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In Calif., Anthem leads in enrollment; Md. Glitches blamed on IBM software

At the halfway mark, industry giant Anthem Blue Cross is holding on to a slim lead among health insurance providers with a 31% share of California's exchange market. The Covered California exchange released enrollment figures Tuesday for its 11 health plans from Oct. 1 to the end of December.

24 Jan 2014

Survey finds modest drop in January uninsured rate

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found that the uninsured rate for U.S. adults dropped by 1.2 percentage points in January as the health law's coverage expansion took effect, with the biggest change seen among unemployed people and nonwhites.

24 Jan 2014

Checking the facts: policy cancellations and healthcare.gov enrollment

The Washington Post examines the landmines associated with these statistics. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports on a new lawsuit in which a man claims Humana raised his premiums and then refused to honor his request to cancel the policy.

24 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 23, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about a new survey indicating that the nation's uninsured rate dropped modestly this month.

23 Jan 2014

Latinos see diabetes as the biggest health problem for their families, new poll finds

A new NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health poll was released today on the views of Latinos in America about their health and health care, communities, financial situation, and discrimination in their lives. The poll found that Latinos see diabetes as the biggest health problem for their own families.

23 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: High court weighs home health care workers' union rights; abortion protections becoming 'all but meaningless'

On Tuesday, the justices were presented with a golden opportunity to further increase inequality. The court heard arguments in Harris v. Quinn, a case testing whether home-care providers who work under a union contract with the state of Illinois can avoid paying dues that support the union's collective-bargaining work.

23 Jan 2014

Despite gains, Covered California lags with Latinos

California's health exchange has enrolled more than 625,000 people in private insurance plans, but the state's struggle to reach uninsured Latinos is drawing criticism.

23 Jan 2014

Study identify key barriers associated with lack of cancer screenings in Appalachian women

A new study by University of Kentucky researchers shows that women who never or rarely screen for breast cancer are also unlikely to receive screening for cervical cancer. The study also identified four key barriers independently associated with the lack of these cancer screenings in Appalachian women.

23 Jan 2014

Arkansas official: No back-up if 'private option' Medicaid expansion is blocked

The head of Arkansas' Department of Human Services said he doesn't have an alternative budget if lawmakers block the state's Medicaid expansion plan when they reconvene next month.

23 Jan 2014

Target to drop health coverage for part-time workers

A corporate blog post by the company's human resources chief cited the health plans now available on public health exchanges as part of Target's decision, as well as the fact that only about 10 percent of its estimated 360,000 employees participated in the plan that is being discontinued. Those workers will be given $500 because their current coverage is ending.

23 Jan 2014

Health law touching people who have insurance through their workplace

News outlets examine how the law affects young people and other consumers, taxpayers as well as workplaces.

23 Jan 2014

Maryland advances bill to cover frustrated applicants

The Maryland Senate has sent the House of Delegates a measure to provide immediate health insurance to people who sought unsuccessfully to enroll in the state's troubled health exchange.

23 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 22, 2014

Today's headlines include a report that Target announced its plans to stop offering health coverage to part-time workers.

22 Jan 2014

Miami Children’s Hospital part of a trend: Revealing some price information

The Miami Herald's Daniel Chang, working in partnership with Kaiser Health News, reports: "As health insurance companies shift more financial responsibility onto consumers through higher deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance rates, hospital executives are feeling pressure to reveal their most closely-held secret: prices. Last week, Miami Children's Hospital became one of the first in South Florida to give consumers more information - but not exactly the prices - they need to estimate their out-of-pocket costs, an increasingly important factor when deciding where to seek medical care" (Chang, 1/19).

22 Jan 2014

CIPROMS signs renewal agreement for Zix Email Encryption

Zix Corporation, a leader in email data protection, announces that CIPROMS has signed a three-year renewal for Zix Email Encryption. Providing revenue cycle management to 80 private medical practices throughout Indiana, CIPROMS uses Zix Email Encryption to secure protected health information in email, meet requirements under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and protect client relationships with covered entities that must also comply with healthcare industry privacy and data security regulations.

22 Jan 2014

Views on health law: 'Good start' on enrollment; is reinsurance a 'bail-out' or transfer of industry funds?

Enrollments in health insurance plans through state and federal exchanges are rising rapidly, especially among young adults, making it likely that the Affordable Care Act will achieve a large and stabilizing mix of enrollees by the end of the open enrollment period on March 31 (1/17).

22 Jan 2014

Trials, and a few unexpected triumphs, for insurance exchanges

A procurement document posted on a federal website gives the newest Obamacare contractor until mid-March to build the back end of healthcare.gov, predicting dire consequences if the work is not completed on time. Other media outlets report exchange developments from Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, Georgia and Minnesota.

22 Jan 2014

Cost of care, diabetes are top Latino health concerns

Worries about being able to afford care and about diabetes were among the biggest health concerns among Latinos -- whether they were born in the U.S. or immigrated here, according to the latest survey by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Other media outlets explore the limited options of those living in this country illegally.

21 Jan 2014

Studies providing mixed news on effects of health law

Separate Rand and McKinsey studies examined how coverage will be affected by cost and accessibility of plans on the exchanges. Also, USA Today looked at the less-explored phenomenon of co-ops.

21 Jan 2014

Study provides new information about life expectancy of people with multiple sclerosis

The first large scale study in the U.S. on the mortality of patients with multiple sclerosis has been published and provides new information about the life expectancy of people with the disease. The study appears in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

21 Jan 2014