Insurers’ Financial Well-Being Has Improved After Rocky First Years Of Health Law, Report Finds
Industry officials, however, say the health of a company can’t be judged by stock prices alone, and many of the biggest publicly traded companies have pulled back on the individual insurance market. Meanwhile, Democrats are getting ready to use expected premium increases against Republicans in the midterms.
The Wall Street Journal:
White House Report Says Insurers Doing Well, Increasing ACA Subsidy Doubts
Health insurers have largely adjusted to the impact of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the White House will say in an economic report Wednesday, a finding that will likely undercut lawmakers’ efforts to secure federal funds to blunt potential premium increases for the coming year. Republicans, Democrats and the White House are negotiating the provisions of a major spending bill that must pass by Saturday or risk a government shutdown. The insurance payments are part of those discussions. (Radnofsky, 3/21)
The Hill:
Dems Aim To Turn ObamaCare Hikes Into Election Weapon
Democrats are gearing up to blame Republicans for ObamaCare premium increases after the likely failure of an effort to stabilize the law in this month’s government funding package. The premium hikes for ObamaCare will likely be announced in October, just a month before a midterm election where Democrats are hoping to win back the House and Senate. (Sullivan, 3/21)
In other health law news —
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Donelon Sees High Risk For Louisiana In Trump Health Insurance Proposal
State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon cautioned that a proposal by President Donald Trump to allow the purchase of health insurance policies across state lines could be "catastrophic" for some Louisiana residents unless the state has the authority to regulate the carriers. Republican U.S. senators filed a bill Monday (March 19) that would require the federal Department of Health and Human Services to issue regulations allowing insurers to sell plans across state lines. (3/20)
