Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Idaho ‘Pushing Envelope’ With Health Insurance Plan. Can It Do That?
Many eyes are on the Trump administration to see how officials respond to Idaho’s approach to health insurance, which flouts some aspects of the Affordable Care Act.
In Battleground Races, Health Care Lags As Hot-Button Issue, Poll Finds
The economy and jobs tend to eclipse health care as the top voter concern in competitive congressional and gubernatorial races.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ CHIP (Finally) Gets Funded
In this episode of “What The Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the short-term spending bill passed by Congress that reopened the federal government and funded the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years. The panelists also discussed the health programs still awaiting funding, and the intersection of religion and women’s health services at the Department of Health and Human Services.
How The Shutdown Might Affect Your Health
For some federal health programs, a shuttered government means business as usual. But the congressional impasse over funding will hit others hard.
Podcast: What The Health? Our First Live Show: What The Health Will Happen In 2018?
In this episode of “What The Health?” — taped before a live audience — panelists discuss the potential federal government shutdown and what may be in store for health in 2018. They are joined by former Medicare and Medicaid head Tom Scully.
HHS Nominee Vows To Tackle High Drug Costs, Despite His Ties To Industry
Alex M. Azar II, the former president of the U.S. division of Eli Lilly, says the U.S. drug system encourages price increases — but he intends to work on that problem.
Despite Prod By ACA, Tax-Exempt Hospitals Slow To Expand Community Benefits
The Affordable Care Act mandated that hospitals exempt from taxes work to provide health benefits to the community. But a study finds that has been slow to get off the ground.
Half Of Hospitals In Conn., Del. Hit By Medicare’s Safety Penalties
Seven states saw a third or more of their hospitals punished under the federal heath law’s campaign against hospital-acquired conditions.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ While You Were Celebrating …
In this episode of “What The Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss this week’s news, including release of the administration’s new rules on association health plans, as well as some health-related court rulings and other events that happened around the holidays.
Medicare Penalizes Group Of 751 Hospitals For Patient Injuries
Each hospital will have its payments reduced by 1 percent for the year.
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.
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.
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.
