Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Outside Of The Noise' Of Health Law Debate, Insurers Are Actually Beginning To Prosper
The New York Times: Trump’s Threats On Health Law Hide An Upside: Gains Made By Some Insurers
It has not been a market for the faint of heart. Supporters of the Affordable Care Act achieved a major victory this past week when, thanks to cajoling and arm-twisting by state regulators, the last “bare” county in America — in rural Ohio — found an insurer willing to sell health coverage through the law’s marketplace there. So despite earlier indications that insurance companies would stop offering coverage under the law in large parts of the country, insurers have now agreed to sell policies everywhere. (Abelson, 8/26)
The Des Moines Register: Consumers Bemoan Largest Health Insurance Price Hike In Iowa History, At 57% Or More
Iowans who buy their own health insurance pleaded with the state’s insurance commissioner Saturday to rein in the largest proposed premium increase in state history, but he warned them his powers are limited. (Leys, 8/26)
In other health law news —
NPR: Consultant Offers Steps To Lower Health Insurance Premiums And Boost Enrollment
Congress and the Trump administration could boost insurance coverage by a couple of million people and lower premiums by taking a few actions to stabilize the Affordable Care Act insurance markets, according to a new analysis by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The paper, which lays out a simple blueprint for making insurance more affordable for more people while working within the current health law's structure, comes just days before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee begins hearings on ways to stabilize markets in the short term. (Kodjak, 8/25)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland's Eastern Shore, A GOP Stronghold, Home To Thousands Who Now Have Insurance Thanks To Obamacare
Christine Sabas had just left her job and was preparing to attend seminary when the symptoms began: Dizziness, burning nerve pain, numbness in her arms and legs. With the private health insurance she had through work set to expire, the 43-year-old Salisbury woman turned to the Affordable Care Act, qualified for Medicaid and has been undergoing a battery of otherwise unaffordable tests in search of a diagnosis. (Fritze and Cohn, 8/28)
