Archives: Morning Breakouts

More than 60 percent of those without health coverage are unaware that next week is the current deadline for most people to sign up for individual health coverage, according to the latest monthly tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Another tracking poll by Morning Consult finds that 60 percent of Americans believe the federal health law will increase their personal health care costs.

Some uninsured Americans, among them young adults, are weighing the costs of coverage against potential penalties with only days to go until the end of open enrollment for most people. Meanwhile, Minnesota's health insurance exchange hits its enrollment target.

The justices appeared to be divided on the question of whether companies are entitled to a religious exemption from this mandate. A decision is expected in June.

Opinion writers take swipes at the case before the Supreme Court on the health law's requirement that employers provide contraceptive coverage to their workers.

Justices appeared divided over this case, which involves both issues of religious freedoms and a provision of the health overhaul.

The case, which touches various politically charged issues, could have implications beyond the health law's birth control coverage requirement.

Those consumers had insurance that didn't meet their needs, the report finds. Meanwhile, the Associated Press examines the difficulties Latinos have getting insurance. Members of the nation's largest minority group account for a third of those people nationwide without coverage. But they also face unique hurdles in signing up before the March 31 deadline.

Opponents of the health law argue that the legislative language never says subsidies can be used to defray premium costs for low- and moderate-income people who live in states that did not set up their own online marketplaces and are served instead by the federal exchange. Also, in news about how the law is being implemented, a look at who is exempted from the mandate to get insurance.

Also, ProPublica examines doctor-drug company "double-dipping" at some academic medical centers.

Minnesota officials announced Monday that people who hit technical snags that prevent them from completing the sign up process by March 31 may still be able to avoid the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance.

The analysis by Avalere Health says that consumers who purchased health law coverage are more likely to have to get prior authorization, among other requirements, when filling prescriptions.

The state will send voter registration cards to nearly 4 million state residents who visited the online insurance marketplace to ease voting rights group worries.