Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Zip Code With Most Obamacare Sign-Ups Favors GOP
CNN: Zip Code With Most Obamacare Enrollments Votes Republican
In the last presidential election, which was dominated with rhetoric about the Affordable Care Act, this community voted roughly 58% to 42% in favor of Mitt Romney. It's a red island in a sea of blue, when you take into account that surrounding Miami-Dade County has gone for a Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1992. While the national party still lists repealing the health law and replacing it with an alternative, in Hialeah, the business of Obamacare is booming. (De Diego, 3/6)
Los Angeles Times: Oregon Abolishes Its Hopelessly Bungled Health Insurance Exchange
A bill dissolving Cover Oregon, the state's dysfunctional health insurance exchange, has been signed by Gov. Kate Brown. The measure, which had bipartisan support, transfers responsibilities for the Oregon exchange to the state Department of Consumer and Business Services. ... Cover Oregon was plagued by problems almost from its onset. No Oregonian was ever able to enroll online in a private plan under the Affordable Care Act because the state exchange never had a functioning website, forcing insurance seekers to file paper applications. (Masunaga, 3/7)
Politico Pro: New Mexico Drafts Proposal On Leasing Healthcare.gov
New Mexico has pitched CMS a proposal for the state to lease HealthCare.gov to keep enrolling individuals in Obamacare. Ever since federal officials denied a $98 million grant request late last year, New Mexico has been evaluating whether it should move ahead to build its own exchange website or pursue a lease arrangement for the federal site’s technology. (Pradhan, 3/6)
