Latest Morning Briefing Stories
In Florida, 93 Percent Of Enrollees Get Financial Help For Obamacare
Florida and Mississippi had the highest percentage of enrollees receiving a tax credit to help them pay premiums.
Republican Lawmakers Sink Montana Governor’s Medicaid Expansion Plan
A House committee gives the bill a “do not pass” recommendation, which effectively kills Democrats’ efforts to get it on the House floor. A Republican counter-proposal that includes premiums and co-payments for Medicaid enrollees may come out of the state Senate.
Pa. Medicaid Expansion Switch To Be Done By September
The switch from the previous governor’s privatized Medicaid expansion alternative to Gov. Tom Wolf’s traditional plan will take several months because of IT issues.
Slightly More Latinos and African Americans Sign Up On California Exchange
About 37 percent of subsidized Covered California enrollees are Latino, up six points compared with last year, and about 4 percent are African American, up one point.
No Medicaid Expansion? No Problem For Many Safety-Net Hospital Profits
In some of the largest states that did not expand Medicaid, many safety-net hospitals turned in strong performances in 2014, according to financial documents.
Texas GOP Leaders Say They Won’t Expand Medicaid
Republican lawmakers asked the Obama administration for greater flexibility to administer the state-federal insurance program and reiterated their lack of interest in expanding eligibility under the federal health law.
HHS Shifts Money From Cancer, Global Health To Pay For Health Insurance Exchange
Some House Republicans question the transfer of funds, but HHS says the shifts are legal and necessary to operate a marketplace, which is relied upon by 37 states.
Health On The Hill: ACA Heads Back To Supreme Court
Justices to decide if subsidies that help millions afford health insurance are available to residents of more than three dozen states.
Fate Of 500,000 North Carolinians Tied To High Court Case
The U.S. Supreme Court hears a challenge Wednesday to the insurance subsidies available through the federal health insurance exchange used by North Carolina residents.
When Health Care Is Far From Home
The biggest barrier to treatment for residents of a tiny town in the mountains of Northern California isn’t insurance coverage– it’s distance.
More Than One In Four Foster Kids Miss Required Checkups
Although children in foster care have often suffered neglect or abuse, 29 percent failed to receive at least one required medical screening, according to an inspector general’s report.
High Costs Of HIV Drugs On Some Illinois Insurance Plans May Be Discriminatory, Say Advocates
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago has warned Coventry, Humana and two other insurers that their pricing of AIDS drugs may violate the health care law’s protections against discrimination.
5 Things To Know About The Supreme Court Case Challenging The Health Law
Millions of Americans might not be able to afford insurance if the Supreme Court rules the government erred in making subsidies available in all states.
Sign-Up Season Is Over, But List Of Special Enrollment Events Is Expanding
A new regulation takes effect in April that expands the circumstances that enable people to sign up or switch health coverage, even though open enrollment officially ended Feb. 15.
Kaiser Permanente Faulted Again For Mental Health Care Lapses In California
Following up on a critical report in 2013, the California Department of Managed Health Care found Kaiser Permanente had not resolved concerns about providing timely and appropriate access to treatment.
Critics: Medicaid Services Ill. Gov. Rauner Would Cut Save Illinois Money
Some legislators and patient advocates say the targeted services, including dental and mental health services, not only help keep people healthy — they save the state money.
Lesser-Known Florida Insurance Exchange Spends $2.4M, Signs Up 50 People
State legislators created Florida Health Choices in 2008 as a voluntary marketplace for Floridians to purchase coverage, but no subsidized policies are offered.
States Add Dental Coverage For Adults On Medicaid But Struggle to Meet Demand
Dentists say they’re reluctant to see Medicaid patients because they’re typically paid about half as much as they get from private patients.
Government To Grade Nursing Homes On Tougher Scale
Nursing homes now will be graded on their use of anti-psychotic drugs and will have to do more to get top ratings on the federal website Nursing Home Compare.
Texas Has High Stakes in Lawsuit Over Health Law
Nearly 1 million Texans who signed up for health insurance through healthcare.gov would be affected if the court invalidates subsidies in federal exchange states – and not just the ones getting subsidies.
