Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Despite Compressed Sign-Up Period, ACA Enrollment Nearly Matches Last Year’s
HHS announces that 8.8 million people signed up for coverage through the federal insurance marketplace.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ 2017: The Year In Health Policy
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 this week’s news, including health issues in the just-passed tax bill and a look back on the year in health policy.
No Sweeteners Added To Tax Bill To Spread Use Of Health Savings Accounts
These accounts are exempt from taxes and linked to high-deductible health plans. Republicans tried last summer in their unsuccessful efforts to replace the health law to make the accounts more enticing for consumers, but they didn’t make those changes in the current tax bill.
Not-So-Happy New Year: Alabama Set To Toss Kids Off Insurance Plan Starting Jan. 1
Funding for the joint federal-state Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Oct. 1, and Congress has not yet agreed to a plan to continue the popular coverage.
Canada’s Single-Payer Health System: What Is True? What Is False?
It’s a regular part of the politically charged debate over health care. But the lines sometimes blur between rhetoric and how Canada’s system actually works.
Mirando al norte: ¿puede un sistema de seguro universal funcionar en EE.UU.?
El senador independiente por Vermont, Bernie Sanders, es un promotor de este sistema de pagador único, que ha desarrollado Canadá.
Looking North: Can A Single-Payer Health System Work In The U.S.?
American single-payer advocates want to emulate Canada’s system. But many Canadian experts say the U.S. first needs to address some basic questions.
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.
Good Deals For Some, Sticker Shock For Others As ACA Enrollment Winds Down
In Tennessee, an Obamacare consumer saw her rate go from $750 to just $5 a month. But a man in Maryland had to buy a less comprehensive plan to keep his costs under $1,000 a month. Income and geography determine prices for health insurance in the fifth year of Affordable Care Act 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.
Why Do People Hate Obamacare, Anyway?
It’s not just ideology; a lot of people don’t understand what the law does or how it works.
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.
Sen. Collins’ Strategy To Stabilize Insurance Market Raises Doubts Among Analysts
Even if the Republican from Maine can get her party to go along, her suggestions to bolster the individual insurance market may be too little, too late.
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.
Consumidores atrasados: la inscripción automática puede ser una pesadilla
Es mejor loguearse en la cuenta y hacer los cambios necesarios. No hacer nada puede significar sorpresas desagradables, especialmente en el costo de las primas en 2018.
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.
Challenges Abound For 26-Year-Olds Falling Off Parental Insurance Cliff
Insurance has often been a tough-sell among these young people because they are often healthy and choosing a plan is complicated. A shorter enrollment and less outreach could dampen enthusiasm.
Empeora la salud de trabajadores agrícolas, a medida que la fuerza de trabajo envejece
Con una migración en baja, hoy en día la edad promedio del trabajador agrícola en California, 90 por ciento de ellos hispanos, es de 45 años. Enfrentan más problemas de salud.
Brokers Tout Mix-And-Match Coverage To Avoid High-Cost ACA Plans
But buyer, beware. Cobbling together “packages” designed to cover gaps in high-deductible health plans could shortchange consumers, warn advocates.
Health Risks To Farmworkers Increase As Workforce Ages
Harvesting U.S. crops has been left to an aging population of farmworkers whose health has suffered from decades of hard labor. Older workers have a greater chance of getting injured and of developing chronic illnesses.
