Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From 'Subsidy Cliffs' To Empty Marketplaces: How States' Unique Circumstances Are Shaping The Debate
The New York Times: From Maine, A Call For A More Measured Take On Health Care
Hundreds of miles from the health care debate that will begin again this week in Congress, lobstermen here are out in force, bees are furiously pollinating the state’s famous blueberries and part-time workers are preparing for another summer tourist season. As a result of their short-term spike in income, many of Maine’s working class will likely lose some or all of their health insurance subsidy, a feature of the federal health care law, which has been a complicated blessing for the citizens of Maine. (Steinhauer, 6/4)
The Wall Street Journal: Health Care In Iowa Shows Peril For Both Political Parties
Craig Barnum, a school administrator, took the afternoon off recently and drove three hours to Sen. Chuck Grassley’s town-hall meeting to press the Republican senator on the GOP plan to overhaul health care. Mr. Barnum has health insurance through his work. But his family depends on Medicaid to help cover the medical costs of his 9-year-old son, Koan, whose delayed development means he needs expensive therapy and equipment including leg braces. (Peterson and Armour, 6/4)
The New York Times: Rebuking Congress, Cuomo Plans To Keep State Health Care Plans Intact
Striking pre-emptively at an increasingly frequent foil, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo plans to announce a series of steps on Monday to safeguard insurance coverage against a possible repeal of all or parts of the Affordable Care Act in Washington. The measures, taken via emergency regulations, will include requiring any private company doing business on the state’s insurance marketplace to guarantee the 10 “essential health benefits” required by President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health care law. The governor will also direct the state’s health department to block any company that withdraws from the exchange from participating in Medicaid or its children’s health plan. (McKinley, 6/4)
And in Alaska —
CQ: Obamacare In Alaska: A Red State Nervously Eyes GOP Health Talks
No other state will see such a large drop in federal money flowing its way per person if the House-passed plan takes effect. The biggest change for the state will be the law’s tax credits. Under the 2010 health care law, tax credits for people who get insurance through their jobs vary by age, income and geography to help people who make less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level afford their insurance. Older people and those living in high-cost areas get more money to help buy insurance. Because Alaska has the highest costs in the nation, its insurance premiums are heavily subsidized. Premiums under the health care law in Alaska average about $927, compared to a national average of $361 per month for an individual. But people earning $30,000 a year pay roughly the same premium under Obamacare no matter the ZIP code. (Mershon, 6/5)
CQ: Obamacare In Alaska: Cost-Control Plan Is Challenging But Working
It seems like a simple solution based on the concept of reinsurance, transferring a portion of risk to another entity. The program really did reduce consumers’ expected premiums, which are at the center of so many complaints over the health law. The idea isn’t nakedly partisan, like so many other health proposals, and doesn’t alienate the hospitals, doctors or insurance companies that often fight changes to their business models.It comes with an even more attractive twist, too: the federal government might be persuaded to pick up some of the tab. But the real story is more complicated — and portends the arduous path the program would face in any other state weighing the idea. (Mershon, 6/5)
CQ: Obamacare In Alaska: The Sky's The Limit On Costs
In Alaska, the Renners aren’t the only ones facing these costs. Many of the state’s smaller villages and towns are accessible only by air or boat. Only a handful of communities have their own nurse- or nurse-practitioner-run clinics, let alone hospitals. Much of the state relies on a lauded tribal health system — and pricey medevac rides — to access health care services.All of that feeds into the cost of health care in the Frontier State. Most insurance companies in Alaska cover the cost of at least one trip. Only some cover the cost of a return trip home, and only some cover a caregiver or family member’s travel, too. The state’s several medevac companies — including LifeMed, which transported John and Dawn Renner — offer their own insurance program. A small annual fee ($49 per year, in LifeMed’s case) will guarantee you don’t pay out of pocket for your ride. (Mershon, 6/5)
