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Healthcare.gov still under construction

Though the website has been functioning for consumers buying insurance coverage, Politico reports that critical, back-end elements are still being built, which could have adverse effects on insurers and ultimately on next year's premiums.

29 Apr 2014

Relatively few seek relief from the health law's individual insurance mandate

Although people can seek exemptions from this requirement to buy coverage, only about 77,000 have done so, The Washington Post reports. Meanwhile, payment issues are also in the headlines as KHN looks at insurers' efforts to set the 2015 rates for policies on the health law's marketplaces, and the New York Times examines a panel's findings about the law's effects on doctors and hospitals treating many poor patients.

29 Apr 2014

The view from the ground: How the health law is playing

News outlets examine how political stigma, expectations, understanding and misunderstanding are playing roles in the health law's impact in states like West Virginia, Kentucky and Colorado.

29 Apr 2014

Oregon opts for federal exchange

The board overseeing Oregon's nonfunctional health insurance exchange unanimously approved the Obama administration's plan Friday to take over the marketplace, making Oregon the first state to drop its enrollment website for healthcare.gov.

29 Apr 2014

Truven Health Analytics announces acquisition of Fortel Analytics' healthcare fraud technology

Truven Health Analytics, a leading provider of healthcare analytics and data solutions and services, today announced the acquisition of Fortel Analytics' healthcare fraud technology. The acquisition gives Truven Health exclusive access to a breakthrough suite of predictive solutions, analysis methods and analytic technology designed to quickly identify suspicious patterns in healthcare insurance claims data before claims are ever paid.

28 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 28, 2014

Today's headlines include a number of stories examining the impact of the health law in various states.

28 Apr 2014

Mauna Kea receives regulatory approval in Japan for Cellvizio flagship product

Mauna Kea Technologies, leader in the optical biopsy market, announced today it received regulatory approval in Japan for the company's Cellvizio flagship product.

28 Apr 2014

Cover Oregon poised to join federal exchange

With encouragement from the Obama administration, an Oregon panel recommended Thursday that the state pull the plug on its glitch-ridden website and switch to the federal insurance marketplace. The final decision is expected to be made Friday by its exchange board. Oregon built what is widely regarded as the worst-functioning state exchange in the nation.

26 Apr 2014

HHS calls health care providers to expand use of medications to treat opioid addiction, reduce overdose deaths

A national response to the epidemic of prescription opioid overdose deaths was outlined yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine by leaders of agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

26 Apr 2014

Study: Health plans dropped after health law may have been canceled anyway

A new study says the health law didn't lead to more cancellations of health plans than what typically occurs every year as part of the normal churn of the individual policy market.

26 Apr 2014

Research roundup: Structural concerns in ACOs; public's view of mandated contraception coverage

The Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs reward participating health care provider groups that achieve slower spending growth and high quality of care.

26 Apr 2014

Consumers in high-risk pools can sign up for plans until June 30

The federal program that provided coverage for people with chronic health problems, which often prevented them from being able to buy private insurance, is shutting at the end of the month, but participants can buy coverage through the exchanges until the end of June.

26 Apr 2014

Aetna wary about exchange expansion as earnings climb

The insurer, which is participating in health insurance exchanges in 16 states and the District of Columbia, reported strong growth in the first quarter tied to its acquisition of Coventry Health Care Inc. The company said it expected to seek premium increases for next year's exchange plans ranging from "low single digits to over double digits."

26 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 25, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about a recommendation that Oregon switch its troubled health exchange from a state-run marketplace to healthcare.gov.

25 Apr 2014

Viewpoints: Blum's departure is a serious loss; GOP fighting Medicaid expansion with new tactic

The official who matters most when it comes to controlling U.S. health-care spending has just resigned, leaving behind a program with serious fiscal problems that badly needs further reform.

25 Apr 2014

CBO lowers spending forecast for states that expand Medicaid coverage

The Congressional Budget Office updated its February forecast, which pegged the cost at $70 billion over the next 10 years. The new figure puts the cost at $46 billion. In other Medicaid expansion news, Virginia's charged debate on this question appears to be spilling over to other issues before the General Assembly, Louisiana rejects expansion again and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer continues to confront opposition.

25 Apr 2014

Washington, Minnesota tout exchange sign-ups, while Oregon official exits

Another top official for the Cover Oregon exchange submitted her resignation this week, while a technology committee decides whether the state should participate in the federal exchange or fix the existing website with the help of a new contractor.

25 Apr 2014

State highlights: Ohio hospital merger struck down; Okla. abortion drug use limited; Calif. exchange and felons

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered a major health system in northwest Ohio to unwind its merger with a local hospital on antitrust grounds. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati comes amid growing concerns about hospital mergers and their effect on prices against the backdrop of America's health care upheaval (Gershman, 4/22).

25 Apr 2014

Va. lawmakers back at work, but not dealing with Medicaid impasse

Republicans in the General Assembly are opposed to expanding the program for low-income residents, but that could threaten the passage of a state budget. Meanwhile, news outlets look at the issue in North Carolina, Missouri and Arizona.

25 Apr 2014

Health law influences small business owners' decisions

The Wall Street Journal reports that even though the mandate was delayed requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to provide coverage for their workers, the overhaul is affecting how companies are run.

25 Apr 2014