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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Friday, Nov 17 2017

Full Issue

Middle-Class Families Left Feeling 'Helpless' In Face Of $30,000-A-Year Premiums

The increase in premiums stemming from the marketplace uncertainty have people considering reducing their income so they can qualify for government help. “If one word captures all this, it’s ‘helpless,”’ Ian Dixon said. “There’s rage and anger and all that stuff in there, too. Any reasonable person would agree that this should not be happening."

The New York Times: Middle-Class Families Confront Soaring Health Insurance Costs

Consumers here at first did not believe the health insurance premiums they saw when they went shopping for coverage this month on HealthCare.gov. Only five plans were available, and for a family of four with parents in their mid-30s, the cheapest plan went typically for more than $2,400 a month, nearly $30,000 a year. With the deadline for a decision less than a month away, consumers are desperately weighing their options, dismayed at the choices they have under the Affordable Care Act and convinced that political forces in Washington are toying with their health and well-being. (Pear, 11/16)

The Washington Post: Where Are The Most Expensive ACA Plans In America? Charlottesville.

Monthly health-care insurance premiums increased all over America this year, but nowhere as dramatically as in Charlottesville, an analysis shows. Residents of the small college city and the surrounding Albemarle County who wish to purchase individual insurance from the federal marketplace will be paying for the most expensive plans in the country, a Kaiser Family Foundation review confirmed. (Itkowitz, 11/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Covered California Sees 23 Percent Jump In Health Insurance Signups

The number of new customers signing up for health insurance through the Covered California exchange jumped 23 percent during the first two weeks of open enrollment compared with the same period last year, state officials said Thursday. (Ho, 11/16)

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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