Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Shopping For A Plan On The ACA Marketplace? Funding Cutbacks Mean Fewer Guides To Help
The New York Times: Shopping For Insurance? Don’t Expect Much Help Navigating Plans
When the annual open enrollment period begins in a few days, consumers across the country will have more choices under the Affordable Care Act, but fewer sources of unbiased advice and assistance to guide them through the labyrinth of health insurance. The Trump administration has opened the door to aggressive marketing of short-term insurance plans, which are not required to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Insurers are entering or returning to the Affordable Care Act marketplace, expanding their service areas and offering new products. But the budget for the insurance counselors known as navigators has been cut more than 80 percent, and in nearly one-third of the 2,400 counties served by HealthCare.gov, no navigators have been funded by the federal government. (Pear, 10/27)
The Associated Press: Shoppers May Face Hard Choices Again On Health Marketplaces
Insurance shoppers likely will have several choices for individual health coverage this fall. The bad news? There’s no guarantee they will cover certain doctors or prescriptions. Health insurers have stopped fleeing the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces and they’ve toned down premium hikes that gouged consumers in recent years. Some are even dropping prices for 2019. But the market will still be far from ideal for many customers when open enrollment starts Thursday. (Murphy, 10/28)
USA Today: Insurance Open Enrollment 2019: How To Choose The Right Plan, Benefits
Every fall, open enrollment season means complicated forms to read and big decisions to make about insurance and other benefits offered at your job. You may find the process a headache, but taking the time to evaluate your choices could save you thousands of dollars. Three out of five (60 percent) workers say their employer offers an open enrollment period for benefits, according to a recent Nationwide Financial consumer survey. Workers typically can switch health care plans, add disability or life insurance, or sign up for other benefits. (Herron, 10/29)
The Oregonian: For Oregonians, Rate Hikes Ease But Still Sting: 2019 Insurance Guide
But stability doesn't equate to affordability. Consumers continue to feel the sting of higher costs, whether they get their coverage through the individual market or an employer. It's not just rising premiums; deductibles, co-pays and maximum-out-of-pocket expenses (the dreaded MOOPs in insurance parlance) are high and getting higher. All this adds up to some eye-popping sums, particularly for the approximately 150,000 Oregonians who buy insurance on the individual market. One Portland-area woman just got word from Providence Health Plan that the monthly premium for her and her spouse and two grown sons will jump 24 percent, from $1,270 to $1,577 a month. Their deductible will go from $7,350 to $7,900, a 7.5 percent increase. (Manning, 10/28)
The Oregonian: Moda Health's Roller Coaster Ride To Recovery: 2019 Insurance Guide
The first three years of the Affordable Care Act were a roller coaster — not just for customers but also for insurance carriers. No local carrier has traveled as turbulent a road as Moda Health, the Portland company that jumped headlong into the new market created by Obamacare and almost didn't live to tell the tale. ...The Moda saga offers a glimpse of both the promise and the chaos wrought by the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act. Company officials contend Moda was a victim of its own idealism. Eager to make the Affordable Care Act work, Moda officials moved aggressively into the new markets the legislation created. It expanded its presence in Alaska and Washington. (Manning, 10/28)
