Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ryan, Obama To Meet As House Prepares For Vote On Overriding Veto On Health Law Repeal
Bloomberg: Ryan To Dine With Obama, Then Try To Override His Veto
Paul Ryan is set to attend his first formal meeting as House speaker with President Barack Obama on Tuesday morning. A few hours later, Ryan’s House will seek to override Obama’s veto of a bill gutting much of the president’s signature health-insurance law. The timing may not bode well for their prospects of finding common ground, but it will be a chance for both men to gauge what, if anything, can be accomplished before the election stifles the prospects of any major legislation. (House, 2/2)
Politico: Obama To Meet One-On-One With Paul Ryan This Week
President Barack Obama and Paul Ryan will meet one-one-one for the first time since the Wisconsin lawmaker became speaker of the House last year. ... “This is something that they discussed when the president called Speaker Ryan to thank him for his work passing an omnibus budget proposal at the end of last year,” [White House Press Secretary Josh] Earnest said. (Collins, 2/1)
Kaiser Health News: N.Y., Minn. Opt For Low-Cost Plans To Help Some Residents Afford Coverage
In January, more than 350,000 lower income New Yorkers began paying $20 a month or less for comprehensive health insurance with no deductibles and low copayments, under a federal health law program. Minnesota has similar coverage in place through the same program, with more than 125,000 enrollees. The two states are using a provision of the health law to create a “basic health program.” And even though the coverage is significantly more affordable than the alternative — subsidized marketplace plans — health policy experts say it’s unlikely other states will follow suit. (Andrews, 2/2)
The Associated Press: Third Time's A Charm As MNsure Beats Enrollment Goal
MNsure announced Monday it had signed up more than 85,000 consumers into private health care plans in the latest round of open enrollment, eclipsing a critical registration goal by luring a large share of new customers to buy insurance through the exchange. Chief executive Allison O’Toole credited improvements to MNsure’s website and call center since the exchange’s disastrous launch in 2013 for surpassing the goal of signing up 83,000 plans. (Potter, 2/1)
The Columbus Dispatch: Home News Insurer Drops OhioHealth; 9,000 Patients Could Be Affected
People who buy coverage through Ohio's health-insurance marketplace typically cannot sign up after the open-enrollment period ends. There are some circumstances that can trigger a special enrollment period — the loss of a job, a move, the birth of a child — but an eleventh-hour change in a plan's provider network isn't one of them. (Sutherly, 2/2)
