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500,000 with canceled health plans still lack coverage

An estimated 500,000 people who received cancellation notices have not yet signed up for new coverage, administration officials said Thursday. That's far fewer than the millions that health law critics said would lack insurance after their old policies were terminated because they didn't meet new standards under the health law.

21 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 20, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the action taken by the administration to relax a health law requirement just four days before the deadline.

20 Dec 2013

Political cartoon: 'Rumpelstilt-Scare?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Rumpelstilt-Scare?" by Nate Beeler.

20 Dec 2013

What if I don't like the coverage offered by my employer?

Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews outlines the health insurance options for people offered coverage at work (12/19).

20 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'repeal trap;' 'insufferable' pajama boy; ADHD epidemic; ACLU's campaign against Catholic hospitals

The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana, reports on a fascinating exchange between GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman and a local meat market owner, Lee Albright, who likes the Affordable Care Act and quizzed the Congressman about the real world implications of the GOP repeal stance (Greg Sargent, 12/18).

20 Dec 2013

'Deluge' of signups reported by some state exchanges

A handful of states with relatively smoothly operating insurance websites have seen enrollment increases of 30 percent to 40 percent this week. But others, including Massachusetts, Maryland and Colorado, continue to experience political as well as technical challenges.

20 Dec 2013

Web-based brokers still unable to enroll consumers

Despite promises of technical fixes by the federal government, Web-based brokers like eHealth are still unable to enroll consumers in Obamacare policies through their own sites as an alternative to healthcare.gov.

20 Dec 2013

Medicaid expansion: Wisconsin's 'third way'; Virginia's health secretary could ease path

News outlets report on various developments related to two state efforts to expand the health insurance program for low-income people.

20 Dec 2013

Minnesota's health exchange turmoil continues

As of Dec. 1, fewer than 4,500 people had signed up for coverage through the state's online insurance marketplace, leading to apologies from its new director and talk of postponing the deadline for enrollment for January coverage.

20 Dec 2013

Poll findings, health law messengers grab headlines

Just as a new poll concludes that people with and without insurance disapprove of the health law at about the same rate, the Obama administration turns to its "top seller" to promote the overhaul.

20 Dec 2013

Insurers extend payment deadline for Jan. 1 coverage to Jan. 10

California, Connecticut and Washington, as well as some other states, have indicated that they will follow slightly different deadlines.

20 Dec 2013

Some Americans reflect on insurance they had pre-health law

Americans who are slated to have new insurance from the health law are reflecting on what their old coverage was like -- if they had it at all. Also, an architect of the Massachusetts health law reflects on the federal health law.

20 Dec 2013

State highlights: Va. governor-elect will keep Republican's health secretary; Ill. gov. shifts Medicaid contract to state employees

Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe will keep Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's health secretary on as his own, a choice that could help the new governor sell Medicaid expansion to wary Republicans but that also infuriates some abortion-rights activists. McAuliffe (D) will announce Wednesday that he will reappoint Dr. William A. Hazel Jr., an orthopaedic surgeon from Northern Virginia who served as secretary of health and human resources under McDonnell (R), two people familiar with the decision said (Vozzella, 12/17).

19 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: New healthcare.gov czar knows something about computer bugs; fears about inadequate drug coverage

Seriously, one has to hope the new guy -- Kurt DelBene, former head of the Microsoft Office Division -- brings only a portion of Microsoft's heritage along with him. Aside from the XBox, the software giant isn't known for great consumer experiences. Its products have been maddeningly complex and notoriously buggy, at least in their early versions. Kind of like HealthCare.gov! (Jon Healey, 12/17).

19 Dec 2013

Ex-Microsoft exec takes over HealthCare.gov fixes

Kurt DelBene, who previously was president of the Microsoft Office Division, was named by President Barack Obama to replace Jeffrey D. Zients and oversee efforts to rescue the federal government's health care website.

19 Dec 2013

Under fire, MNsure director resigns abruptly

Criticized about the launch of Minnesota's health insurance marketplace and about a tropical vacation, April Todd-Malmlov resigned Tuesday.

19 Dec 2013

Maryland insurers agree to delay deadline for Jan. 1 enrollment

For consumers seeking coverage on the state's health exchange, Maryland's insurers will extend the enrollment deadline from Dec. 23 to Dec. 27. Rhode Island also plans to extend its deadline. Meanwhile, news outlets offer updates from Texas, Connecticut, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado and Washington.

19 Dec 2013

Cambia Health Solutions president applauds AHIP's announcement on extension of insurance payment

Mark Ganz, president and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions, and incoming board chair for America's Health Insurance Plans, applauds today's AHIP announcement that health plans are voluntarily extending the deadline for consumers to pay their first month's premium to January 10, 2014.

19 Dec 2013

Obama talks health care technology at meeting with executives

President Barack Obama met privately with executives from several technology companies to discuss the difficulties the administration has had with healthcare.gov.

19 Dec 2013

Study: Insurance market 'death spiral' unlikely

Pushing back against those who warn that low levels of younger subscribers in new insurance marketplaces could lead to a spiral of higher premiums and falling enrollments, Kaiser Family Foundation analysts say the signup of young adults 'is not as important as conventional wisdom suggests.'

19 Dec 2013