Report: Prescription barriers more likely in exchange plans

The analysis by Avalere Health says that consumers who purchased health law coverage are more likely to have to get prior authorization, among other requirements, when filling prescriptions.

Modern Healthcare: Exchange Plans Pose More Prescription-Use Barriers 
Patients covered by exchange-based insurance are more likely than those in employer-sponsored plans to face utilization management controls-;such as prior authorization and step therapy-;in filling their prescriptions, a report Monday from healthcare consultancy Avalere Health contends (Tahir, 3/24).

Meanwhile, exchange developments in California and Minnesota are tracked -

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Insurance Agents Key To California Success Enrolling Asian-Americans
While Latino enrollment has lagged in California's insurance marketplace, Asians have signed up in numbers outstripping their representation in the pool of eligible people. According to new Covered California data, the overwhelming majority of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese enrollees are buying plans through certified insurance agents, as opposed to community groups or the Covered California website (Aliferis, 3/25).

MinnPost: MNsure: Legislators Likely To Keep Hands Off Health Exchange This Session
Key DFL lawmakers don't want to act on legislative changes to MNsure this session, making it very unlikely that the health exchange will be substantially transformed through political action. Republicans have introduced a bunch of bills – many of them amendments they proposed to the initial MNsure legislation last year – to reshape its governing board authority, legislative oversight and budgeting process (Nord, 3/24).