Next ObamaCare crisis: Small-business costs? – “Think the canceled health policies hurt the ObamaCare cause? There’s another political time bomb lurking that could explode not too long before next year’s elections: rate hikes for small businesses. Like the canceled individual health plans, it’s another example of a trade-off that health care experts have long known about, as the new rules for health insurance prices create winners and losers.†(Politico; 12/17/2013)
Obama administration relaxes rules of health-care law four days before deadline – “The Obama administration on Thursday night significantly relaxed the rules of the federal health-care law for millions of consumers whose individual insurance policies have been canceled, saying they can buy bare-bones plans or entirely avoid a requirement that most Americans have health coverage.†(The Washington Post; 12/19/2013)
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45 States Still Haven’t Hit 10 Percent of Enrollment Goals for ObamaCare – “Let’s make this simpler. The only states that have reached 10 percent of their enrollment goals are California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island; Kentucky is close.†(National Review Online; 12/17/2013)
EXography: States say most uninsured still won’t be covered in 2014 – “More than two-thirds of the estimated 46 million uninsured Americans still won’t have health insurance at the end of ObamaCare’s first year of operation, according to forecasts by the 50 states.†(Washington Examiner; 12/16/2013)
Less than 1,000 health care enrollments in Delaware – “Delaware Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf told the state health care commission that 793 Delawareans had chosen an insurance plan under the federal Affordable Care Act as of Dec. 12 and had paid the first month’s premium. The announcement marks the first time officials have said how many Delawareans have actually paid for coverage under the ACA.†(The Washington Post; 12/16/2013)
California’s health exchange botched letters to 114,000 households – “Adding to consumer confusion ahead of a major enrollment deadline, California’s health insurance exchange sent flawed eligibility notices to nearly 114,000 households due to a computer error.†(LA Times; 12/18/2013)
Insurers adjust deadlines in response to HHS – “Major insurers agreed to extend deadlines for premium payments until Jan. 10 for consumers who select their plans by Dec. 23. Doing so would give consumers insurance coverage that’s retroactive to Jan. 1, the trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans said Wednesday.†(USA Today; 12/18/2013)
Colorado college students face job losses due to ObamaCare – “Students in the University of Colorado networks could see their full-time jobs cuts to part-time as a result of ObamaCare, but Health and Human Services regulators aren’t responding to questions about the new rules even with the implementation of the law just weeks away.†(Washington Examiner; 12/18/2013)
Fox News Poll: 67 percent say delay ObamaCare, 53 percent would vote to repeal it – “Americans remain unhappy with the health care law: Majorities say they wish it had never passed, would vote to repeal it if they could, and think implementation should be delayed until the kinks are worked out.  At the same time, a shrinking majority believes the law will survive.†(Fox News; 12/18/2013)
