Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Turnaround, Maine's Health Insurance Co-Op Goes From Profits To Losing Millions
The Associated Press: Lone Profitable ACA Insurance Co-Op Losing Millions
The lone health insurance cooperative to make money last year on the Affordable Care Act's public insurance exchanges is now losing millions and suspending individual enrollment for 2016. Maine's Community Health Options lost more than $17 million in the first nine months of this year, after making $10.9 million in the same period last year. A spokesman said higher-than-expected medical costs have hurt the cooperative. (Murphy, 12/10)
The Connecticut Mirror: 2,200 Exchange Customers Could Lose Discounts For Not Filing Taxes
About 2,200 current customers of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange won’t be eligible for discounted coverage next year because they did not file tax returns for 2014 as required, exchange officials said Thursday. (Levin Becker, 12/10)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Obamacare Leaves Middle-Income Ohioans Struggling To Afford Care, Analysis Shows
In October, federal health officials visited Cleveland to trumpet good news about the Affordable Care Act: Insurance premiums were dropping 6.3 percent in Northeast Ohio, making it easier for consumers to afford coverage on the federal exchange. But the decrease in premiums was only part of the story. A Plain Dealer analysis of plans offered through healthcare.gov, the exchange website, shows that deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance expenses are putting up significant barriers to accessing medical care, particularly for middle-income earners. (Ross, 12/10)
Chicago Tribune: Obamacare Price Hikes Push Small Businesses Back To Group Plans
When the cost of group health insurance became too expensive a few years ago, OML Worldwide Transportation stopped offering the benefit to its employees. The small business is bringing back coverage for its 40 employees next year. The company's turnaround illustrates several trends in the Illinois health insurance market. Premiums have spiked and provider networks have shrunk for consumers who don't have coverage through their jobs and have to buy insurance on their own. (Sachdev, 12/10)
Meanwhile, U.S. News & World Report examines how consumers struggle with confusion about what prevention services insurance covers under the health law -
U.S. News & World Report: When A Free Check-Up Isn’t Really Free
Patricia Jones thought she was getting the much-talked-about free physical under Obamacare when she went to see a doctor in May. But, she says, a few small things that happened during her checkup ended up making the visit cost more than $450. First, the doctor asked Jones, who lives in Oregon and describes herself as a full-time mom, if she had moles that were changing colors. When Jones pointed to a spot on her neck, the doctor said it was not even a mole and nothing to worry about. (Leonard, 12/10)
