Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minnesota's Intensive Efforts To Stabilize Health Law Marketplace Pay Off
Pioneer Press: MNsure: Insurance Rates Falling, Enrollment Steady. Can It Last?
After six years of the state-run insurance marketplace MNsure, are Minnesotans ready for more or less government involvement in their health care? MNsure just passed its first enrollment deadline on Saturday and for the second year in a row, rates are declining, access has been largely maintained and enrollments remain steady. ...The stability keeping consumers in the market didn’t happen on its own. It took widespread government intervention and the commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to stabilize Minnesota’s individual insurance market. (Magan, 12/14)
The Star Tribune: Minnesota Has Plenty Of Jobs, But Health Insurance? No
Nine years into a robust economic expansion, with Minnesota’s unemployment rate at historic lows, the number of people on public health insurance for the poor is still at historic highs. Back in 2013, when Minnesota’s unemployment rate was 5 percent, the state had 740,000 people on Medical Assistance, also known as Medicaid. Since then, unemployment has fallen to 2.8 percent, while Medicaid rolls have grown every year, reaching 1.1 million. The result is that, despite the strongest economy in a generation, roughly 1 in 5 Minnesotans qualify for subsidized health coverage. (Howatt, 12/16)
And in more news on states' exchanges —
Nashville Tennessean: 5 Ways To Maximize Your Health Benefits Before The Year Ends
At the end of the year, most people are thinking about holidays, not health insurance. But this is actually a key time to make sure you are getting the most value out of your health plan. Why? Most insurance plans reset on Jan. 1, including all those sold through the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, marketplaces. Many employer-sponsored health plans also renew on Jan. 1, which means you may want to review the following health care checklist before your plan renews. (Tolbert, 12/16)
KQED: Covered California Extends Deadline After Anti-Obamacare Federal Court Ruling
California's health care marketplace has extended the deadline for people to sign up for insurance that will start on Jan. 1, 2019, in response to a federal court ruling handed down on Friday that invalidated the Affordable Care Act. (Levi, 12/15)
