Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fla. Authorities Shut Down 'Deceptive' Health Plan
The New York Times: Sales Of ‘Ruinous’ Health Insurance Plans
Federal authorities have shut down a network of Florida companies that they say used aggressive, deceptive tactics to sell skimpy health insurance products that skirt requirements of the Affordable Care Act and left tens of thousands of people around the country with unpaid medical bills. “There is good cause to believe” that the Florida companies have sold shoddy coverage by falsely claiming that such policies were comprehensive health insurance or qualified health plans under the Affordable Care Act, Judge Darrin P. Gayles of the Federal District Court in Miami said in a temporary restraining order issued last week at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. (Pear, 11/5)
Miami Herald: ‘TrumpCare’ Health Insurer Ordered To Shut Down
A South Florida company that collected more than $100 million in premiums selling sham health insurance “for smart people” through a network of deceptive websites, including one called trumpcarequotes.com, was ordered by a federal judge to temporarily shut down following consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. Simple Health Plans, based in Hollywood, lured “tens of thousands” of consumers with false promises of covering pre-existing medical conditions and prescription drugs for monthly premiums ranging from $40 to $500, the FTC said in a 28-page complaint recently unsealed by a federal judge. (Chang, 11/5)
Nashville Tennessean: Four Steps For Finding The Right Health Insurance Plan In 2019
Do you need individual or family health insurance coverage in 2019? Open enrollment is here, which means consumers can compare and enroll in Affordable Care Act marketplace plans on Healthcare.gov until Dec. 15. All the news about marketplace plans and new carriers coming to Nashville might distract consumers from an option that has been around for a long time, but is even more attractive in 2019 because of tax law changes. That option is Farm Bureau, and applying for one of its offerings should be the first step most Tennesseans take this year. (Tolbert, 11/5)
The Star Tribune: Farmer Health Plans Expect Growth
Open enrollment is underway at two agricultural cooperative health plans that for a second year will provide an alternative to the state's individual market and MNsure health insurance exchange. Whereas average premiums are declining next year for health plans sold via MNsure, organizers say the co-op rates will be flat or increasing for 2019. (Snowbeck, 11/5)
Other news about health coverage and enrollment highlights robocall marketing strategies as well as a series of announced layoffs at Kaiser Permanente of Colorado --
California Healthline: Hello? It’s I, Robot, And Have I Got An Insurance Plan For You!
“Anna” will not stop calling. She really, really wants to sell you health insurance. What a lot of consumers really, really want is to smack Anna upside her robocalling head. As health insurance open-enrollment season gets underway in California and nationwide, automated phone calls offering Affordable Care Act or other health plans are spiking — and driving many consumers to the brink. California residents may have it worst, because its open-enrollment period is twice as long as in other parts of the country. (Feder Ostrov, 11/6)
Denver Post: Kaiser Permanente Colorado Lays Off 200 Workers
Nearly a month after saying it would review operations following financial difficulties, Kaiser Permanente Colorado announced Monday that it’s laying off about 200 employees in the state. Kaiser, the largest insurer in Colorado, said the layoffs are being made to “address redundancies” in administrative and non-patient related positions. The affected employees were notified Nov. 2. (Seaman, 11/5)
On the Medicaid front --
Chicago Tribune: State Eases Sanctions Against Blue Cross, Partly Reopening Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment
Illinois residents eligible for Medicaid will again be allowed to choose a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois plan for coverage after the state decided to lift a sanction against the health insurer. Blue Cross, however, isn’t totally in the clear. The insurer is part of the state’s recently revamped Medicaid managed care program, in which private insurers administer benefits. Medicaid is a state- and federally funded health insurance program for low-income and disabled patients, and it also serves many elderly people. (Schencker, 11/5)
