How An IRS Letter About Health Care Coverage Ended Up Saving 700 Lives

The letter prompted the recipients to sign up for health coverage to avoid penalties, which in turn prevented premature deaths that would have occurred without it. It was essentially the first rigorous experiment to find that health coverage leads to fewer deaths, a claim that politicians and economists have fiercely debated in recent years

The New York Times: The I.R.S. Sent A Letter To 3.9 Million People. It Saved Some Of Their Lives.

Three years ago, 3.9 million Americans received a plain-looking envelope from the Internal Revenue Service. Inside was a letter stating that they had recently paid a fine for not carrying health insurance and suggesting possible ways to enroll in coverage. New research concludes that the bureaucratic mailing saved lives. Three Treasury Department economists have published a working paper finding that these notices increased health insurance sign-ups. Obtaining insurance, they say, reduced premature deaths by an amount that exceeded any of their expectations. (Kliff, 12/10)

In other health law and insurance news —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Narrow Health Insurance Networks A Danger As Open Enrollment Nears End

Events this year have underlined a big vulnerability for Georgians buying private insurance individually through the Affordable Care Act. Insurance companies’ networks of covered health care providers such as hospitals and doctors no longer blanket the map. And if a shopper knows that, and hunts for a list of providers the company covers, they can find a list — but it’s not guaranteed. (Hart, 12/10)

The Oregonian: Many Oregonians Can Secure Health Insurance Without Premiums -- If They Take Advantage Of Tax Credits

A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation concludes that thousands of Oregonians eligible for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could utilize tax credits to get a 2020 plan that would see them pay nothing in premiums. The premium is the amount you pay an insurance company to have coverage, separate from deductibles and other costs you might end up owing for seeing a doctor or getting medical tests. (Perry, 12/10)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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