Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
On Repeal, Providers Walk Line Between 'Chicken Little' And Not Burying Head In The Sand
Ohio Valley ReSource/WFPL (Louisville, Ky., NPR station): After Obamacare: Rural Health Providers Nervous About Affordable Care Act Repeal
Mike Caudill runs Mountain Comprehensive Care Corporation in five eastern Kentucky counties. Many of his 30,000 patients gained insurance through Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. No one knows if or when those folks might lose coverage. But, Caudill said, the impact could be considerable. “I don’t want to be a Chicken Little that the sky is falling. On the other hand, neither do I want to stick my head in the sand,” he said. “A lot of it is the unknown. We don’t know what is going to happen.” (Meehan, 2/27)
In other health law news —
The CT Mirror: 2018 Exchange Plans Could Cover Fewer Hospitals, Doctors, Drugs
Insurance companies that sell coverage through the state’s health insurance exchange next year will be allowed to cover fewer hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs under changes the exchange’s board approved Tuesday. Officials hope those changes could help offset rate increases that would otherwise be required because of the increased price and use of medical care and prescription drugs. (Levin Becker, 2/28)
Georgia Health News: Georgia Insurance Chief Urges Loosening Of ACA Rules On Agents’ Commissions
Georgia’s insurance commissioner has urged Tom Price, the new federal health secretary, to remove agents’ commissions from rules governing how insure companies spend the premium dollars they collect. The issue cited by Commissioner Ralph Hudgens in his letter to Price, a fellow Georgian, involves the “Medical Loss Ratio,” or MLR. (Miller, 2/28)
Bloomberg: Losses Mount For Obamacare Startup Oscar As Repeal Looms
Oscar Insurance Corp., the startup trying to reinvent medical insurance with its Obamacare-focused plans, lost more than $200 million on the products in 2016 as it heads into a year that may see the undoing of the health law. The company offered plans in four states in 2016 and lost about $204.9 million on premium revenue of $425.9 million, according to filings. The loss widened from $121.7 million in 2015. The company says it exited some markets, invested in operations and is aiming for a turnaround in 2017, yet its fate may be closely linked to one of its key backer’s relatives. Oscar co-founder Joshua Kushner is brother to Jared Kushner, who is the husband of Ivanka Trump and a senior adviser to President Donald Trump. Trump has promised to repeal Obamacare -- the very law Oscar was founded to profit from. (Tracer, 2/28)
California Healthline: LA County Health Chief Wants To ‘Catch’ People Dropped From Coverage
Los Angeles County arguably has more to lose than any other California county if the Affordable Care Act is repealed or dramatically scaled back. With more than 10 million residents, it is the state’s most populous county by far ― a distinction reflected in the number of Angelenos who obtained health coverage under Obamacare. (Bazar, 2/28)
