Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Chief Vows Healthcare.gov Will Be 'Well-Running Ford'
The Wall Street Journal: All Eyes On Healthcare.gov Chief As New Enrollment Season Nears
Kevin Counihan knows he has a lot at stake this month. As chief executive of Healthcare.gov, Mr. Counihan is responsible for making sure the site doesn’t falter during the second year of insurance sign-ups under the Affordable Care Act. Its disastrous launch last year embarrassed the Obama administration and frustrated millions who visited the portal to buy health plans. (Armour and Radnofsky, 11/7)
Politico: HHS: Obamacare Website Is Safe
Americans’ personal information is safe on Healthcare.gov, says a senior Obamacare official, seeking to allay public concerns as the days count down to the start of the second open enrollment season on Nov. 15. (Perrera, 11/6)
The Associated Press: Healthcare.gov Gets Cybersecurity Upgrades
Officials say Healthcare.gov has gotten cybersecurity upgrades ahead of a Nov. 15 start for the second open enrollment season under President Barack Obama's health care law. Andy Slavitt oversees the complex technology. Slavitt says the facility that hosts HealthCare.gov is now certified to meet rigorous government standards for cloud computing. Cloud operations use large networks of machines in different locations to handle data. (11/6)
USA Today: After Republican Sweep, Uncertainty Over ACA
As Kentucky prepares for the second year of Obamacare sign-ups, there's little of the public hoopla that surrounded last year's historic launch in a state widely seen as a national model for its smooth roll out. But after Tuesday's Republican sweep of Congress, there's new uncertainty about the Affordable Care Act's future — with the state's newly re-elected senator, soon-to-be Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying he plans to target elements of the law. (Ungar and Kenning, 11/7)
Politico Pro: Exchanges Mull How To Sustain Themselves In Long Term
Three state-based exchanges have not yet finalized how they will sustain their marketplaces financially in the long term, according to a new Commonwealth Fund blog post by several health care experts. (Pradhan, 11/6)
The Oregonian: As Health Insurance Enrollment Begins, Use Exchange With Caution: Health Insurance Guide 2015
More than 350,000 more Oregonians received subsidized or government-paid health coverage last year than the year before, due to expanded income standards for the Oregon Health Plan as well as new tax credits to reduce private health plan premiums. But receiving those funds is risky business, despite new government health insurance exchanges that were supposed to make enrolling online easy. Many of those people using government help ended up with the kind of insurance they didn't want, or faced other problems. (Budnick, 11/6)
The Seattle Times: State's Top Insurance Official Hopes Glitches In Exchange Will Be Fixed
The state’s top insurance official expressed concern this week that technical problems plaguing the state’s online insurance marketplace still may not be fully fixed — less than two weeks before the exchange opens Nov. 15 for the second year of enrollment. The biggest problems since the Washington Healthplanfinder exchange initially launched in October 2013 have involved software problems resulting in unintentionally canceled accounts and inaccurate reporting of consumer payments to their insurance carriers. (Marshall, 11/6)
Meanwhile, consumers are offered pointers about how to shop on an insurance exchange --
Kaiser Health News: Thinking About Enrolling In Obamacare? Keep These 5 Tips In Mind
The health law’s open enrollment season is just around the corner. Are you ready? Here’s a quick checklist for people who don’t get their health insurance at work and plan to shop for coverage on the health law’s online exchanges, or marketplaces, starting Nov. 15. You can compare plans and prices at healthcare.gov or, if your state has its own exchange, shop there to find out which coverage is best for you. And you may be eligible for subsidies to help pay your premium. (Carey, 11/7)
