Maryland Claiming Success With Its ‘Revamped’ Online Insurance Marketplace
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, ConnectiCare Benefits has claimed the largest share of new customers who enrolled in health plans via the state exchange, while MNsure officials report significant progress in signing Minnesotans up for coverage despite some difficulties with the exchange system. Also, in Florida, a conflict of interest emerges as federal officials raise concerns about a public relations firm's effort to promote a state marketplace that doesn't provide the health law's subsidies.
The Associated Press:
Md. Calls Revamped Health Care Exchange A Success
Maryland’s public health secretary is calling the state’s revamped health-insurance exchange a success as the second enrollment period hits a milestone. Thursday was the deadline for obtaining coverage starting Jan. 1. The enrollment period began Nov. 15 and continues through Feb. 15. (12/19)
Connecticut Mirror:
ConnectiCare Leads The Pack In New Obamacare Enrollment
ConnectiCare Benefits Inc. has the largest share of the market so far among new customers signing up for insurance coverage through Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT. So far, 19,402 new customers have signed up for plans through the exchange. Of those, 44 percent selected ConnectiCare, while 31 percent chose plans offered by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Connecticut’s largest carrier. (Levin Becker, 12/18)
Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
MNsure Enrollments Up, But Getting Data To Insurers Troublesome
MNsure reported progress Wednesday on hitting its enrollment goal for 2015, but an insurance industry official said the exchange still isn’t getting workable information to health plans about those who are signing up. (Snowbeck, 12/18)
Minnesota Public Radio:
More People Enroll In Health Plans Through MNsure, But Private Insurers Have Complaints
The state's online insurance website, MNsure, has seen dramatic increases in public and private health plan enrollments over the past several days. But one insurance carrier, Ucare, is complaining that MNsure's problems providing reliable information on consumers is placing the health plan at a competitive disadvantage. (Zdechlik, 12/18)
The Miami Herald:
Feds Tell PR Firm Not To Promote Florida Health Exchange
The federal government has told Tallahassee-based public relations firm Salter Mitchell that it cannot promote the state's health insurance marketplace, a long-time client, because of a conflict of interest, according to the state and the firm. Salter Mitchell also works for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administer healthcare.gov, the federally run healthcare exchange. The firm relayed the federal decision to Florida last month, saying that it would not be able to market the state exchange during the open enrollment period, from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15, when Americans can sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. (Nehamas and McGrory, 12/19)
Efforts to cut the Internal Revenue Service's budget could impact enforcement of the health law -
The Associated Press:
IRS Head Says Budget Cuts Aimed at Hurting ACA Could Delay Tax Refunds, Enforcement
Budget cuts at the IRS could delay tax refunds, reduce taxpayer services and hurt enforcement efforts, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday. The $10.9 billion budget is $1.2 billion less than the agency received in 2010, and the cuts come as the IRS is starting to play a bigger role in implementing President Barack Obama's health care law. Some Republicans in Congress have vowed to cut IRS funding as a way to hurt implementation of the health care law. Koskinen has said it won't work. He said the IRS is required to enforce the law, so other areas will have to be cut, including taxpayer services and enforcement. (Ohlemacher, 12/19)
In addition, The Washington Post Fact Checker takes a look at some of Jonathan Gruber's comments about the health law and subsidies -
The Washington Post's The Fact Checker:
Gruber’s After-The-Fact Explanation Of His Obamacare Remarks
Is this after-the-fact explanation plausible, in the context of his remarks in 2012? Was there ever a possibility the federal government would not set up an exchange for states that chose not to operate their own? (Hee Lee, 12/19)