Final Push Underway For Obamacare Sign-Ups
With two weeks until the deadline, the White House is joining forces with advocacy groups to boost enrollment of Asian-Americans. In California, Anthem leads in sign-ups, but Kaiser Permanente is gaining, while in Colorado, a glitch cancels 3,615 insurance plans that should have been renewed. And in Florida, some prefer using free clinics to getting coverage -- even when they qualify for big subsidies.
NBC News:
White House Launches Full Court Press To Boost ACA Enrollment
The White House, in partnership with health advocacy groups, has targeted Asian Americans in an aggressive campaign to boost enrollment under the Affordable Care Act by Feb.15. (Guillermo, 1/29)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Final Push Underway For Obamacare Sign-Up
Roughly two weeks remain to sign up for health insurance on the marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act, and this year the penalty for not having coverage will have a bit more bite. The minimum penalty will be $325, up from $95 for last year, and most people will face higher penalties. (Boulton, 1/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Obamacare Enrollment In California: Anthem Leads, Kaiser Draws Closer
Insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross leads Obamacare enrollment in California, but Kaiser Permanente is gaining on its archrival. Anthem Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer, has signed up 353,635 people, or 29.1 percent of Covered California enrollment through Jan. 15. That figure includes 2014 renewals and new enrollees since November. (Terhune, 1/29)
Kaiser Health News:
Insurance Choices Dwindle In Rural California As Blue Shield Pulls Back
After the insurance exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act first went live in late 2013, Lori Lomas started combing the website of Covered California on a hunt for good deals for her clients. Lomas is an agent at Feather Financial, in the Sierra Nevada mountain town of Quincy, California; she’s been selling health policies in rural communities for more than 20 years. But in 2013, she noticed a troubling change that surprised her: For many clients, insurance options decreased. (Bartolone, 1/30)
Health News Florida:
Free Clinics Beat Subsidies For Some
With open enrollment for health insurance ending in just two weeks, the push is on to get everyone who qualifies signed up. But some of the uninsured are balking, and it’s not only the so-called “young invincibles” who think they don’t need it. Gary Babcock of Clearwater, for example, is neither young nor invincible. He’s 55, with diabetes so severe he has to give himself daily insulin shots and he could choose from several Affordable Care Act plans with no premium, fully subsidized. But he didn’t sign up last year and won’t enroll this year either, he said, because he gets everything through the St. Petersburg Free Clinic – drugs, supplies, checkups and classes on diabetes management. (Gentry, 1/29)
Health News Colorado:
Another Glitch Dogs Health Exchange, More Than 3,600 Plans Canceled
Colorado health exchange officials admitted late Tuesday that they canceled 3,615 insurance plans that should have been automatically renewed after a blistering report about the glitch on 9News. (Kerwin McCrimmon, 1/29)
In Florida, meanwhile, business leaders are leading the push for Medicaid expansion -
Health News Florida:
Business Driving Florida Expansion Push
Florida's Legislature has twice turned down proposals to provide health insurance for nearly 1 million state residents. And the new House Speaker on Wednesday said he had “no plans” to expand Medicaid for the people caught in the so-called coverage gap. But still state business leaders – and some mayors – continue to rally and aim to take another swing at it when the Legislature convenes March 3. (Shedden, 1/29)
