Exchanges: Critical Piece Of Health Law Implementation
News outlets also are reporting on physician interest in care coordination and a GOP proposal to change the Medicaid eligibility calculations to prevent a reported 3 million early retirees from becoming eligible in 2014.
CQ HealthBeat: Wary, But Intrigued, Health Insurers Eye A Plunge Into The Exchanges
The health benefit exchanges set to begin operation in 2014 represent a lucrative new $60 billion market in which insurance companies will battle for millions of new customers, says a new report on a survey of health insurance executives and consumers. Much of the attention on the health benefit exchanges has revolved around their structure and how fast states are moving to set them up, given the deadlines. But the PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis instead looks at a market that's being born and the opportunities it presents both for business and for people new to health insurance who will be covered through the exchanges (Norman, 7/13).
Politico Pro: Utah: We Can't Do Everything HHS Wants
One of the most closely watched states on health care reform says it will pick and choose what pieces of ACA exchange requirements it will implement, regardless of federal rules. Utah has attracted attention since the early days of reform because of its bare-bones version of a health exchange. Norm Thurston, the state's health reform implementation coordinator, said in an interview Wednesday that the new federal requirements for exchanges are not going to drive Utah's policymaking. "We're just trying to do what's right for Utah," Thurston said. Given the short time frame for reform implementation, "we can't do everything that [federal officials] want us to do anyway, so we're just trying to pick and choose the things that are important to us" (Feder, 7/13).
The Hill: Care Coordination Effort Tops 2,000 Doctors
Doctors are eager to participate in a private insurer's effort to better coordinate health care services, despite widespread skepticism toward a similar effort under the health care reform law. CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield launched the effort in March. Almost 75 percent of the doctors in CareFirst's network are now participating, the company said Wednesday - the largest care-coordination effort of its kind (Baker, 7/13).
The Hill: Millions Would Lose Eligibility For Medicaid Under Republican Bill
A freshman member of the House Budget Committee is working on legislation that would prevent millions of Americans from becoming eligible for Medicaid and federal insurance subsidies. Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) said Wednesday that she plans to introduce a bill next week that would change how the health care reform law calculates who is eligible for government help. The formula has received criticism from Republicans since The Associated Press reported that it excludes Social Security payments, making up to 3 million early retirees eligible for Medicaid starting in 2014 (Pecquet, 7/13).