The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
The online marketplaces, also known as exchanges, sell plans effective as soon as Jan. 1. But they got a rocky launch, with software glitches in some cases and implementation delays in others.
The Obama administration is counting on outreach efforts to enroll Latinos and other immigrants. They tend to be younger than the general population, and so they balance out the costs of older, sicker people in the insurance pool.
They can expect to be bombarded by messages from both proponents and critics of the law.
Children no longer “age out” of their families’ plans so quickly, but for some moving to the health law’s marketplaces will offer new options.
Many are relieved they can no longer be rejected by insurers but anxious about whether they will be able to afford the new policies.
Health insurance is a complicated product. Understanding how the plans work and picking one that suits someone’s needs will take time.
The only state-run exchange in the South faces challenges from political opponents and an uninformed, skeptical public.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, was an early supporter of building a state exchange where residents without group coverage could buy health insurance. He spoke with KHN correspondent Phil Galewitz last week.
Initial reports on enrollment, premium prices and breadth of benefits likely will not reflect long-term prospects.
This chart lists sample premiums in the 36 states where the federal government is running the online insurance marketplaces.
In several states, consumers in high-cost areas will pay at least 50 percent more for the same type of coverage as those in lower-cost areas.
For those who are uninsured, the key to satisfying Obamacare’s requirement to have health insurance could be the new online marketplaces, which are set to open Oct. 1. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know about them.
A coalition of the city’s health department, county clinics and groups like the Urban League and Enroll America is trying to get the word out to Houston’s 800,000 uninsured residents about the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, which will open Oct. 1.
