Latest Morning Briefing Stories
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.
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.
Churning, Confusion And Disruption — The Dark Side Of Marketplace Coverage
The Affordable Care Act has increased the number of people with insurance, but shopping around for plans puts a burden on patients, especially this year.
Pace Of U.S. Health Spending Slows In 2016
Dramatic increases in spending that came with the influx of newly insured consumers in 2014 and 2015 appear to be moderating.
Facebook Live: A Status Check On Obamacare Enrollment
In this chat, KHN’s Julie Appleby offers a progress report on the 2018 sign up season.
‘I’ve Never Been This Busy’: As Marketplace Deadline Nears, Navigators Feel The Pinch
With less federal funding and marketing, local groups are feeling the pressure to keep up enrollment in the plans offered through the federal health law’s marketplace.
‘Rock Star’ Navigator On Mission To Clear Health Insurance Hurdles For Vietnamese
In Texas, the uninsured rate among Vietnamese immigrants is nearly double the national rate. Navigators there are working to reverse that.
Deciden bajar sus salarios para poder tener seguro a través del Obamacare
Para este matrimonio de Tennessee, la diferencia de salario significó tener una prima de $87, frente a una anterior de $2,100.
Middle-Class Earners Weigh Love And Money To Curb Obamacare Premiums
Ineligible for subsidies, a Tennessee woman quit her job to get an affordable health care premium. Conventional steps — such as maxing out your 401(k) contribution each year — may also do the job, financial planners say.
California Winces At Trump’s Turn Back To ‘Bad Old Days’ Of Health Plan Associations
State leaders vow to protect consumers from a presidential order to resurrect a health plan model that they say could destabilize the insurance market.
Congress Isn’t Really Done With Health Care — Just Look At What’s In The Tax Bills
Even though congressional Republicans set aside their Obamacare repeal-and-replace efforts this year, here are five major health policy changes that could become law as part of the pending House and Senate proposals.
Desperate For Coverage: Are Short-Term Plans Better Than None At All?
As stopgap health plans gain attention as possible alternatives to Obamacare, consumers are advised to read the fine print.
