Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
On The Cusp Of Its Second Enrollment Period, Health Law Still Faces Challenges
The federal health exchange website is live this week for window shopping and people will begin to purchase new health insurance there on Saturday. But the Affordable Care Act still has many political and legal challenges ahead. (Liasson, 11/11)
With the Affordable Care Act to start enrollment for its second year on Nov. 15, some unpleasant surprises may be in store for some. That's because a number of low-priced Obamacare plans will raise their rates in 2015, making those options less affordable. On top of that, penalties for failing to secure a health-insurance plan will rise steeply next year, which could take a big bite out of some families' pocketbooks. (Picchi, 11/12)
Worried consumers have cited that they think their health care premium costs are on the rise, but recent analyses show the price of insurance is going to vary widely – primarily depending on where people live, but also depending on medical providers, the number of insurance companies and how many people ultimately choose to enroll. (Leonard, 11/11)
The Congressional Budget Office thinks a total of 13 million people will be insured through the heath care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act in 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services says, no, it’ll be in the 9 million range. One reason for the discrepancy: The CBO assumes lots of employers will shift more workers from company insurance plans, to the exchanges next year. But in reality, they may not be in any rush. (Marshall-Genzer, 11/11)
One quarter of Hispanics in the U.S. lack health insurance, the highest rate for any racial or ethnic group, according to census data. Reducing that number will be one of the Obama administration’s biggest challenges when it reopens health-insurance exchanges for a second year on Saturday. During the first year’s sign-up period, just 2.6 million of an estimated 10.2 million uninsured Hispanics eligible for coverage enrolled in health plans, according to an October report by the Department of Health and Human Services. (Campo-Flores, 11/11)
