Number Of People Shopping For Health Plans On Spanish-Language Version Of Healthcare.gov Lags Behind Hopes
News outlets also report on a range of issues related to the health law's implementation, including an upcoming IRS reporting deadline for large and mid-size businesses, as well as how the cancellation of plans causes consumers to scramble and how the rise in premium costs is creating financial pressures for some.
The Washington Post:
Little Headway In Attracting More Hispanics To ACA Health Coverage
The number of people shopping for medical insurance on the Spanish-language version of HealthCare.gov is lagging behind last year's interest, even as the Obama administration urges Hispanics to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Federal figures released Wednesday show that about 153,000 people used cuidadodesalud.gov during the first three weeks of the current enrollment season for ACA health plans, down from 244,000 during the same period a year ago. (Goldstein, 11/25)
The Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Employers Face Affordable Care Act Reporting Deadline
Human resource advisers to large and midsize businesses are sounding the alarm at approaching deadlines for meeting IRS requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The requirements had been postponed for a year, but employers have to submit forms to full-time workers by the end of January and report to the IRS by the end of March. (Martz, 11/29)
The Chicago Tribune:
Blue Cross Cancellation Sends Consumers Scrambling
Rick Jago talks about his doctor at Northwestern University in emotional terms. The 57-year-old Homer Glen resident credits Dr. Jyoti Patel with saving his life after he was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago. He sees her every six months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned. "I love this woman," said Jago. "The only woman I love more than her is my wife." What he's not in love with is his health insurance. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is canceling his PPO plan at the end of the year. The big insurer offered to transfer him to another health plan, but there's a problem. Patel is not in the network. (Sachdev, 11/27)
The Charlotte Observer:
Rise In ACA Premiums Pushes Some Consumers To Seek Cheaper Health Insurance Options
Fall always is a busy season for Norma Jean Rector, a SouthPark insurance benefits adviser. But this year, the third for open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, more customers than ever are begging for help to find affordable health insurance. “In the two years past, there was interest,” she said, “but not like this year.” North Carolina’s health insurance rates under the ACA are going up as much as 50 percent on some policies next year. While experts debate the reasons for the spike and critics continue to question the value of “Obamacare,” some consumers and insurers are taking dramatic steps to contain their costs. (Garloch and Murawski, 11/26)
Meanwhile, The New York Times reports on the latest efforts by Kentucky's governor-elect to unravel the state's health law implementation while other news outlets offer ACA-related developments -
The New York Times:
Kentucky, Beacon For Health Law, Now A Lab For Its Retreat
Over the last few years, Kentucky captured the nation’s attention as the only Southern state to wholly embrace the health care law .... Now, with [Gov.-elect Matt] Bevin promising to “repeal the expansion as it currently exists,” Kentucky may become a laboratory for the kind of rollback that the law’s opponents have so far only dreamed of. Nationally, both parties saw the governor’s race as a crucial political test for the Affordable Care Act months after it survived a second major challenge before the Supreme Court. Republicans were elated by Mr. Bevin’s sound defeat of Jack Conway, the state’s Democratic attorney general, seeing it as a blatant rejection of the health law and proof that it remains a giant liability for Democrats heading into 2016. ... For Democrats, Mr. Conway’s loss illustrated the challenges they may face motivating voters in next year’s presidential and congressional races, not least those the health law is helping. (Goodnough, 11/27)
The Chicago Tribune:
Health Care Options Grow As Physician Shortage Looms
The Association of American Medical Colleges projects that the nation will face a shortage of 12,000 to 31,000 primary-care physicians by 2025. So it’s no wonder you may be finding it harder to find a doctor or to schedule an appointment with the one you have. What’s fueling this problem? The baby boom generation pouring into older age, an aging physician workforce preparing to retire and an estimated 30 million Americans joining the ranks of the insured since enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. What that means is that you may not be seeing a doctor at all the next time you go for health care. (Kraft, 11/28)
The San Antonio Express-News:
Students Go Mobile To Educate Community About Health Insurance
Navigating health insurance can be confusing, especially for people obtaining coverage for the first time through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Students at the University of Texas Health Science Center wanted to help, so they created a mobile phone app to help educate Bexar County residents about health coverage. The SA Access app is available in English and Spanish for iOS and Android and can be downloaded free at SAAccess.com. (Belasco, 11/26)
The Dallas Morning News:
Texas Taking Part In Obamacare Program To Help Disabled Adults Live Outside Institutions
Texas consistently ranks at or near the bottom on funding services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But there’s a new pool of money rolling out that could help change that. It comes from Obamacare. It’s an entitlement program. And Texas is one of five states taking part, thanks to legislation by one of the state’s most conservative senators. (Taketa, 11/28)
