Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ky.'s Marketplace Failed To Ensure All Customers Were Eligible, Auditor Reports
The Wall Street Journal: Federal Audit Finds Faults In Kentucky Health Insurance Exchange
Kentucky sometimes failed to ensure that all consumers who signed up for insurance on the state’s health exchange were eligible for coverage, the latest federal audit found. The audit, released Thursday by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, found that some of the Kentucky exchange’s controls for confirming consumers’ eligibility weren’t effective. Earlier audits also identified deficiencies in the federal exchange, Healthcare.gov, as well as state-run exchanges in California, Connecticut and New York. (Armour, 10/15)
California Healthline: Covered California Fixes Gap In Coverage For Pregnant Women
Covered California has fixed an enrollment gap for middle-income uninsured pregnant women, allowing them to receive affordable benefits through the exchange. (Vesely, 10/14)
The Associated Press: Illinois Keeps Definition Of Small Business Under Health Law
Illinois wants insurance companies in the small group market to submit changes to their small business policies as quickly as possible following a bipartisan adjustment to the nation's health care law. President Barack Obama signed legislation last week that gives states flexibility about whether to change the definition of "small business" under the law. (10/14)
Related KHN coverage: Bipartisan Effort Revises Health Law Provision For Small Businesses (Andrews, 10/13)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer: Two Thirds Of Uninsured Ohioans Are Eligible For Medicaid Or Subsidized Coverage, Study Says
More than 565,000 Ohioans -- 68 percent of the state's uninsured residents -- are eligible to receive subsidized insurance or Medicaid coverage but have not signed up, according to a new study. The data from the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that large numbers of eligible citizens are failing to obtain coverage because of a lack of awareness of financial assistance, concerns about affordability, or misperceptions about eligibility rules. (Ross, 10/14)
Fox 13 (Salt Lake City): Utah Lawmakers Agree To Revisit Medicaid Expansion Alternatives In 2016 Legislative Session
One day after House Republicans killed a Medicaid expansion plan, state leaders met to discuss an alternative. “It was a good meeting,” said Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-District 9. Niederhauser sat down with Gov. Gary Herbert and House Speaker Greg Hughes Wednesday afternoon. The meeting lasted approximately hour, during which the three agreed they would revisit the issue during the 2016 legislative session. (Connolly, 10/14)
