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Despite snags, online insurance marketplaces open for business

The technical glitches were complicated by the millions of people who visited the online health exchanges on Tuesday, their first day of operations. For instance, Health and Human Services officials reported that 2.8 million unique visitors had been to the federal website.

3 Oct 2013

Obama admonishes Republicans on 'ideological crusade'

Surrounded by beneficiaries of the federal health law, President Barack Obama blamed Republicans for the government shutdown, noting the law's insurance marketplaces had opened for business even as most of the federal government had shut down.

3 Oct 2013

Small insurers play larger role in health exchanges

Media outlets examine the rise of small insurers in the new online health insurance marketplaces, the expected increases in physician demand and the importance of enrolling young people to balance the costs of caring for those who are older and sicker.

3 Oct 2013

Gov't shutdown takes focus off GOP's Obamacare opportunity

Some say Republicans missed a political opportunity Tuesday to point at the difficulties Obamacare's new online exchanges were having because news of the government's shutdown dominated headlines. In the meantime, Ohio has become a political battleground for fights over the health law as the state is home to both Republican House Speaker John Boehner -- who is central to repeal efforts -- and Gov. John Kasich, whose support for the law's Medicaid expansion has him split from other conservatives.

2 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Today's headlines include news reports about how the health law's new online insurance marketplaces -- glitches and all -- went live at both the federal and state levels.

2 Oct 2013

President says health law is 'here to stay;' GOP mulls new shutdown plan

House Republicans are considering bringing up spending bills to fund veterans' programs, the National Park Service and federally funded services in Washington to help ease the burdens of the shutdown, the New York Times reports.

2 Oct 2013

Out-of-pocket medical expenses to decline for most consumers under federal Affordable Care Act

Out-of-pocket medical expenses will decline for most consumers who become newly insured or change their source of health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

2 Oct 2013

Your guides to buying insurance on the health insurance exchanges

While Americans who get health insurance through their jobs won't need to go there, news outlets have information for consumers who may want to purchase insurance through the new exchanges

2 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Sen. Barrasso warns insurance buyers beware; it will take time to assess marketplaces

Today begins the first phase of Obamacare's big test. The Obama administration has spent months and millions of dollars promising people great benefits from the new government-run health insurance exchanges. Now Americans will see for themselves. ... Instead of lower health care costs and better access to care, here are four reasons for the buyer to beware (Sen. John Barrasso, 10/1).

2 Oct 2013

Obama says marketplaces overwhelmed by demand

In remarks in the Rose Garden to mark the opening of these centerpieces of the health law, the president says federal officials are will overcome the technical problems.

2 Oct 2013

State highlights: NYC's plan to get bids for worker coverage meets roadblock; Iowa waits for Medicaid expansion waiver, readies enrollment

New York City's plan to solicit bids for health insurance for hundreds of thousands of workers has been put on hold. A Manhattan judge on Monday granted a preliminary injunction preventing the City from issuing the bids. A group of unions sued the city Aug. 10, shortly after Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city was planning to seek bids within days. Bloomberg said the request for proposals will look to save up to $400 million a year (10/1)

2 Oct 2013

Obamacare winners and losers

NPR looks at what the federal government can learn from Massachusetts as health insurance exchanges roll out. Other media outlets check in with insurers, Wall Street traders, health care stakeholders and those who had previously been denied coverage in the individual insurance market.

2 Oct 2013

Impasse over health law leads to federal government shutdown

The long-running battle to defund or derail the health law came to a head Monday when Congress failed to approve a short-term spending measure to continue funding the government. For an entrenched group of House Republicans, Obamacare is the sticking point. But a new round of polls finds public opinion doesn't support their strategy.

2 Oct 2013

HHS warns of early hiccups as it premieres insurance website

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is asking the public and press to be patient as the law unfolds.

2 Oct 2013

Chief's personality affects how insurance exchanges will work

The New York Times profiles Gary Cohen -- the head of the consumer office overseeing health reform. And, doctors and other stakeholders weigh in on how the health law will unfold.

1 Oct 2013

As part of Capitol Hill debate, GOP seeks to charge congressional employees more for insurance

Even as House Republicans sought to eliminate federal subsidies for congressional workers, the Office of Personnel Management described how staffers would have to get insurance through small-business insurance exchanges.

1 Oct 2013

50 states, 50 views of health exchanges

Media outlets across the country spotlight the opening of federal and state-run websites that are designed to be a portal into new insurance marketplaces where those without group coverage can compare and purchase plans. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes a fund created by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics to pay the premiums of those who would have been eligible for expanded Medicaid had the state opted into that health law program. The Texas Tribune spotlights potential problems as a result of state restrictions on the navigators who are supposed to act as consumer guides.

1 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 1, 2013

Today's headlines detail how the federal government has been shutdown as a result of the ongoing congressional battle over the health law. Still, even as House and Senate lawmakers were unable to overcome this issue to reach a deal to provide funding to continue government operations, Oct. 1 is still the official launch of the overhaul's online insurance marketplaces.

1 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Health law rollout brings excitement and concerns; new disparities likely in states turning their back on the law; is the coverage affordable?

The United States is embarking on a truly historic journey toward near-universal health care coverage this week. Starting Tuesday, the federal government will make it possible for millions of uninsured Americans who can't get health insurance, or can't afford it, to obtain coverage with the aid of government subsidies. It is a striking example of what government can do to help people in trouble (9/28).

1 Oct 2013

For consumers shopping for insurance on new health exchanges, a lot will be determined by where they live

People who live in states where officials were less enthusiastic about the health law's new online marketplaces will likely have to look harder to find information about them. Meanwhile, coverage costs will vary widely, not just from state to state, but sometimes between cities and regions within the same state.

1 Oct 2013