Politicians Continue To Point Fingers As Momentum Fades On Uninsured
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, considered a bellwether, shows that the uninsured rate among adults dropped by only about 1 percentage point from 2015 through this July. Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield asks Congress to preserve a fund some have called a "bailout" for the insurance companies.
Associated Press:
Progress Slows On Uninsured As Health Law Blame Game Goes On
Progress in reducing the number of people without health insurance in the U.S. appears to be losing momentum this year even as rising premiums and dwindling choice are reviving the political blame game over President Barack Obama's health care law. The future of the Affordable Care Act hinges on the outcome of the presidential election, and it's shaping up as a moment of truth for Republicans. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/6)
The Hill:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Urges Congress To Protect ObamaCare Insurer Fund
Blue Cross Blue Shield is lobbying Congress this summer to protect an ObamaCare insurer fund that Republicans have called a “bailout” for companies. The corporation — which insures more than 100 million people nationwide — is distributing a memo to lawmakers warning against some GOP attempts to block the money from going to insurers this fall. (Ferris, 9/2)
And in news out of the states —
Des Moines Register:
Insurance Chief: You Might Qualify For Health Care Exemption
Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart can hardly believe he’s giving some consumers this advice: If you can’t find an affordable, full-fledged health insurance policy, he tells them, maybe you should consider going without one.The Affordable Care Act started requiring most Americans to have health insurance in 2014. But the law offers an exemption for people who can’t find policies that would cost them less than about 8 percent of their household incomes. With premiums on some Iowa policies set to jump by as much as 43 percent next year, more consumers could be eligible for the rarely discussed exemption, Gerhart said in an interview this week. (Leys, 9/2)
The Connecticut Mirror:
CT Health Insurance Rates To Rise Sharply In 2017
Most Connecticut health insurance plans sold through individual and small group markets will undergo steep rate hikes next year, although in some cases, the prices will not go up by as much as carriers had sought. (Phaneuf and Levin Becker, 9/2)
Orlando Sentinel:
State, Feds Offer Conflicting Spins On 2017 Obamacare Rates
Premiums for 14 Affordable Care Act plans — both eligible and ineligible for federal tax subsidies — will increase an average of 19.1 percent in 2017, the state Office of Insurance Regulation announced in a statement released shortly after noon on Friday. But how many Obamacare consumers will actually pay 19.1 percent more next year is open to interpretation. Within an hour of the state's news release came a rebuttal from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, which administers and promotes Obamacare. (Hurtibise, 9/2)
Health News Florida:
Individual Health Insurance Premiums To Rise 19% Next Year
Health insurance rates in Florida are going to jump next year by an average of 19 percent. These are the rates for health insurance plans individuals can buy in Florida. The rates were released by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. People buying health insurance on the Obamacare exchange could be eligible for premium tax credits to make them cheaper. (Aboraya, 9/5)