Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Shopping Around For Obamacare Coverage: Some Consumers Are Getting 'A Pleasant Surprise,' Others Are Getting Rate Increases And Confusion
Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming Residents May Get A Pleasant Surprise When Shopping For Health Insurance
It’s Open Enrollment time for health insurance and for those choosing their insurance on the federal marketplace there is interesting news for Wyoming residents. Subsidy payments for those in the marketplace have increased and so in many cases, people can get more affordable and possibly better coverage. (Beck, 11/3)
The Denver Post: Why Tens Of Thousands Of Coloradans Choose To Pay A Fine Rather Than Buy Health Insurance
Tens of thousands of Coloradans who could be eligible for free or reduced-cost health insurance instead pay a fine every year for not having insurance at all, according to a new report from a nonpartisan health group. The issue, for many, is the price of insurance. Especially in rural areas of the state, the cost of insurance — even if it is reduced by federal tax subsidies — can still be many times more than the cost of paying the fine, said Joe Hanel, the manager of public policy outreach at the Colorado Health Institute and the report’s author. (Ingold, 11/3)
Concord Monitor: Capital Beat: N.H. Insurance Department Officials Denounce Provider-Mailed Letters
The language is startling: a nearly $400 monthly premium increase for a New Hampshire 2018 health insurance plan over last year’s rates. A letter sent recently by an insurance provider to a New Hampshire resident states that in contrast to the $237 monthly premium the consumer paid in 2017, the cost of that plan next year would shoot to $630 a month if they chose to stay on – despite their federal subsidies. (11/4)
Concord Monitor: After Funding Cuts, N.H. Insurance Navigators Short On Time, Resources
A year ago, Bhagirath Khatiwada had four health insurance navigators on the payroll. His organization, the Manchester-based Building Community in New Hampshire (BCNH), helps sign Granite Staters up for insurance plans on the individual market; the trained navigators play a vital role. But then came a leadership change in the White House – and in health care policy broadly. After the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to outreach and assistance programs for the Affordable Care Act, Khatiwada’s organization saw a 60 percent cut in grant funding. (DeWitt, 11/5)
