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A central health law question: Who is getting covered? Who is getting canceled?

The Associated Press reports that some of the newly insured will now become the faces of healthcare.gov, while The New York Times tells three stories about people who won't be able to keep their coverage.

4 Nov 2013

Most uninsured signing up on health website are going to Medicaid

The Washington Post reports that nine out of 10 new enrollees are in Medicaid. Meanwhile, White House documents turned over to investigators in the House show only six people enrolled on the day the troubled website launched.

4 Nov 2013

Details emerge about key fixers in 'tech surge' to address website issues

News outlets report that the administration's so-called "tech surge" has been somewhat mysterious, but it's becoming clear that the administration has enlisted engineers from a number of major companies.

4 Nov 2013

First Edition: October 31, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the Obama administration's efforts to recover from health law implementation hiccups and challenges.

31 Oct 2013

IQWiG completes first health economic evaluation

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care has completed its first health economic evaluation. The report on antidepressants published on 30 October 2013 shows that the "efficiency frontier method" works and can provide very helpful results.

31 Oct 2013

Aetna selects Swiss Life to offer international health care benefits and services

Aetna, a leading global diversified health care solutions company, has been selected by Zurich-based Swiss Life, a leading life and pension insurer, to offer international health care benefits and services for expatriates out of Singapore to its roster of multinational customers, effective immediately.

31 Oct 2013

State marketplaces have some different issues than the federal health website

California officials worry that highly publicized problems of the federal website will scare customers away from the state marketplace, which is open for business. Meanwhile, news outlets look at issues in New York, Connecticut, Texas and Minnesota.

31 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: House Republicans help themselves, and the country, with smart, tough questions to Tavenner; Kentucky senators out of step with eager constituents; replace health law with single payer system

When House Republicans direct their opposition to Obamacare toward aggressive oversight rather than apocalyptic budget shenanigans, they can do themselves and the country a lot of good. That was obvious when the House Ways and Means Committee posed some smart, tough questions about HealthCare.gov to Marilyn Tavenner, who, as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is perhaps the person most directly responsible for the fiasco. Yes, there were a few "gotcha" questions meant to showcase individual representatives' hatred of the health-care law. But for the most part, the queries seemed designed to find a path toward more competent management of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (10/29).

31 Oct 2013

Sebelius says she is accountable for health website problems

In testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the secretary of health and human services says problems are not acceptable and her department is working hard to fix it. She also rejects complaints that the law is responsible for recent cancellations by insurers.

31 Oct 2013

Policy cancellation letters lead to questions, put White House on the defensive

Even as the Obama administration struggles to recover from the troubled launch of healthcare.gov, a new issue has cropped up that is calling into question one of President Barack Obama's often-repeated health law promises -- that if a person has health insurance they like, they'll be able to keep it.

31 Oct 2013

Researcher receives grant to determine reduction of unintended pregnancies by reproductive life planning

A Penn State College of Medicine researcher has received a three-year, $1.7 million grant to help determine if the number of unintended pregnancies can be reduced through reproductive life planning.

31 Oct 2013

Lawmakers face deadline to decide which staffers will get coverage through health exchanges

By Thursday, lawmakers must make decisions about who among their aides will be obtaining health insurance via the health law's online marketplaces. Many GOP senators have plans to place their staffers on the exchanges.

31 Oct 2013

Sebelius faces withering criticism on and off Capitol Hill

The Health and Human Services secretary is testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee today, as critics question her leadership of the department.

31 Oct 2013

Healthcare.gov contractor says it flagged problems

A House committee released a letter from CGI, one of the main developers of the government's health insurance website.

31 Oct 2013

IRS will face difficulties in collecting health law penalties

When Congress passed the health law in 2010, it also banned the Internal Revenue Service from using its regular enforcement techniques.

30 Oct 2013

AAPS files lawsuit to halt unlawful revisions to ObamaCare

The Association of American Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS) has filed a lawsuit today in federal court to halt the unlawful revisions to ObamaCare (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).

30 Oct 2013

House panel grills CMS chief Tavenner about health law website, insurance cancellations

Tavenner, who oversees the agency responsible for developing Healthcare.gov, apologized for the many problems consumers are encountering as Republicans expand their concerns.

30 Oct 2013

ACA insurance coverage expansions could lead to increased emergency department reimbursements

Researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) found that outpatient emergency department encounters could reimburse considerably more after implementation of the insurance coverage expansions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

30 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 31, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how health law complications are quickly moving beyond problems with the healthcare.gov website to include other issues.

30 Oct 2013

State highlights: Ala., Catholic media group file new lawsuit; L.A. free clinic events still draws thousands; autism coverage in Calif.

The state of Alabama and a Roman Catholic broadcasting network based near Birmingham are again suing over the nation's new health care law. Attorney General Luther Strange and Eternal Word Television Network filed suit Monday in federal court.

30 Oct 2013