Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Forced To Ensure ACA Plans Have Enough In-Network Physicians To Make Them Usable
Stateline: Trump Administration: Let States Decide If Health Plans Have Enough Doctors
The Affordable Care Act required that health insurance plans sold on the marketplaces in every state maintain a sufficient number of in-network hospitals and physicians, including specialists, in their service area — essentially, that they have an adequate network of providers. Policyholders spend less to see doctors in their network. But the Trump administration last month weakened that federal oversight, potentially forcing patients to turn to more expensive providers, travel long distances for cheaper care, endure long waits for medical appointments or, critics worry, forgo care altogether. (Ollove, 2/6)
The Hill: Pro-ObamaCare Group Launches Ad Against Idaho Rollback
The pro-ObamaCare group Save my Care is launching a TV ad against the Republican governor of Idaho after he moved to roll back ObamaCare rules. “Gov. Butch Otter is putting the interests of his insurance industry contributors ahead of the people of Idaho,” the ad states. (Sullivan, 2/5)
And in other health law news —
The Hill: Blue Cross Blue Shield Sees 'Urgent' Need For Congress To Stabilize ObamaCare Markets
A leading health insurance group said Monday there is an “urgent” need for Congress to act to stabilize ObamaCare markets after the repeal of the individual mandate in December. “There’s an urgent need to stabilize the market,” Justine Handelman, a senior vice president at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, told reporters at a briefing. (Sullivan, 2/5)
Kaiser Health News: Cut In Federal Subsidies Threatens Basic Health Programs In N.Y., Minn.
Comprehensive coverage for more than 800,000 low-income people in New York and Minnesota who pay a fraction of the typical cost of a marketplace plan may be in jeopardy after the federal government partially cut funding this year. The Basic Health Program, in which these consumers are enrolled, was created under the Affordable Care Act to provide another coverage option for people with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($24,280 in 2018) who would otherwise qualify for subsidized marketplace coverage. Only New York and Minnesota have set up such programs. (Andrews, 2/6)
