Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What To Expect If You're In The Market For New Coverage
CBS News: What You Need To Know About Open Enrollment For Obamacare
Hoping for better health in the New Year? Starting Nov. 15, Americans will have a three-month window to sign up, renew or change their insurance plan during the annual open enrollment period for Obamacare. (Firger, 11/13)
The Wall Street Journal: Consumers Still Confused Ahead Of Health Care Sign-Ups
Just a few days before the re-launch of the health-care law’s marketplaces, many consumers remain confused about key aspects of the sign-up process, including the timing of the enrollment period, presenting a challenge for insurers eager for a smooth opening. The online insurance exchanges are set to go live again Saturday, when people will be able to buy new coverage taking effect on Jan. 1. Insurance companies are required to send letters explaining changes to their customers’ plans before open enrollment starts. (McCabe and Wilde Mathews, 11/13)
The Washington Post: Affordable Care Act Enrollment Sign-Up Guide
Here’s what you need to know about the Affordable Care Act’s second enrollment period, which starts Saturday. (Millman, 11/13)
San Jose Mercury News: Obamacare 2.0: Open Enrollment Period Kicks Off Saturday
The Golden State last year earned high marks when it sliced the uninsured rate from 22 percent to 11 percent by signing up 3.4 million residents in exchange or Medi-Cal plans -- without any of the systemic website problems that plagued the federal exchange and those of many state-run marketplaces. But unlike the first open enrollment period, which lasted 6½ months, the second will span only three months. And most health care experts considered the first year's eager applicants to be low-hanging fruit. This year, the California exchange -- like others around the country -- will have to shake a lot more trees to reach its goal of enrolling half a million more people in private insurance plans. (Seipel, 11/13)
WBUR: What You Need To Know For Saturday’s New Health Connector Launch
In total, the state Health Connector expects roughly 414,000 Massachusetts residents to use its new website to sign up for health insurance between this Saturday, Nov. 15, and Feb. 15, 2015. Beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday — the first day of open enrollment — we’ll know if you can get back on track with a permanent plan, ending a year of frustrating dead-ends online, confusing calls and letters, and uncertainty about your care. (Bebinger, 11/13)
Georgia Health News: What To Expect In Year 2 Of The ACA Exchange
The Affordable Care Act exchange, which begins its second open enrollment period this Saturday, will offer many Georgians lower prices this time around. ... Still, people looking for a second year of coverage in the exchange – or to get a policy for the first time – need to pay attention to many factors besides premiums. (Miller, 11/13)
Arizona Republic: Is ACA Website Ready To (En)roll?
More than 120,000 Arizona residents who get private health insurance through the federal marketplace will find out this week how much they can expect to pay for health coverage next year. When the three-month sign-up period for Affordable Care Act health coverage begins Saturday, most individuals will be automatically enrolled in their existing marketplace plan for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2015. (Alltucker, 11/13)
Health News Florida: Re-enrolling For Insurance? Expect Change
Phil Ammann, a freelance writer in St. Petersburg, was one of nearly a million Floridians who bought a plan on the federal exchange for 2014. And now, he has to shop for a new plan. In 2013, he bought a bronze plan from Coventry One, an inexpensive plan he said wasn't ideal, but it took care of some necessary medical expenses. Like 91 percent of Floridians who bought a plan on Healthcare.gov, he was eligible for federal tax credits that helped pay for part of his monthly premiums. Even more critical than the premium help, he said, was the the piece of the Affordable Care Act that says people can’t be denied coverage based on "pre-existing" conditions. (Watts, 11/12)
News outlets also report on public opinion related to the overhaul and its health plans -
Politico: Poll: Good Reviews For Obamacare Coverage
A majority of Americans give good reviews for insurance they recently acquired through government exchanges within the last year, a new poll shows. With the second round of Obamacare enrollment set to begin on Saturday, 71 percent said their coverage through the exchanges was good or excellent, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. Another 19 percent said the coverage was fair, while nine percent rated it poorly. (McCalmont, 11/14)
The Fiscal Times: Republican Voters Split Over Repealing Obamacare
It’s been just over one week since the midterm elections and Republicans are already back in the fight to repeal Obamacare—this time, with both houses of the soon-to-be GOP-controlled Congress preparing for battle. (Ehley, 11/13)
