Officials Don’t Sugarcoat It: Turmoil In Washington Has Roiled Covered California Exchanges
“This has been the most unstable and challenged health insurance market in my tenure as a public servant,” said Dave Jones, California’s health insurance commissioner.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Turmoil In Washington Colors 2017 Open Enrollment
Usually, the annual ritual of selecting the right health plan for the coming year is quite predictable. The options are there on the table, and there is usually little thought that things might change dramatically after you make a decision. Not this year. ...Dave Jones, California’s health insurance commissioner, does not attempt to sugarcoat the effect that so much heated rhetoric has had on the task of getting insurance companies to offer affordable rates to consumers, especially in the private health insurance market now dominated by the Covered California health insurance exchange. (Sisson, 10/2)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
How To Choose A Doctor Right For You
There are more than 10,000 physicians licensed to practice medicine in San Diego County, according to the Medical Board of California. But knowing which M.D. to pick, whether it’s finding a specialist for a knee replacement or a general practitioner for a checkup, is seldom an easy task. Open enrollment, a time when you may be changing health plans due to premium hikes or a change of options, is a good time to think about your relationship with your doctor and the larger medical group she or he works within. (Sisson, 10/2)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Marcos Couple Chooses Faith-Based Option For Health Coverage
In 2009, shortly after an early retirement, Lisa and Wes Pratte of San Marcos signed up for a Kaiser health plan that cost about $400 a month with manageable deductibles and copays. But that plan went away in 2014 with the Affordable Care Act’s new health insurance mandate, and they were forced to buy a similar, but not exactly the same, plan on the Covered California health insurance exchange. ...Today, the couple pays only $300 per month for what the ministry calls its “gold program,” an arrangement which covers up to $125,000 per medical incident after members pay the first $500. The couple also buys a $40-per-year “Brother’s Keeper” plan which will provide them with unlimited payments for expenses that exceed the $125,000 threshold. (Sisson, 10/2)