Latest Morning Briefing Stories
With Health Law, ERs Still Packed
Emergency-room visits have increased at many hospitals. A shortage of primary-care doctors is one reason.
Analysis: California’s Enrollment Success Is Its Greatest Challenge
After signing up hundreds of thousands of Medi-Cal enrollees, the state now needs to figure out how to care for them.
Hospitals Seek To Help Consumers With Obamacare Premiums
But insurers oppose many of the premium assistance efforts, saying they would lead to sicker enrollees who will raise costs for everyone.
Vermont Is ‘Single-Payer’ Trailblazer
Vermont plays the maverick again in trying to be the first state to implement a single-payer health care system.
Obamacare Creates ‘Upheaval’ At Free Clinics
With many of their patients now insured under the law, most W. Va. free clinics are choosing to get paid by Medicaid.
Cleveland’s Early Medicaid Expansion Paying Off
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, created its own Medicaid program for 28,000 residents. So far, E.R. visits have dropped 60 percent.
Allynne Noelle: Ballerina Gets Insured
Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, 32, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
Restaurant Owner Struggles To Afford Health Insurance
Sandra Lopez, 41, owns Las Fajitas, a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
The HHS is contacting hundreds of thousands of people with subsidized health plans bought under the ACA to verify their eligibility,
As Ballet Stretches Her Body’s Limits, Insurance Brings Peace of Mind
When you pirouette for a living, injury is nearly certain. But one veteran says coverage under the nation’s health law provided some relief.
California Makes Significant Progress In Enrolling Previously Uninsured, Survey Finds
But more than 40 percent of those who lacked coverage last fall still don’t have insurance.
Groups Sue Tennessee Over Medicaid Enrollment Delays
The plaintiffs accuse state officials of depriving thousands of residents of health care coverage.
Arkansas Weighs Plan To Make Some Medicaid Enrollees Fund Savings Accounts
The state is proposing that many people enrolled in the “private option” Medicaid expansion program contribute between $5 and $25 a month. Those who don’t could face additional medical expenses.
Texas Sees Increased Medicaid Sign-Ups
Even though the state did not expand eligibility under the health law, experts say publicity about the law spurred greater awareness of the program.
Tech-Savvy Subjects Test Exchange Website, Advise Changes
The University of Pennsylvania recruited young people to shop for coverage on healthcare.gov to learn what gave them trouble navigating the site.
Chattanooga’s success in achieving bargain-priced policies offers valuable lessons for other parts of the country as they seek to satisfy consumers with insurance networks that limit their choices of doctors and hospitals.
Mountainous Backlog Stalls Medi-Cal Expansion in California
It’s hard to pin down why applicants are waiting so long for approval, and when the problem will be resolved. Meanwhile, some people are putting off treatment.
Washington And Other States See New Insurers On Exchanges
This story is part of a partnership that includes Capital Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) SEATTLE — Washington State’s health insurance exchange is looking to be an attractive marketplace for new health insurance carriers, according to an early analysis of insurer premium rate filings by McKinsey […]
Survey: Most Buying On Insurance Exchanges Were Uninsured
The most satisfied were those who received subsidies; the least satisfied had their previous plans canceled.
For Women Just Out Of Jail, Health Care Could Be Key To Better Life
Sheriff in San Francisco wants to make sure the 30,000 prisoners who come through the jail system every year have health insurance on the day they’re released.
