As I noted a couple of weeks ago, for 2016 HealthCare.Gov has added several very welcome new features. Early window shopping at HC.gov will be starting later than expected this year due to some last-minute technical issues with two of the new tools, but it looks like they're going to resolve this by simply delaying the launch of some of them as necessary in order to bring the ones which are ready live. The following press release just showed up in my in box; assuming the listed improvements all work properly (!), all of these should be incredibly helpful in both streamlining and (hopefully) increasing enrollment for #OE3.
UPDATE: Also, I've received confirmation from HHS Spokesman Aaron Albright that yes, Window Shopping at HealthCare.Gov will launch on Sunday, October 25th.
I admit that given the carnage of the past couple of weeks, I'm almost afraid to post this entry...but I had to write something positive about the CO-OP situation.
With the ACA-created CO-OPs seemingly dropping like flies due to the #RiskCorridorMassacre, I thought this would be a good time to flip things around and look at which CO-OPs are doing well (or at least not badly).
This isn't much, but it'll do for now:
Wisconsin's insurance department says it has no intention of shutting down its #ACA co-op, which appears it will remain solvent next year.
Fresh on top of the Covered California data drop, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (the 3rd-largest state-based exchange after California and New York) has published an updated, detailed enrollment report:
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which operates the state’s insurance marketplace,Washington Healthplanfinder, today announced over 1.5 million Washingtonians accessed health coverage through wahealthplanfinder.org from Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015.
The announcement was part of a new Health Coverage Enrollment Report that includes an updated enrollment total of 152,517 individuals in private health plans – called Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) – as well as executed enrollment for more than 1.4 million Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) eligible enrollees.
COVERED CALIFORNIA RELEASES REPORT ON CALIFORNIANS’ KNOWLEDGE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN ADVANCE OF UPCOMING OPEN ENROLLMENT
Awareness of Covered California Is High, but Many Who Are Uninsured Still Don’t Know They Are Eligible for Financial Help to Buy Insurance
SACRAMENTO — With new research showing that many uninsured consumers who can benefit most still do not understand they can get financial help to buy health insurance, Covered California announced on Thursday that it will launch its third open-enrollment period Nov. 1 by spotlighting basic information about health insurance offerings, enrollment and care.
“We cannot ignore the reality that too many uninsured Californians still don’t know they can get financial help to buy brand-name insurance through Covered California,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “We are going to take to the airwaves and hit the road with a new campaign to make sure consumers know what we offer and where they can enroll.”
Just a quickie: Among the many, many attacks on the ACA over the past 6 years, one which never really took hold was the claim that the ACA would make things so cumbersome and unpleasant for physicians that it would cause a massive shortage of doctors to handle the burden (of course, the fact that the "burden" would consist of "millions of people receiving healthcare for the first time in years or decades" always seemed to be left out).
There’s unprecedented interest in becoming a doctor as applications to U.S. medical schools hit an all-time high this year of more than 52,000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The association, which represents all 144 accredited U.S. medical schools and nearly 400 teaching hospitals,said the 52,550 total applications this year were up 6.2% from 49,480 in 2014.
Consumers’ Choice Health Insurance Company Agrees to Wind Down Its Operations
COLUMBIA, SC – Consumers’ Choice Health Insurance Company (Consumers’ Choice) has agreed to a voluntary run-off and will not offer health insurance coverage in 2016.
“This was a difficult decision for the insurer and this agency, but this is what is in the best interests of South Carolina consumers and health care providers,” said Ray Farmer, Director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
“The recent announcement of a risk corridor reimbursement of just 12.6% cast doubt on the collectability of tens of millions of dollars through the federal risk corridor program and led to an unavoidable outcome,” said Jerry Burgess, President and CEO of Consumers’ Choice.
12 days ago, private Wyoming health insurer WINhealth, in business since 1996, was among the 5 (and counting) victims of the horrific Risk Corridor Massacre, which has already taken the lives of at least 4 ACA-created CO-OP insurers:
WINhealth sent along this release saying: As of October 8, 2015, WINhealth has chosen not to participate in the individual market, to include the federal exchange, for the 2016 plan year. The decision not to participate stems from a recent announcement from the federal government regarding the risk corridor program .
UPDATE: I'm promoting this to the top of the front page for a bit. I didn't think this particular bit of nonsense from the Heritage Foundation would gain much traction because it sounded so absurd, but it apparently is being spewed via FOX News, Hot Air and other right-wing outlets, so debunking it has taken on a higher priority. I've also tidied up some of the wording for better readability.
Before I get into this, let me make one thing clear: I have made plenty of factual data mistakes myself over the past two years, and there have been times when I've made overzealous claims which were later proven to be false.
I posted about the House v. Burwell federal lawsuit (aka "The Return of the King...vs. Burwell", or "King v. Burwell Part 2") twice before: First in July (only a week after the Supreme Court's King vs. Burwell decision), and then again in early September:
Nick Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, said it's not an "earth shattering surprise" that the court is allowing part of the lawsuit to go forward.
But the judge also opened a pathway to the part of the lawsuit that could be most damaging to the law, he said.
"Holding that the administration lacks the authority to cover the cost of those reductions would create a real mess on the ground," Bagley said.
"It inserts the court into the middle of a political food fight," he said.
