Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House To Vote On Measure To Help Consumers Who Lost Coverage When Co-Ops Collapsed
The House on Wednesday will consider a bill that would exempt people who lost their insurance coverage because a co-op closed from the Affordable Care Act鈥檚 individual mandate. The measure seeks to help consumers of three co-op insurance plans who have had their coverage interrupted this year because the co-op through which they purchased insurance failed mid-year. The Ways and Means Committee approved the measure by voice vote earlier this month. Republicans say people whose coverage is stopped because their insurer closes their doors shouldn鈥檛 be fined for not having coverage the rest of that year. (McIntire, 9/26)
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee sent shock waves Monday across Tennessee with the company's decision to exit the Obamacare exchange in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, a move that highlights persistent volatility in the young health insurance marketplace. (Fletcher, 9/26)
Blue Cross Blue Shield will continue to offer health insurance plans in all 254 counties in Texas in 2017, the company said in a statement Monday. According to the statement, BCBS has worked closely with state and federal regulators to finalize participation and will offer products both on and off the Obamacare exchange. (Rice, 9/26)
Salaries and bonuses were up across the board last year for top leaders at Health Care Service Corp., the Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurer in five states. The top 10 executives cumulatively earned $56.7 million in 2015鈥攖he same year in which HCSC suffered substantial losses in the Affordable Care Act exchange markets. (Herman, 9/26)
