Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Short-Term Insurance Plans Will Siphon Off Healthier Patients And Split Market Place, Opponents Warn
The Washington Post: Trump Proposal Could Mean Healthy People Save On Insurance While Others Get Priced Out
The Trump administration’s proposal to build up short-term health insurance plans as a "lifeline" for people who can’t afford Affordable Care Act coverage could split the insurance market in two, siphoning young, healthy people into cheaper, more minimal plans — while those who remain in ACA plans face premiums that spiral upward even faster. The comment period ends Monday on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposal to extend short-term plans to 364 days, from the current three-month limit. (Johnson, 4/23)
The Hill: Insurer Group Issues Warning On Trump Administration's Short-Term Health Plan Proposal
The nation's largest trade group for health insurance companies is sounding the alarm on a proposal from the Trump administration that would expand the sale of plans that cover fewer services. America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) says the proposal could lead to more people being uninsured or underinsured and result in higher health-care costs in the long run. (Hellmann, 4/23)
The Washington Post Fact Checker: Is Health Care The ‘Number One Issue In America’?
Politicians are often eager to cite polling as a reason for action. In an article that highlighted a proposal by [Sen. Chris] Murphy and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to allow individuals and large employers to purchase health insurance coverage through Medicare, Murphy described health care as the “number one issue” in America. Does polling back up that assertion? (Kessler, 4/24)
And in other news —
The Hill: ObamaCare Call Center Contractor Accused Of Wage Theft
The federal contractor that operates ObamaCare call centers was accused of wage theft totaling more than $100 million over five years in complaints filed Monday. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) brought the complaints with the Department of Labor, alleging that the contractor, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), has been underpaying its workers. (Sullivan, 4/23)
Kaiser Health News: 4 New Hardship Exemptions Let Consumers Avoid ACA Penalty For Not Having Health Insurance
There are already more than a dozen reasons people can use to avoid paying the penalty for not having health insurance. Now the federal government has added four more “hardship exemptions” that let people off the hook if they can’t find a marketplace plan that meets not only their coverage needs but also reflects their view if they are opposed to abortion. It’s unclear how significant the impact will be, policy analysts said. That’s because the penalty for not having health insurance will be eliminated starting with tax year 2019, so the new exemptions will mostly apply to penalty payments this year and in the previous two years. (Andrews, 4/24)
