Latest KFF Health News Stories
State Marketplaces Still Plagued By Technical Problems
The New York Times examines how states running their own insurance exchange websites are doing. Meanwhile, USA Today looks at how insurance choices vary across the country.
Health Law Outreach Efforts Try New Enrollment Tactics, Controversial Ads
Colorado officials launch controversial ads geared toward women and Enroll America changes how it tries to get people to sign up for health coverage. In the meantime, Republicans are releasing their own set of ads mocking the law.
Healthcare.gov Troubles Continue To Claim Headlines
The Washington Post offers a not-so-rosy progress report on repairs to the federal online health insurance marketplace. Other news outlets examine what went wrong in terms of the project management and what might be gleaned from the soon-to-be released enrollment numbers.
Some Democrats Supporting GOP Bill Allowing Americans To Keep Canceled Health Plans
Democrats consider or profess their support for a Republican plan that would allow Americans to keep their canceled health insurance plans. In the meantime, fights continue to rage over the health law’s navigators, and in political races.
Policy Developments: SCOTUS Won’t Hear Appeal Of Ruling Striking Down Okla. Abortion Law
The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal of a ruling striking down an Oklahoma abortion law that would have required pregnant women to have an ultrasound before having an abortion. In the meantime, The Washington Post fact-checks an insurance premium claim by HHS Secretary Sebelius.
News outlets report on the pressure coming from both Democrats and Republicans regarding what some are calling President Barack Obama’s “broken promise.”
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
State Regulators Explore Options On Insurance Plan Cancellations
Oregon regulators rejected calls to push back the cancellation dates of 140,000 health insurance policies in the state, even as momentum to delay the cancellations builds among California officials and some national Democratic figures. Meanwhile, PBS NewsHour explores the reasons for the cancellations of policies which are sold directly to individuals.
JAMA Asks Experts To Examine ‘Critical Issues’ In Health Care
The latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, published Tuesday, invited well-known health policy experts to comment on some of the big questions in their fields.
First Edition: November 13, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including not-so-positive predictions about whether healthcare.gov will be fully functional by the end of November.
Early Enrollment Numbers Far Below Administration Targets
The projections, which put the total number of enrollees so far at fewer than 50,000 people, are just a fraction of the tally the Obama administration initially was hoping for.
Insurers Push For Workaround That Would Allow Them To Directly Enroll People
The New York Times reports on this push, which is one of several ways some are discussing to get around the current technology problems plaguing the Obama administration’s enrollment effort. Also in the news, The Wall Street Journal reports that some of these difficulties are trickling down from the federal online insurance marketplace to certain state exchanges.
For vulnerable House Democrats, the task of blunting criticism of the overhaul is especially important. Meanwhile, House Republicans have a plan to keep playing offense on the issue, with a number of votes planned this week.
Challenge Of Signing Up Young Adults; Subsidies Key To Insurance Decisions
NewsHour looks at the efforts in Wisconsin to interest the “young invincibles” in health care coverage. Meanwhile, news organizations in Connecticut and Minnesota look at the complicated calculations for premium subsidies.
Searching For A Fix To The Canceled Policy Problem
Politico reports that finding a fix that won’t disrupt the insurance market is no easy task. Meanwhile, in California, Anthem Blue Cross has announced that it will grant a two-month extension to a portion of its canceled policyholders.
Unlike Health Law Counterparts, Young Adults Can’t Stay On TRICARE To Age 26
Young adult dependents are not allowed to stay on TRICARE until age 26 unlike under the health law, Fox News reports. Some health law fine print means states have significant leeway in deciding how much or how little dental coverage to offer to children.
Senate Compounding Pharmacy Oversight Bill Faces ‘Obamacare’ Test
A Senate vote is planned for Tuesday on whether the federal government can exercise tighter control of compounding pharmacies like the one that killed more than 60 people last year. The vote faces an “Obamacare” hurdle, however, from Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
Tech Companies Ready New Tools To Cash In On Health Law Enrollment
Tech companies are preparing new software and apps to cash in on the million of Americans who will soon be making insurance decisions for the first time. In the meantime, how three 20-somethings were able to get an insurance-shopping website up and running when more than 50 contractors could not.
Lawmakers Face Their Own Health Law Reality: Navigating The Online Exchanges
Lawmakers and some of their aides are preparing to navigate the health law’s online insurance exchanges to buy coverage. An Alaskan senator is declining the employer contribution subsidy to buy coverage, and some senators will ask for a full investigation of the troubled startup of Healthcare.gov.
Oversight Investigation Turns Up CMS Memo About ‘High’ Website Security Risks
But news outlets are reporting that the project manager working on the healthcare.gov website was not made aware of these issues.
