Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Republicans Voice Frustration Over HHS' Response To Health Law Subpoenas
The Hill: GOP: Administration Ignoring ObamaCare Subpoenas
House Republicans say that the Obama administration is ignoring subpoenas for documents related to ObamaCare spending they call illegal. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tuesday calling on it to comply. (Sullivan, 5/31)
Morning Consult: Committee Leaders Push HHS To Respond To Subpoenas
The Basic Health Program is an option states can choose to launch aimed at helping low-income people who aren’t eligible for Medicaid afford health insurance. Congress has not appropriated funding for the program, although the Obama administration says the program is fully funded under the Affordable Care Act. The two say that HHS has produced one heavily-redacted document since the subpoena was issued. (McIntire, 5/31)
KQED: California Assembly OKs Asking Feds To Allow Undocumented Immigrants Access To Covered California
The California Assembly approved a bill on Tuesday that would permit undocumented immigrants access to Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace. ... Senate Bill 10 would direct California to ask the federal government for a waiver that would permit undocumented immigrants the option to buy insurance on Covered California — with their own money. It passed by a vote of 54-19. (Aliferis, 5/31)
The Sacramento Bee: California Nears Letting Undocumented Immigrants Buy Healthcare
Immigrants living in the country illegally would be allowed to buy health coverage on California’s insurance exchange under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Tuesday. (White, 5/31)
The Charlotte Observer: NC Health Insurers Propose ACA Rate Increases For 2017
As the Affordable Care Act lurches toward its fourth year in 2017, health insurers in North Carolina are proposing another round of big rate increases to pay for insuring people who for years couldn’t get health coverage. In filings made public Tuesday, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said it wants to raise rates by an average of 18.8 percent, and Aetna is looking to increase premiums by 24.5 percent on average. (Murawski, 5/31)
