Health Insurance News and Research

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First Edition: May 2, 2014

Today's headlines include coverage of the latest round of health insurance enrollment data released by the Obama administration.

2 May 2014

Findings highlight challenges faced by people shopping for health insurance

When selecting a health insurance plan, both uninsured, tech-savvy young adults and uninsured low-income, rural adults had trouble understanding their insurance options. Many selected insurance plans that were more expensive than required for their health care needs, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

2 May 2014

State exchanges spent far more to reach consumers

States that ran their own insurance marketplaces under the health law or those that partnered with the federal government spent significantly more on outreach and enrollment efforts than states that used the federal marketplace, according to a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

2 May 2014

GOP report finds two-thirds of enrollees have paid premiums

The Obama administration questioned the accuracy of the numbers, saying they do not reflect reports from insurance companies themselves, most of which have indicated that 80 to 90 percent of enrollees have paid up.

2 May 2014

State-based marketplaces want feds to decide who is exempted from mandate

At least seven states have criticized an administration proposal to make state-run marketplaces responsible for determining eligibility for mandate exemptions.

2 May 2014

Viewpoints: Health overhaul doesn't necessarily help the sick; single payer doesn't mean cheaper

Now that it's clear that Obamacare is here to stay, its supporters should focus on making the program better. Fixes are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of responsiveness and of good management. And the Affordable Care Act does have its flaws. Here's a big one: It favors screening over diagnosis.

2 May 2014

HealthHIV: Nearly 50% of primary care providers lack knowledge about HIV treatment

Primary care providers who provide clinical HIV care (HIV PCPs) are experiencing rising HIV caseloads from newly insured patients under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), according to a national survey released today by HealthHIV.

2 May 2014

Big companies likely to move employees to health exchanges

A new Standard & Poor's investor report predicted that nearly all workers' coverage would shift by 2020, triggering trillions in savings for them by 2025.

2 May 2014

Virginia gov. says legislation is way to Medicaid expansion

In Missouri, the expansion gets a symbolic committee endorsement, and the governor proposes using federal dollars to help pay for coverage for low-wage earners.

2 May 2014

Different polls attempt to gauge the health law's effects on midterm elections

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that more people think the overhaul is a bad idea rather than a good one. Still, another poll concluded that voters in swing districts are more supportive of fixing it instead of repealing it.A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that more people think the overhaul is a bad idea rather than a good one. Still, another poll concluded that voters in swing districts are more supportive of fixing it instead of repealing it.

30 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 30, 2014

Today's headlines include a new round of articles exploring recent polls and politics related to the public's view of the health law.

30 Apr 2014

New health system scorecard reveals wide health gaps among states

States made little progress in improving health care access, quality, and outcomes and lowering costs in the five years preceding implementation of the major coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (2007-2012), according to the Commonwealth Fund's third state health system scorecard. The majority of states declined or failed to improve on two-thirds of the 34 scorecard indicators that could be tracked over time.

30 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: New poll points out inconsistencies among health law's opponents; protecting vets; Calif. restaurant nutrition info missing

The case against the Affordable Care Act rests on the premise that the free market can better provide health insurance to the nation's 54 million uninsured than a government program can. But what does it mean if many of the same people who oppose Obamacare also object to the cost of covering more people through the market? A telephone survey by Bankrate.com asked 3,496 people how they would react if a business tacked on an extra 25 cents to every bill to help cover the cost of health insurance for its employees. Among Democrats, 70 percent said they would approve.

30 Apr 2014

Post-ABC news poll: Half of Americans say health law's implementations worse than expected

Meanwhile, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll concludes that there is a disconnect between people's perception of the health law's enrollment and the actual sign up total. In addition, Fox News reports on a Bankrate survey finding people don't appear to mind paying added fees if those costs increase workers' access to health insurance.

30 Apr 2014

State highlights: Mixed reaction to new telehealth guideline; Calif. mental health grants; Conn. nurse practitioners

The Federation of State Medical Boards approved a model telehealth policy this weekend that's made some providers of these services happy and others, well, not so much, because of its emphasis on using video rather than audio technology for a first patient visit (Conn, 4/28).

30 Apr 2014

Missouri Gov. makes last-ditch Medicaid expansion effort

Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, proposed using the federal money to pay a portion of the private insurance costs for businesses with fewer than 150 employees, but the idea was quickly shot down by Republican legislators officials.

30 Apr 2014

Administration looking for new companies to run health marketplace

Federal officials lay out specifications for companies who will take over the website as they seek to make sure the sign-up effort does not run into repeat problems during next fall's enrollment season.

29 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 29, 2014

Today's headlines include a report that the Obama administration is looking for new talent to run healthcare.gov.

29 Apr 2014

Magellan Health Services reports net revenue of $966.5 million for first quarter 2014

Magellan Health Services, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter 2014, as summarized below. For the quarter ended March 31, 2014, the company reported net revenue of $966.5 million, segment profit of $76.5 million, and net income of $25.7 million, or $0.92 earnings per share (EPS).

29 Apr 2014

With first open enrollment season behind them, states move ahead -- though slowly

Marketplace reports on the lessons learned by states operating their own online health insurance exchanges and how these experiences will affect the year ahead. In related news, the Colorado exchange reports that it's on track to meet its goal for this year while New York health officials say they will not require out-of-network coverage on next year's Affordable Care Act plans.

29 Apr 2014