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As the clock ticks down, premium information still elusive in some states

The St. Louis Beacon reports that Missouri consumers will have to wait for the Oct. 1 launch date to get answers about how much the new coverage will cost. Other news outlets offer state-specific coverage of how the marketplaces are taking shape and what types of impact they might have.

18 Sep 2013

New polls highlight the health law's uphill climb

A poll by the Wall Street Journal/NBC News found that many Americans still don't understand the overhaul and don't think it will help them. Also, A USA Today/Pew poll finds that the public view of this sweeping initiative is still very negative.

17 Sep 2013

GOP keeps health law in political sights as others join in

Republicans continue their drumbeat for defunding and repealing the health law with a menu of political moves -- including taking a page from a powerful conservative group's playbook and making fundraising and radio address appeals.

17 Sep 2013

Final countdown on for health exchange launches

Federal officials are happy with what may turn out to be a soft launch of the health law's insurance exchanges Oct. 1. In the meantime, states are busy readying consumers for the exchanges' kickoffs with informational sessions and campaigns designed at creating a better-informed public.

17 Sep 2013

Obama blasts GOP efforts to defund health law

About the looming debt and deficit issues in Congress, Obama blasted the ongoing Republican insistence that his signature health care law get defunded as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling. "I think it's fair to say that never in history have we used just making sure that the U.S. government is paying its bills as a lever to radically cut government at the kind of scale that they're talking about," Obama said. "It's never happened before.

16 Sep 2013

Obama administration turns down unions' request on health law

Organized labor had sought to get premium subsidies for workers who get insurance through union benefit plans sponsored by more than one employer, which are common in some industries.

16 Sep 2013

Federal data system for health exchanges passes a test

Reuters reports this system has now been tested and certified as secure. Meanwhile, Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly confused by the media blitz surrounding the law's new online insurance marketplaces.

13 Sep 2013

The final push for Obamacare

News outlets report on the ambitious plans of a handful of health insurance co-ops starting from scratch after being funded by the law, how smokers may be charged higher premiums if they don't take cessation classes and the challenge of explaining the law in multiple languages.

13 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 12, 2013

Today's headlines include a range of stories related to the politics and policies in play as Oct. 1 -- the health law's big day -- quickly approaches.

12 Sep 2013

Some House GOP lawmakers take hard line position against health law funding in debt limit debate

As Republican leaders unveiled a plan to avert a government shutdown, they faced the challenge of building support for the proposal within their own ranks because it does not defund the health law. Some within the caucus reacted with skepticism.

12 Sep 2013

House to consider measure to hold Obamacare exchange subsidies until applicants' income is verified

In other news on Capitol Hill: Sen. McConnell's close ties to Humana are examined, the Senate eyes legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration greater oversight of compounding pharmacies, and Republican lawmakers are questioning Obamacare's hiring practices.

11 Sep 2013

House GOP to advance bill to fund gov't until mid-December

The Republican leadership is also contemplating how to handle pressure from conservatives demanding they cut off all funding for the health law. Those members plan a rally Tuesday to build momentum.

10 Sep 2013

Sen. Barrasso warns of health insurance marketplace cost 'sticker shock'

The former orthopedic surgeon from Wyoming also warned that the law is too expensive and used the weekly GOP address Saturday to push for its repeal.

10 Sep 2013

Controversial navigators are central in health law's outreach efforts

State officials opposed to federal overhaul target nonprofit groups that the federal government is counting on to help consumers.

10 Sep 2013

HHS readies $12M ad campaign to promote health law in 13 states

The advertisements, which will begin airing Sept. 30, will encourage consumers in a group of predominately red states to sign up for insurance available through the health law's new online marketplaces.

7 Sep 2013

For health exchanges, will soft launches lead to hard landings?

CQ HealthBeat examines whether the new online insurance marketplaces will be ready to go on Oct. 1, and what possible delays might emerge and how those delays could impact the exchanges' effectiveness. Also in the headlines, reports from Delaware, Kentucky, Washington, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia.

7 Sep 2013