Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Slow Start, Scant Interest In Small Business Exchanges
The Washington Post: Healthcare.gov’s Insurance Marketplace For Small Businesses Gets Off To A Slow Start
A year after the Obama administration temporarily shelved an unfinished part of HealthCare.gov intended for small businesses, it has opened with reports of only modest technical flaws — but with doubts that it will soon benefit the millions of workers at little companies with inadequate health insurance or none at all. (Goldstein, 11/30)
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Few Choices In St. Louis' Small Business Health Insurance Marketplace
Employees of St. Louis-area small businesses won’t have many options if their employers decide to use the new online health marketplace under the federal overhaul. Missouri was supposed to be one of a handful of states to offer a highly touted “employee choice” feature, designed to let workers pick their own health plans within a designated cost-sharing tier. But, it turns out, Missouri workers won’t be able to take advantage of that option for 2015 coverage. (Shapiro, 11/29)
Politico Pro: Obamacare Decisions Hampered SHOP Growth
The Obama administration has managed to launch the SHOP exchange for HealthCare.gov after a yearlong delay. But it could take years for the new small business marketplace to hit its stride — partly because of the Obama administration’s own decisions about phasing in the new coverage option. (Pradhan, 11/26)
