Drug Discount Policy For Hospitals, Clinics Under Scrutiny
Critics argue that some facilities using the program should not be eligible and that the money they receive from the sale of the discounted drugs is not always being plowed back into patient care.
HHS Releases New Details About 2014 Marketplace Premiums, Subsidies
Federal officials on Wednesday released new data about who enrolled in the federal health marketplace plans for 2014, how much the law’s subsidies helped offset the cost and how many plans people from could choose from, among other details. “What we’re finding is that the marketplace is working. Consumers have more choices and they’re paying […]
Most Americans Say The Health Law Has Not Affected Their Families: Poll
More than four years after enactment of the health law, six in 10 Americans say neither they nor their families have been affected by the sweeping measure, according to a poll released Friday. Among those who say the law has impacted them, Republicans are much more likely to say their families have been hurt by the […]
During Confirmation Hearing, Burwell Pledges Support For CHIP
Advocates of the Children’s Health Insurance Program cheered Thursday when President Obama’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services said she supports continued funding for the program, which covers about 8 million low-income children whose families’ income exceeds Medicaid’s eligibility guidelines. During a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing, Sylvia […]
Castellani: Health Law’s Cost-Sharing Could Limit Patient Access To Prescription Drugs
Enrollees in some of the health law’s most popular plans will face high cost-sharing requirements that the pharmaceutical industry says could keep patients from getting the drugs they need. Most silver plans in the online marketplaces, or exchanges, require patients to pay for prescription drugs as part of the plan’s deductible, while nearly all bronze plans do, according […]
Public Overwhelmingly Supports Law’s Contraceptive Mandate, Poll Finds
By a nearly two-to-one margin, the public supports the health law’s requirement that private health plans cover prescription birth control without cost-sharing, according to a poll released Tuesday. The provision, which is at the heart of a case being weighed by the Supreme Court, was endorsed 61 to 32 percent and was most popular among women, younger […]
Consumers In Federal High-Risk Pools Get Special Enrollment Option For Marketplace
Participants in the federal high-risk health insurance pool who haven’t yet signed up for other coverage can qualify for a 60-day special enrollment period that begins May 1, the Obama administration announced late Thursday. In a notice posted on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan website, officials said that participants in the high-risk program who have not […]
Sebelius Resigns; Obama Names OMB Chief Burwell To Head HHS
The cabinet member who shepherded the implementation of the health law told the president last month that she wanted to leave after open enrollment was finished, a White House official says.
As Insurance Enrollment Exceeds 7M, Obama Says Health Law ‘Here To Stay’
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1 The Obama administration took a victory lap Tuesday as enrollment through the health law’s exchanges topped 7 million, a goal previously thought untouchable when the website healthcare.gov sputtered and crashed as sign-ups began last fall. In a statement in the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama, said, “The debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care […]
What Happens Next On The Health Law?
As the first open enrollment period draws to a close, here are seven things to watch for clues about what the health law’s future might hold.
Obama Announces 6 Million Have Signed Up For Insurance
More than 6 million people have signed up for health insurance through the health law’s state and federal online marketplaces, or exchanges, since Oct. 1, the administration announced Thursday. President Barack Obama, who is traveling in Europe, announced the number in a conference call with groups that are helping consumers sign up for coverage. In a blog […]
AHIP President Calls For New Level Of Insurance Under Health Law
http://static.c-span.org/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.1395167746.swf?pid=318396-1 A new tier of coverage should be added to the health law’s online marketplaces, or exchanges, that would be less comprehensive than what plans are now required to offer, the head of the health insurance industry’s trade group said Sunday. “I would create a lower tier, so that people could gradually get into the program, […]
Federal High Risk Pools Extended For A Month
Participants in the federal high-risk pool created in the health law will have another month to find coverage, the Obama administration announced Friday. In a notice posted on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan website, officials announced that program enrollees who have not yet purchased coverage through the health law’s online marketplaces, or exchanges, could keep […]
Rep. Ryan Quizzes Sebelius On Increased Savings Estimate From IPAB
The panel hasn’t had a meeting and no one’s even been nominated for it yet, but the Obama administration’s fiscal 2015 budget request says the health law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as IPAB, could save the government triple what officials estimated last year. On Wednesday, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., asked Department of Health and […]
Medicare Officials Back Away From Changes To Prescription Drug Plan
Facing heavy bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill as well as from patient groups, businesses, insurers and others, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Monday it did not plan to move ahead “at this time” with several proposed changes to the Medicare prescription drug program. The draft regulation, which had been released in January, would have wide-ranging […]
Changes To Health Law Rules Include Extra Month To Enroll In 2015
Some consumers will also get more time to keep plans that don’t meet all the law’s requirements.
HHS Seeks $600 Million For Health Law Enrollment Efforts
Republicans have refused in the past to fund the federal online marketplace so health officials are looking at other ways to get the money.
Three Key Changes Proposed For Medicare Part D
Among the elements of the proposal that consumers might notice are changes in what drugs will be “protected” so that they are more readily available to seniors, how many plans are offered and what pharmacies will be offering the best deals.
Administration Faces Opposition To Changes In Medicare Prescription Drug Program
Officials say proposed alterations would help seniors and save money but some patient groups and the drug industry are raising concerns.
Rep. John Dingell, Long-Time Champion Of Health Legislation, Will Not Seek Re-Election
Another health care legend is retiring on Capitol Hill. Rep. John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who was a key player in many health care battles in Congress, including enactment of the 2010 health care law and his push for a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Monday he […]
