Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: April 8, 2015
The Associated Press: Obama: Health Care Law An 8 Out Of 10, Lawsuit A 'Last Gasp'
President Barack Obama is giving his health care law an eight out of a 10, and calls a lawsuit hanging over it "the last gasp" from opponents. Obama tells ABC News he doesn't give it a 10 is because things can always be improved. He says the biggest challenge is getting more states to expand Medicaid coverage. He says "stubbornness" among state leaders who aren't using the benefit is "based on ideology, not on wise public health policy." (4/8)
NPR: Many Obamacare Policyholders Face Tax Surprises This Year
The old saying goes, "Nothing is certain except death and taxes." But the Affordable Care Act has added a new wrinkle. For many policyholders, the ACA has introduced a good deal of uncertainty about their tax bills. That has led to surprise refunds for some and higher-than-expected tax payments for others. If you're insured by Obamacare, filling out your 2014 federal income tax return will require you to figure out whether the premium subsidies you received were appropriate for your level of income. (Ydstie, 4/7)
Los Angeles Times: 18,000 Californians Use Extended Obamacare Sign-Up To Avoid Tax Penalty
California officials said about 18,000 people have taken advantage of an extended Obamacare enrollment period that was created as a final opportunity to escape the health law's tax penalties. The special enrollment window runs until April 30 for people who claim they were unaware of the Affordable Care Act's financial penalties for being uninsured. (Tehune, 4/7)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog: The Coming Revolution In How Employers Provide Health Insurance
As workers are increasingly asked to pay more from their own pockets for employer-sponsored health plans, there's a big shift happening in how businesses are planning to offer health insurance. About 6 million Americans with workplace coverage in 2014 received their health insurance through privately run health insurance exchanges, where employees can select coverage from a number of health plans — double the number from the year before, according to a new report from Accenture. (Millman, 4/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Humana Estimates Medicare Funding Will Increase 0.8% In 2016
Humana Inc. said Tuesday it expects its Medicare funding to fare better-than-expected in 2016 after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services completed benchmark payment rates on Monday. Humana said it expects its Medicare Advantage funding to increase by about 0.8%, compared with its previous expectation for a funding decline of 1.25% to 1.75% based on a rate proposal unveiled in February by federal regulators. (Dulaney, 4/7)
The Associated Press: UnitedHealth Stock Growth Yields Potential Windfall For CEO
UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley realized a potential gain of more than $45 million from exercising stock options last year, as the share price of the nation’s largest health insurer topped $100 on the way to setting all-time highs. (Murphy, 4/7)
The Associated Press: Aetna Aims For LGBT Community With Targeted Marketing
Aetna is urging gay customers to "be proud" — and consider buying its coverage — as part of a new, narrow focus to selling health insurance in a business where the individual's buying decision matters more than it used to. The nation's third-largest health insurer is using mobile phone apps, print ads and a recently launched website to appeal to the estimated 9 million members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the United States. Its website features a video of a gay woman and man talking about love and relationships. It also helps visitors find LGBT-friendly doctors and promises coverage "with features that fit you, your partner and your family." (Murphy, 4/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Ventas To Spin Off Nursing Facilities Into New REIT
Ventas Inc. announced Monday that it would spin off 355 skilled nursing facilities and outpatient recovery centers into a new real-estate investment trust, the latest sign of the growing interest in highly specialized medical properties, which carry more risk but have the potential for high returns. The new company, which isn't yet named, could have a market value of more than $5 billion based on trading multiples for similar companies, said Green Street Advisors, a research firm. Ventas, one of the largest owners of health-care properties, said the spin off would produce annual net income between $315 million and $320 million. (Whelan, 4/7)
The Wall Street Journal: NYC’s Public Hospital System Unveils Financial Plan
New York City’s cash-strapped public hospital system, tasked with caring for many of the city’s uninsured and vulnerable residents and facing growing budget deficits, unveiled a plan on Tuesday to help shore up its finances by 2020. Ram Raju, president and chief executive of the New York City Health & Hospitals Corp., spoke to hundreds of employees, labor leaders and elected officials at Manhattan’s John Jay College, outlining a plan to increase the number of patients treated and reduce wait times. (Kravitz, 4/7)
Los Angeles Times: With New Immigration Proposals, State Lawmakers Hope To Build Momentum
Democratic lawmakers will unveil a slew of new immigration-related proposals Tuesday, including measures that would extend state-paid health coverage to those in the country illegally and offer more protection against deportation. ... The most far-reaching of the new proposals would offer enrollment in Medi-Cal — California's healthcare program for the poor — to people who qualify regardless of immigration status. In California, about 1.8 million people who are in the country illegally lack healthcare coverage, according to estimates by UC Berkeley and UCLA. About 1.5 million of them would qualify for Medi-Cal. (Mason, 4/7)
The New York Times: Kansas Limits Abortion Method, Opening A New Line Of Attack
Kansas on Tuesday became the first state to sharply restrict or alter the most common technique used for second-trimester abortions, opening a new, emotionally charged line of attack by anti-abortion forces who hope to take it swiftly to other states. A bill signed into law by Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican and longtime abortion opponent, outlaws what it calls “dismemberment abortion,” defined in part as “knowingly dismembering a living unborn child and extracting such unborn child one piece at a time from the uterus.” (Eckholm and Robles, 4/7)
The Associated Press: Kansas Governor Signs Nation's 1st Ban On Abortion Procedure
Kansas became the first state Tuesday to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure that critics describe as dismembering a fetus. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, a strong abortion opponent, signed a bill imposing the ban, and the new law takes effect July 1. He and the National Right to Life Committee, which drafted the measure, said they hope Kansas' example spurs other states to enact such laws. Already, the measure also has been introduced in Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina. (4/7)
The Washington Post: In Arizona, Arkansas, Women Must Be Told That Abortion Can Be ‘Reversed’
New laws in Arkansas and Arizona require doctors to inform women that drug-induced abortions can be “reversed” mid-procedure, a claim that quickly drew charges of “junk science” from abortion-rights groups and many doctors. The Arkansas law took effect late Monday, after Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed it. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed his state’s bill into law earlier this month. (Somashekhar, 4/7)
