whatever the board's vote, it could have ramifications for control of the exchange as well as for the November elections, political observers say (Budnick, 9/4).
The Associated Press: Former Medicaid Recipients Get Special Enrollment Period For Federal Exchange
Nearly 26,000 adults who lost Medicaid coverage through Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus program after being kicked off earlier this year will have more time to sign up for private subsidized insurance, the federal government announced Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it was establishing a special enrollment period through Nov. 2 for those people to sign up under the federal exchange created under the health overhaul law. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates that about 25,800 out of 63,000 adults who lost that coverage had yet to sign up for subsidized insurance plans under the federal law (Bauer, 9/4).
Seattle Times: Healthplanfinder Drops Some For Non-payment, Adds Others
According to figures released today by the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, 24,072 people have been dropped from coverage through the Healthplanfinder insurance exchange since those plans took effect in January 2014. Of that number, 8,310 were disenrolled because of non-payment of premiums, 7,735 voluntarily ended their coverage, and 8,027 were determined to no longer be eligible for a qualified health plan. Most of those determined to be no longer eligible were qualified instead for Medicare. The exchange also said 11,497 individuals have gained coverage through the exchange since the open enrollment period ended on March 31. These additions largely involved provisions allowing enrollment after a qualifying life event, such as a moving to a new state or changes in family size (Marshall, 9/4).
The Associated Press: Pa., Health Industry Experts Prep For Medicaid Expansion
Lots of work will be required before hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians can enroll in new Medicaid-funded health insurance plans under Gov. Tom Corbett's Healthy PA program. The Corbett administration's executive Medicaid director, Lisa Allen, says she's pretty confident that enrollment can start Dec. 1, a month before coverage begins. The state is working to ensure people can enroll electronically and while insurance companies are starting to build provider networks to support the plans and prepare to hire more health care and administrative personnel (9/4).
