Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Phantom Exchange Enrollees May Haunt Health Insurers As Sign-Ups End
Modern Healthcare: Anxious Insurers Wait To Get Paid As Exchange Sign-Ups End
Visions of phantom exchange enrollees may be haunting health insurance executives as the open enrollment period winds down. Thursday was the deadline for people to sign up for Affordable Care Act of 2010 plans in most states. Preliminary federal data show that sign-ups are down, but not as much as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and others predicted. (Tepper, 1/16)
The Washington Post: Trump Targets A Familiar Villain For Soaring Health Costs
President Donald Trump has been channeling public anger over health care costs in recent weeks, pillorying “money sucking” insurers and alleging that “BIG, BAD Insurance Companies” have been “ripping off the public for years.” Following in his tracks, a Congressional committee scheduled a meeting Thursday to hear testimony from five health insurance executives who will also make easy targets of populist outrage: Their individual compensation packages reach as high as $23 million. (Whoriskey, 1/20)
Updates from Connecticut, Florida, and New Jersey —
The CT Mirror: CT Official: $70M In Health Care Subsidies Coming, Despite Delays
Though Gov. Ned Lamont pledged $70 million in early December to partly offset vanishing federal aid for health insurance, prices quoted by the state’s health exchange don’t reflect that assistance yet — and might not until late March. (Phaneuf, 1/20)
WUSF: Higher ACA Premiums Squeeze Florida's 'Working Stiff' As Enrollment Numbers Plunge
The cost of health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace is up, and Florida saw the largest number of people fall off the rolls compared to any other state in the nation, according to government data released last week. (Sheridan, 1/20)
Asbury Park Press: Obamacare Subsidies Die; Here's What NJ Health Insurance Buyers Are Doing
As health insurance subsidies expire, New Jerseyans covered by the Affordable Care Act are opting for plans that have lower monthly premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs, state health officials said. (Diamond, 1/20)
Related news about the high cost of prescription drugs —
Stat: Florida Proposes Cutting Eligibility For An AIDS Drug Program, Causing Panic
In a surprise move, Florida officials are proposing drastically reducing eligibility for the state AIDS drug assistance program, which critics say will force thousands of people to seek help to obtain HIV medicines and thwart efforts to combat the infectious disease. (Silverman, 1/20)
Politico: This Pharmaceutical Executive Has Trump's Ear
Corporate CEOs trying to figure out how to get on President Donald Trump’s good side need look no further. David Ricks, CEO of the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly, is putting on a masterclass. Trump demonstrated his affection on Friday when he — not for the first time — praised the company executive. “The head of Eli Lilly, and I really mean it, an unbelievable executive, an unbelievable guy, one of the most successful companies,” Trump said during remarks about his “Great Healthcare Plan.” (Lim, 1/17)
