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Study: Health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements

Researchers at Duke Medicine are giving people another reason to lose weight in the new year: obesity-related illnesses are expensive. According to a study published in the journal Obesity, health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements, even beginning at a recommended healthy weight.

17 Dec 2013

Small businesses wrestle with higher insurance costs, confusion

Many small businesses are facing significant rate increases under the law and have opted instead to renew existing policies, reports The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The law's impact on the Hollywood film and television industry, which relies heavily on freelancers, and the latest extensions granted to those buying coverage in new online exchanges also get coverage.

16 Dec 2013

HHS-Issa tension over HealthCare.gov security continues

In an escalating war over the House's investigation into Obamacare's website failures, Rep. Darrell Issa accused the Department of Health and Human Services of illegally pressuring contractors not to comply with congressional subpoenas, even as those companies turned over the documents in question on Friday. ... the administration had instructed the companies not to give Issa documents that government officials fear could be used to help hackers disrupt the website if they are leaked to reporters or otherwise put in the public domain (Allen and Millman, 12/14).

16 Dec 2013

Americans see health law as to blame for rising costs, eroding coverage

Meanwhile, in the background, President Barack Obama's acknowledgement that his promise that people could keep there coverage was inaccurate continues to make news.

16 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 16, 2013

Today's headlines include findings from an Associated Press poll probing Americans thoughts about the health law.

16 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: States need to expand Medicaid to benefit all; lies about immigrants and doctors; antibiotics and animals

Expanding Medicaid costs states a pittance compared with the financial and social benefits they'll receive. Denying your constituents a chance to get health insurance out of political pique comes perilously close to governmental malpractice.

16 Dec 2013

When will the first premium payment be due?

Although the new rules announced on Thursday finalized the administration decision to extend the enrollment deadline for Jan. 1 coverage until Dec. 23, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also asked insurers to give consumers more time to pay their premiums.

16 Dec 2013

Diabetes most common among older men and those living in the South

About 8.8 percent of the privately insured population in 2012 had diabetes or was diagnosed as being at high risk for diabetes, up from 8.3 percent in 2011, but the rates of disease varied depending on age, gender and region of the country, says a new report from HCCI. In 2012, over one quarter of men between the ages of 55-64 and nearly one in 10 Southerners had diabetes or were at risk for diabetes.

16 Dec 2013

Groups say Md. health insurance exchange problems could leave people without Jan. 1 coverage

In the meantime, despite considering delaying the launch of the exchange, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday that he is confident that problems with the website will be fixed and that the exchange will meet its goal of enrolling 260,000 by the end of March 2014.

16 Dec 2013

Iowa governor, feds shake hands on Medicaid expansion

The agreement follows the administration's announcement Tuesday that it would permit the state to charge modest premiums to enrollees making more than the federal poverty level. Meanwhile, in Arizona, Republican legislators opposed to Medicaid expansion take their case to court.

16 Dec 2013

ACA sets standards to ensure that consumers get coverage options in every state in the U.S.

As health insurance moves to a direct-to-consumer model, identifying where consumers are located and what health plan options are available in local markets is essential. The Affordable Care Act is reshaping the industry and setting standards to ensure that consumers have coverage options in all geographies of every state in the U.S. Companies participating in the Marketplace (Exchanges) are using county market share and penetration rates to identify underinsured opportunities for Medicaid and Commercial market expansion.

16 Dec 2013

Red state residents enrolling in Obamacare at lower rates

People in GOP-controlled states are signing up for coverage in the health law's exchanges at lower rates than those in blue states, reports the Associated Press. Meanwhile, news outlets offer snapshots of how signups are going in Montana, Wyoming, Connecticut, Colorado, Oregon and Washington state.

16 Dec 2013

Poll: Insured Americans blame health law for rising expenses

The AP-GfK survey finds many people think that their increasing health insurance premiums and deductibles are tied to the health law. Meanwhile, Republican officials say they will continue to seek to defund or overturn the law.

16 Dec 2013

Already-covered Minnesotans find better coverage on health insurance exchange, but no subsidies

About two-thirds of people who signed up for coverage on Minnesota's health insurance exchange won't get financial assistance, but are still finding better coverage options there. And the director of the exchange comes under fire for a two-week vacation while problems with the website persisted.

16 Dec 2013

Insurers, officials try to push through website data problems to enroll new customers

A healthcare.gov website data delivery glitch is keeping insurers from fully enrolling people. In the meantime, HHS is asking insurers to allow consumers to pay premiums late and to let them temporarily see doctors who may not be on their health plans.

14 Dec 2013

Feds announce steps in effort to smooth transition to health law, avoid coverage lapses

The Obama administration announced Thursday a series of actions -- including giving consumers more time to pay their premiums and an extension of a high-risk insurance program -- to help prevent lapses in insurance coverage as key parts of the health law kick in on Jan. 1.

14 Dec 2013