Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Countdown To Health Law Open Enrollment Is On, And Outreach Strategies Are Taking Shape
The Seattle Times: Still No Health Insurance? Open Enrollment Starts Nov. 1
Health-insurance holdouts — people who don’t want or haven’t found coverage in the era of Obamacare — will be the focus starting Nov. 1 as state and federal officials launch the Affordable Care Act’s third open enrollment period. The stakes are higher this time for everyone involved. For people without health insurance, the fines for ducking the ACA’s individual mandate are rising sharply this year — to $695 per adult — to the point where advocates say it might be better just to buy a policy than to pay the penalty. (Aleccia, 10/25)
Politico: The Ben's Chili Bowl Recruiting Strategy For Obamacare
The renowned D.C. eatery will serve up health insurance along with its half-smokes late at night as part of the drive to sign up many of the remaining uninsured — particularly the so-called young invincibles amid signs that Obamacare enrollment is trending older and sicker. Recruiting younger, healthier people is a make-or-break issue as the health law’s third open enrollment season gets underway Nov. 1. While the administration is tempering expectations by projecting only modest sign-up growth, it is intent on recruiting healthier and therefore less-costly people in a bid to keep a lid on rising premiums and ensure the new insurance marketplaces thrive. (Cook and Pradhan, 10/24)
The Associated Press: Illinois Awards $5M For Health Insurance Outreach Workers
Working on a shoestring compared to past years, 10 community groups will help Illinois consumers sign up for insurance during the third annual enrollment period under President Barack Obama's health care law. The Illinois Department of Insurance announced Friday that $5 million in federal funding would go to groups mostly located in Chicago and its suburbs. None of the groups serving southern Illinois last year — the Illinois Migrant Council, the Illinois Public Health Association or the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation — received funding. (Johnson, 10/23)
Los Angeles Times: Obamacare: 36% Of California's Uninsured Don't Know The Feds Can Help Pay Their Premiums
Survey data released Thursday show that 36% of uninsured Californians are unaware of the premium subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act. In contrast, only 16% didn't know about the tax penalty for lacking health coverage. About 90% of the 1.3 million Covered California enrollees receive subsidies, and more than 200,000 people pay less than $50 a month thanks to that financial assistance. (Terhune, 10/23)
California Healthline: Exchange Survey Sets Table For Upcoming Open Enrollment Period
Many Californians don't know they qualify for coverage help in the form of federal subsidies, according to a survey released on Thursday by Covered California. According to the survey, 36% of Californians without health insurance did not know they might qualify for tax subsidies from the federal government to help pay for health insurance through the Covered California exchange. (Gorn, 10/23)
The Charleston Gazette-Mail: Federal Health Secretary Praises WV For Reducing Uninsured
West Virginia has done well in cutting the number of residents without health insurance, but significant health challenges still remain, Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said Friday night. Speaking to a ballroom full of health care advocates at the University of Charleston, Burwell praised the state for its implementation of the Affordable Care Act. (Gutman, 10/23)
