Affordable Care Act

Early December brought a foot of fresh powder to the resorts of Vail, Colo., but some residents are still steaming.

High Insurance Rates Anger Some Ski-Country Coloradans

2:36pm December 13, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Gas, groceries and rents are all pricier in Summit and Eagle counties than in Denver, just a hundred miles away. Health insurance costs a lot more in these mountain communities, too, and some folks are crying foul. Their congressman — a Democrat — is asking the feds for relief.

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Joey Cappuccitti, who works at a Maximus call center, talks with a person looking for help with New York's insurance exchange.

New York's Insurance Exchange Readies For Holiday Rush

10:55am December 09, 2013

by Fred Mogul

As a Dec. 23 enrollment deadline for health insurance that starts Jan. 1 looms, New York state is staffing up its call center and smoothing out the rough spots on its application to meet growing demand. As time runs down, the state is trying to fix technical and design issues that came up when the site debuted in October.

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HealthCare.gov Now Allows Window Shopping, And A Do-Over

6:31am December 06, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Probably the best feature of the retooled HealthCare.gov website is that you can actually use it. People are now able to get a customized list of plans and prices, and click through to see an insurer's provider directory. Still, better though it is, it's clearly not 100 percent.

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Insurance help isn't easy to find in many Iowa counties.

In Rural Iowa, Distance Makes Health Care Sign-Ups A Challenge

10:05am December 02, 2013

by Sarah McCammon

Right now, there are about a dozen full-time navigators and a few part-timers to help 200,000 Iowans make decisions about health insurance. In the countryside, it's particularly hard to get help to people who want it.

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Tim Wilsbach was pleasantly surprised to find better health coverage with a lower deductible on California's health insurance marketplace.

These Californians Greeted Canceled Health Plans With Smiles

1:28pm November 26, 2013

by Stephanie O'Neill

Insurance cancellation notices have sparked a political firestorm. President Obama proposed a delay, but California's health exchange board rejected that fix. Now, despite initial outrage, some people in the state who lost their plans are finding better coverage and good deals on the marketplace.

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Health & Safety

Health Exchanges Brace For A December Deluge

1:11pm November 25, 2013

by Julie Rovner

After a rocky start, the HealthCare.gov website is supposed to be able to handle 50,000 simultaneous users by the end of the month. That figure would represent about double the site's current capacity. An expected surge in demand will present a new test.

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Health & Safety

Families USA: 71% of Individual Health Care Market Eligible for Subsidies

10:31am November 25, 2013

A study released last week by Families USA claims that less than one percent of those with individual health coverage are likely to lose their current insurance.

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Low-income adults formerly had few options for free health care. Leah Sessor had her blood pressure taken on April 14, 2012, during a free clinic at a racetrack in Bristol, Tenn.

Medicaid Enrollment Is Brisk Despite HealthCare.gov Troubles

11:16pm November 20, 2013

by Julie Rovner

If you advertise it, they will come. Sign-ups for Medicaid are brisk, even in states that haven't expanded their programs with an infusion of federal dollars. Experts call that the "woodwork effect" — getting the word out to people who were already eligible.

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Health & Safety

State Expedites 2014 Health Insurance Rates to Stave Off Cancelations

12:10pm November 20, 2013

State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is taking steps to reduce the number of health insurance cancelations as a result of the Affordable Care Act. More than 473,000 North Carolinians have received notice from their insurance companies that their plans have been terminated. Goodwin announced last week an expedited review for insurers to speed up the 2014 rates.

The authors of the Affordable Care Act included ways to offset the anticipated cost of subsidies.

How The Affordable Care Act Pays For Insurance Subsidies

3:44pm November 19, 2013

by John Ydstie

The health care law is helping low- and middle-income Americans pay for their insurance. Where does that money come from? In part, it is a matter of the well-off helping pay for those who have less. But that's not the full answer.

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