Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Officials Prepare For ‘Biggest Open-Enrollment Season We’ve Ever Seen’
With 100 days until Obamacare marketplaces open, much work remains to be done — here’s where they stand.
Blue Cross-Blue Shield Bets Big On Obamacare Exchanges
The Blues are expected to offer health plans nearly everywhere and are supporting marketing campaigns in key states such as Texas and Florida, where political opposition to the health law has been strong.
GAO Report Points To Challenges In Setting Up Federal Health Insurance Marketplaces
The report says that the administration “has many key activities remaining to be completed.”
Health Law Provisions To Expand Kids’ Dental Coverage May Fall Short, Advocates Say
Some lawmakers and children’s advocates say that without changes, certain health law provisions designed to expand children’s dental coverage may not work as intended.
Tax, Accounting Firms See Opportunity In Health Law
With a new slew of complicated laws and regulations on the books, someone has to interpret them for average Americans and the business community.
Finding Answers About Health Coverage
With provisions of the health law kicking in, consumers are likely to have more questions. One of the biggest will be where to search for answers and assistance.
Your Smartphone Might Hold Key To Your Medical Records
Hospitals and clinics are slowly replacing paper files with electronic health records, but information often isn’t easily shared. Smartphones may be one way consumers can bridge the electronic gap.
Hospital CEO Bonuses Reward Volume And Growth
As the country tries to rein in skyrocketing health costs, hospital leaders are still rewarded for expansion and profits. A KHN investigation, in collaboration with ABC News, looks at employment contracts and incentive pay at nonprofit hospital systems.
Questions And Answers About KHN’s Hospital CEO Bonus Story
How did Kaiser Health News choose and compile the data on hospital CEO bonus pay? Here’s a list of questions and answers.
How Does The CEO Earn His Bonus? At Most Hospitals, It’s Hard to Know
Despite concerns over the rising cost of medical care, hospitals — even nonprofit ones — give their CEOs large bonuses, and it’s often hard to know just why they’re earning them.
Some Top Hospitals Shun CEO Bonus Pay
Some hospitals view bonuses for CEOs as a way to improve performance, but the leaders of some top hospitals believe all bonuses may be a mistake.
How Does The Health Law Affect Premiums For Smokers?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about how the health law affects insurance for smokers and programs to help them quit.
NYC’s Answer To Proton Therapy Controversy: One For All
New York City has a very different approach to proton beam therapy, a controversial high-tech radiation treatment for cancer, than other major metropolitan areas. Hospitals were encouraged to collaborate and a medical “arms race” was avoided.
Federal Rule Allows Higher Out-Of-Pocket Spending For One Year
The health law sets maximum limits on what consumers are required to pay, but officials are giving a one-year grace period in certain cases.
Can I Stop My Health Reimbursement Account From Being Drained?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about who pays first when there is coverage from two insurance plans.
Entrepreneurs At Health ‘Datapalooza’ Ask Feds For More Data
The White House is trying to spur innovation by releasing more of its data from Medicare, Medicaid and other sources. But technology business leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. this week said the federal government could be a lot more forthcoming with information.
Advocacy Group Seeks To Force Employers To Give Pregnancy Coverage To Dependents
The National Women’s Law Center files complaints with HHS alleging that five institutions discriminate against women by excluding pregnancy coverage from the health insurance benefits that they provide to employees’ daughters.
FAQ: Insurance Pricing Will Vary On Online Marketplaces
Consumers want to know: Will health insurance cost more, less, or about the same on the new health insurance exchanges?
Sebelius Faces Questions About Calls To Outside Groups
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defended herself Tuesday against Republican criticisms of calls she made to outside organizations asking them to support a nonprofit group promoting outreach to consumers about their insurance options under the health law.
‘Will My Family Be Eligible For Subsidized Coverage?’
Health insurance columnist answers questions about coverage subsidies for families in the health law, Medigap and rules for workers whose companies operate in more than one state.
