Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kentucky Offers Range Of Ways To Enroll In New Coverage
The Associated Press: Store, Mobile App Among New Ways To Enroll In Kentucky
Kentuckians looking for discount health insurance can now shop online, on their phones or at the mall. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday that kynect, the state's health insurance marketplace, has a mobile app for Android and Apple phones along with a brick and mortar store opening Thursday at the Fayette Mall in Lexington. It's part of a host of new features state officials are rolling out in advance of the new open enrollment period that begins Saturday and runs through Feb. 15, 2015. (Beam, 11/10)
KIRO Radio: Washington State Offers More Plans, Hopes For Lower Health Insurance Costs
Another open enrollment period begins this Saturday for individual health insurance through the state's marketplace. Local managers are promising more options and the possibility of lower costs, but the Obama administration is lowering expectations about how many Americans will participate. Getting more people to sign up for individual insurance is supposed to reduce health care costs. (Haeck, 11/10)
The Denver Post: Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Budget Rises $4M
Colorado's health insurance marketplace is anticipating a $4 million hike in the cost of keeping its call center functioning. The exchange opened Monday for early shopping with no big technical glitches surfacing in light early volume, although 2015 enrollment doesn't begin officially until Saturday. (Draper, 11/10)
Health News Colorado: ‘Blown-Out Budget’ Infuriates Exchange Board Member
Colorado’s health exchange managers expect to spend $4 million more on their call center than anticipated this year, a revelation that spurred a heated argument among board members on Monday. (Kerwin McCrimmon, 11/10)
Here are some specifics on state rates -
Modern Healthcare: States' 2015 Rate Filings Show Wide Variation In Exchange Premiums
The average monthly premium for exchange plans will vary wildly next year, but overall, rates in several states are expected to increase modestly and are likely to remain affordable for many consumers. In some areas, like Colorado, competition is high, which is forcing a decrease in premium rates. Colorado is expected to have 15 different health insurers offering plans on the exchange in 2015. But in others, which are heavily dominated by a single insurer, rates are going up. For example, in Tennessee, which had only four carriers last year. (Herman, 11/10)
