Latest KFF Health News Stories
State Highlights: Colo. County May Sue Over No Change To Insurance Ratings
A selection of health policy stories from Colorado, Oregon, Iowa, Connecticut, Minnesota and California.
HHS To Insurers: You May Have To Add More Doctors, Hospitals In Obamacare Plans
Insurers selling policies in new online marketplaces may have to include more doctors and hospitals used by low-income people beginning in 2015, Bloomberg News reports. Other stories today examine the administration’s enrollment effort and how many people it could reach if it just focused on 116 of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Also examined is how the insurer WellPoint’s bottom line is changing because of the law.
First Edition: February 5, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories detailing a new Congressional Budget Office report that found 2 million people who relied on a job for health insurance will quit working, reduce their hours or stop looking for a job because of new benefits from the health law.
For People Who Faced Enrollment Issues With Healthcare.gov, Appeals Hearings To Begin Soon
But news outlets report that the computer and phone systems designed to address those appeals have yet to be launched. So far, an estimated 22,000 requests for fixes have been submitted via the mail. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a statement Monday saying it was reaching out to customers who encountered errors during the signup process to assist them in completing applications without going through a formal appeal.
More than 33 percent of eligible Washington residents have signed up for care on the state’s health law online insurance exchange. In New York and California, exchanges see big sign-up numbers. Finally, lawmakers in Florida and Virginia ready plans for insurance exchanges that aren’t part of the health law.
FDA Targets Teens In New Anti-Smoking Campaign
The $115 million multimedia effort, which includes ads highlighting yellow teeth and wrinkled skin to show the costs of smoking are not just financial, is scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday.
New Rule Allows Patients Direct Access To Lab Results
The Obama administration released new regulations Monday that would allow patients to get test results without going through their doctor first. The rules are part of an effort to empower patients and give them more control over their health care.
GOP Campaigns Against Health Law In Mass., Florida Races
Republican candidates criticize Democratic opponents for their embrace of the health law in a closely contested congressional matchup in Florida and in several races in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, The Washington Post’s fact checker awards three Pinocchios to claims by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott about the impact of the medical device tax on small businesses.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Sebelius Urges Kansas, Missouri To Expand Medicaid
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared in Missouri and Kansas to urge officials to accept federal expansion funds, calling it a moral and financial imperative. Meanwhile, a new poll finds support for the expansion in Virginia and news outlets cover developments in Florida and South Carolina.
New Enroll America Health Law Outreach Targets Young Women With Pets
The pet-themed ads are designed to appeal to these women and convince them to sign up for coverage and raise their awareness about the financial assistance for which they may qualify.
House GOP Crafts Debt-Limit Strategy — One Version Involves Repealing A Health Law Provision
The Washington Post reports that some House Republican lawmakers are considering a play that would trade a one-year extension of the debt limit for a repeal of the overhaul’s risk corridors. This provision will be the subject of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing this week.
State Highlights: Va. Lawmakers Disagree On Emergency Mental Health Custody
A selection of health policy stories from Washington state, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Florida.
Obamacare Deductibles, Not Premiums, Cause Sticker Shock
A PwC study finds that insurance premiums for policies sold in new online insurance marketplaces are comparable to, or lower than, those for employer-based policies. However, the deductibles are higher in many cases. Other stories examine how the White House is pushing delivery system changes, such as the creation of ACOs, and how implementation delays could affect the IRS.
First Edition: February 4, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including progress reports on health exchanges in Washington state and New York as well as poll results on Virginia’s Medicaid Expansion.
GOP Candidates To Campaign On State Exchange Glitches
Republican candidates in states that have had troubled exchange rollouts plan to campaign on those problems in gubernatorial and state legislative races later this year, reports The New York Times. Other news outlets report on developments in Kentucky, Oregon, Rhode Island, Maryland, Minnesota, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Expanded Medicaid Offers Opportunities — But Not Without Confusion
News outlets detail how patients still don’t completely understand the benefits that are now available to them.
Innovation Center’s Methods Under The Microscope
The New York Times explores this issue.
GOP Considers Tying Debt-Limit Deal To Repeal Of Part Of Health Law
House Republicans are considering linking their support for raising the national debt to a repeal of the health law’s risk corridors, which helps mitigate risk for insurers. In other news, lawmakers continue to weigh proposals to change how Medicare pays doctors and the House health appropriations subcommittee gets many new Republican faces.
Labor, Chamber Of Commerce Make Clear Where They Stand On The Health Law
Labor union leaders say the Obama administration’s refusal to help with health law provisions they view as unsatisfactory is undermining their support for this year’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is looking at ways to fix, rather than repeal, the overhaul.
