Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States That 'Went All-In' On Health Law Have Half As Many Uninsured As Those That Didn't
Modern Healthcare: Uninsured Rates Lower In States That Run Their Own ACA Exchanges
The average uninsured rate in states that use the federal HealthCare.gov exchange is nearly double that of states that set up their own public health insurance exchanges, data released by the CDC shows.In the first six months of 2017, HealthCare.gov states had an average uninsured rate of 16.1%, while states with their own exchanges—like California and Colorado—had an average uninsured rate of 8.3%. The disparity in coverage in states that use HealthCare.gov and those with state-based exchanges can be explained, at least in part, by Medicaid expansion. (Livingston, 11/20)
San Francisco Chronicle: A Record Low 6.8% Of Californians Lack Health Insurance, Figures Show
The percentage of Californians without health insurance reached a record low 6.8 percent during the first six months of 2017, according to new estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure, released Thursday, is down slightly from the 7.2 percent uninsured rate from a year ago, which was at the time a record low — and significantly lower than the 17 percent uninsured rate in 2013, before the Affordable Care Act took effect. (Ho, 11/20)
In other news —
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Health Exchange Names New Executive
Michele S. Eberle was named the new executive director of the quasi-public state agency that administers the Maryland health exchange nearly three weeks into the annual open enrollment period for the insurance known as Obamacare. Eberle had been working as the chief operating officer for the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange since 2015 and was chosen by the board of directors on Monday. (Cohn, 11/20)
