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Administration Says 700,000 Have Applied For Obamacare Coverage

By Phil Galewitz October 24, 2013 KFF Health News Original

The Obama administration said Thursday that 700,000 people have completed applications for coverage in the health law’s new marketplaces — a key step before people can begin shopping for insurance plans. But a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services refused to break out how many of these applicants came through the 14 state-run […]

In Some States, Most Early Marketplace Enrollees Qualify For Medicaid

By Phil Galewitz October 22, 2013 KFF Health News Original

In several states, most of the people enrolling through new online insurance marketplaces are signing on to Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor. The reason? Many of the uninsured are poor, and applicants don’t have to pay anything to sign up for Medicaid. Shoppers applying for private health coverage through the marketplace […]

After 63 Tries, Reporter Creates Account On Federal Health Exchange

By Phil Galewitz October 17, 2013 KFF Health News Original

After 17 days and 63 attempts, I  finally made it.  I was able to create an account on the federal health insurance exchange at http://www.healthcare.gov — a task which has frustrated millions of Americans. But as soon as I signed in with my name, address and social security number, I got thrown a trick question as […]

States’ Medicaid Decisions Cost Community Health Centers

By Phil Galewitz October 16, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Community health centers will pay a steep price for states’ decisions not to expand Medicaid under the federal health law. A new study by George Washington University researchers estimates that 518 health centers in the more than two dozen states not expanding Medicaid will lose out on $555 million next year because their uninsured patients won’t […]

Report: 5.2 Million Adults Will Fall Into ACA Coverage Gap Next Year

By Phil Galewitz October 16, 2013 KFF Health News Original

About 5.2 million poor, uninsured adults will fall into the “coverage gap,” created by 26 states choosing not to expand Medicaid under the federal health law next year, according to a study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) These people are projected to have incomes too high to qualify […]

Healthcare.gov Offers New Shopping Feature — Sort Of

By Phil Galewitz October 11, 2013 KFF Health News Original

With consumers in 36 states struggling to access a federal exchange website to compare health plans, the Obama administration launched a new online tool Thursday that lets users see premium estimates by state, health plan and two age categories. One of the biggest criticisms of healthcare.gov was that consumers had to create an account before they could even look to see what […]

Hawaiians Still Unable To Shop On State Exchange

By Phil Galewitz October 10, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Hawaii, President Barack Obama’s birthplace, has the only online health insurance marketplace that has not yet launched. Ten days after the Hawaii Health Connector was supposed to allow consumers and small employers to shop and enroll for coverage, officials are using paper applications and referring people to insurers’ websites to check prices.  About 100,000 people are uninsured in Hawaii. It is […]

N.Y. Exchange Says 40,000 Have Applied For Coverage

By Phil Galewitz October 9, 2013 KFF Health News Original

New York’s online insurance exchange on Tuesday said more than 40,000 people have completed applications for coverage so far, though not all have chosen a health plan. Officials from the exchange, called NY State of Health, said these applicants were found eligible to buy a health plan. Nationally, nearly 80,000 people have applied for coverage in the […]

Why Some Veterinarians Have a Bone To Pick With Obamacare

By Phil Galewitz October 8, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Dr. Douglas Aspros says the federal health law is increasing his costs to buy medical equipment, which he has no choice but to pass onto his patients — most whom are uninsured. None of Aspros’ patients, though, will benefit from the law’s expansion of  coverage.  Aspros, you see, treats dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, parrots and other […]

Report: Even States Not Expanding Medicaid Will See Surge In Spending, Enrollment

By Phil Galewitz October 7, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Medicaid enrollment is expected to surge by nearly 12 percent next year in states expanding the program under the health law, but even states that will not expand eligibility project a 5 percent jump in the number of people enrolled in the state-federal health insurance program for the poor, according to a new report issued Monday. Total federal and state […]

Federal Insurance Marketplace Can’t Yet ‘Talk’ To State Medicaid Agencies

By Phil Galewitz October 4, 2013 KFF Health News Original

The health law’s online insurance exchanges were supposed to be a one-stop shop where consumers browsing for coverage could enroll in a private health plan or in Medicaid if they qualified. But that won’t happen with the federal exchange being relied upon by consumers in 36 states, at least not initially. The federal website won’t be […]

Making Sense Of Premium Rates In Insurance Marketplaces

By KFF Health News Editors August 5, 2013 KFF Health News Original

KHN Reporter Phil Galewitz was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday where he talked about health insurance rates in states’ health law marketplaces. Read more: State Premium Watch: Pricing In The New Insurance Marketplaces KHN reporters will be returning to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal each Monday throughout the summer. Tune in each week to stay informed about the […]

What’s In A (Domain) Name? Lookalike Site In Wash. Raises Concerns

By Phil Galewitz October 3, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Washington Healthplanfinder is the name of the state’s online insurance exchange. But a private insurance agency is using the domain name “washingtonhealthplanfinder.org” to sign people up for policies. Confused? State officials want to make certain consumers won’t be. “We are aware of this site and … forwarded to our Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner […]

R.I. Woman Among First To Enroll In Obamacare Exchange

By Phil Galewitz October 2, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Uninsured for more than five years, Leslie Peters says she was “chompin’ at the bit” to get coverage to afford regular medical care that she often has gone without. That’s why as soon as HealthSource RI, the Rhode Island online health insurance exchange, went live  Tuesday, she enrolled. “I was so excited,” said Peters, who lives […]

Marketplace Shoppers Must Pay 1st Premium By Dec. 15

By Phil Galewitz September 30, 2013 KFF Health News Original

Correction: An earlier version of this item misstated the forms of payment insurers are required to accept for plans sold on insurance marketplaces. The only required forms of payment are personal checks, electronic fund transfers, prepaid debit cards, cashier’s checks and money orders. Insurers may also opt to accept other forms of payment, such as credit […]