Latest Morning Briefing Stories
NFL’s Help Sought On Promoting Obamacare Insurance Plans
The Obama administration is seeking the help of national sports organizations, including the National Football League, to persuade young Americans to sign up for insurance coverage.
Texas’ Struggling Rio Grande Valley Presses for Medicaid Expansion
Health providers and patients in Brownsville make do with one of the nation’s highest uninsured rates. With billions in federal funding on the line, Texas counties along the border with Mexico plead their case to Gov. Rick Perry.
How Will The ‘Unbanked’ Buy Insurance On The Exchanges?
One in five households in the United States has only a tenuous relationship with a traditional bank, and many of these people are also uninsured. It’s still an open question how the unbanked will buy insurance on the exchanges.
Feds Make It Easier For States To Enroll Poor Under Health Law
States will have the option to use data from food stamps, other programs, to enroll adults in Medicaid. Officials say the changes are geared to states that are expanding the program next year, but they may also be adopted by others.
State Spending On Consumer Assistance Could Have ‘Huge Impact’ On Marketplace Enrollment
Some states with high uninsured rates get far less money to help people sign up for coverage under the health law.
The Arkansas Medicaid Model: What You Need To Know About The ‘Private Option’
Arkansas has broached what could be a deal-making compromise for states in a stalemate over whether or not to expand Medicaid. The Arkansas model gives Washington the increased coverage for the poor it wants, and Republicans something that looks less like government and more like business.
Hospitals Press States To Expand Medicaid
With billions at stake, hospitals are lobbying hard for Medicaid expansion in Columbus, Tallahassee and other state capitals where state legislators oppose the extension of the program.
Worries Mount About Enrolling Consumers In Federally Run Insurance Exchanges
Few consumers know what they’ll need to do to sign up for the new health insurance marketplaces. Advocates worry about the outreach strategy and funding in states that defaulted to the federal government to run the exchanges.
Why Uninsured Might Not Flock To Health Law’s Marketplaces
Florida programs show that convincing people to sign up for even low-cost coverage is no cinch.
Connecticut Races To Reach Uninsured, Open Health Insurance Marketplace
Officials hope to ‘make history’ by signing up two-thirds of those without coverage after the marketplaces launch nationwide Oct. 1.
As ‘Bodega Clinicas’ Fill Void, Officials Are Torn on Embracing Them
The storefront doctor’s offices serve a vast number of uninsured Latino residents, in a kind of parallel, cash-only health system. But officials have little information on the quality of health care the clinicas provide, and whether they might be able to help fill persistent and profound gaps in Los Angeles’ strained safety net.
A Guide To Health Insurance Exchanges
The new online marketplaces, to be set up by October, are designed to make it easier to buy insurance. But they’re in the middle of a political fight over the health care law.
Health Law’s Promise Of Coverage Not Resonating With Miami’s Uninsured
Miami-Dade has one of the country’s highest rates of uninsured residents, but the issue is not rising to the top of the bitter campaign in Florida.
Romney: People Don’t Die For Lack Of Insurance
The GOP presidential nominee’s claim – in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch – is belied by a large and growing body of academic studies.
Census: Uninsured Numbers Decline As More Young Adults Gain Coverage
The number of people without health insurance fell to 48.6 million last year, or 15.7 percent of the population, the first drop since 2007, according to new census numbers reported Wednesday.
Once Focus of Health Law, Some In Poverty May Be Left Out
Mississippi family’s insurance problems could remain if state decides to follow Supreme Court’s option to decline Medicaid expansion.
‘Rest Of The Country Should Take A Good Look At The Situation In Texas’
Almost one in three people in Houston lacks health insurance, with many dependent on a fraying health care safety net.
Court Challenge Could Result In Medicaid Cutbacks Instead Of Expansion
Under the health law, Medicaid will grow to cover every American with a household income below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. A ruling against the expansion — or the entire law
College Students Bridge Chasm Between Medical Care And Poverty
The volunteers, part of a program called Health Leads, help low-income families connect with social service groups providing food, clothes, housing and other services so that children can overcome some of the obstacles contributing to health problems.
Uninsured And Unaware Of Supreme Court Case Against Health Law
‘What new law?’ ask patients attending a free weekend clinic in rural Tennessee. Few people understood that their future benefits are at stake as the Supreme Court weighs the fate of the federal health overhaul law.
