Open Enrollment 2018

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Farewell, Individual Mandate

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss health issues in the emerging tax bill, including the likely repeal of fines for those who fail to obtain health insurance. They also talk about the end of “open enrollment” for 2018 individual health insurance coverage.

Consumers Who Froze Their Credit Reports Could Hit A Glitch Enrolling In Insurance

The federal marketplace generally uses credit reports to help verify identities, but that doesn’t work if consumers have put a security freeze on them — as some did after the Equifax breach this year. Workarounds for this issue exist, but they make the process more time-consuming.

Sign-Up Deadline Is Friday, But Some People May Get Extra Time

Although in most states the insurance marketplace deadline is Friday, some consumers might be entitled to a special enrollment period if their 2017 plan is being discontinued or they are from states designated by the federal government as hurricane disaster areas.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Is Health Care Spending Still The Hungry, Hungry Hippo?

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of the Wall Street Journal, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger Katz of The New York Times discuss new health spending numbers from the federal government, as well as how the year-end legislating in Congress is being complicated by health issues.

For Marketplace Customers Who Delay, Auto-Enrollment Could Be Nasty Wake-Up

People who have a plan from the health law’s marketplace and who don’t actively shop for a new one will be auto-enrolled on Dec. 16. But unlike past years, most people won’t be able to change those plans if they don’t like them.

Middle-Class Earners Weigh Love And Money To Curb Obamacare Premiums

Ineligible for subsidies, a Tennessee woman quit her job to get an affordable health care premium. Conventional steps — such as maxing out your 401(k) contribution each year — may also do the job, financial planners say.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Taxes, Medicare And The Year-End Mess

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the possible impact of the tax bill on the Medicare program, confirmation hearings for a new secretary of Health and Human Services and the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Meanwhile, In Other Health News…

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News discuss some of the under-covered health stories of the past several weeks, including drug price issues, the opioid epidemic and women’s reproductive health.