Latest California Healthline Stories
Looking Back, Some Obamacare Glitches Didn’t Matter. These Four Still Do.
For all the talk about broken websites, some of the high-profile problems with the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges turned out to be surmountable. But other complications have emerged and remain concerning.
This Program Was Bigger Than Covered California. Why Did We Ignore It?
By December 2013, nearly 700,000 people had obtained health coverage through California’s Low-Income Health Program, the state’s early expansion of Obamacare coverage — and the “most overlooked” part of health reform, one expert tells California Healthline. Here’s a look at lessons to be learned from the LIHP.
Three of the Most Overlooked Health Care Reform Stories of 2013
This edition of Road to Reform explores Affordable Care Act news stories — including accountable care organizations and the new medical-loss ratio provision — that were mostly overlooked in 2013.
Most Small Health Plans Aren’t Thriving in Covered California. Meet Two Exceptions.
One small health insurer dropped out of Covered California. Another was kicked out, and a third is openly hunting for business. But a pair of plans are successfully competing with the big players dominating the exchange and carving out a slice of the market for themselves.
Three of the Most Over-Hyped Health Care Reform Stories of 2013
This edition of “Road to Reform” explores three Affordable Care Act news stories that got more attention than they deserved in 2013, including the debate over the fairness of delaying the employer mandate but not the individual mandate.
Early data suggest that customers are using the new health insurance exchange to pick plans from large, familiar companies like Anthem and Kaiser, even if plans from smaller companies are comparable in price.
When Health Plans Drop Your Doctor: Are Narrow Networks a Bad Idea?
Many health plans on Covered California and other insurance exchanges exclude some prominent doctors and hospitals. The trade-off — less access for lower prices — has raised concerns and even spurred lawsuits, but experts say it’s the likely direction for the nation’s health system.
The New Heath Coverage Gap: Will Obama or States Take Action To Close It?
A new health coverage gap is emerging in states that are not expanding Medicaid. Experts wonder whether states will act to help residents who are affected or if the Obama administration will provide aid.
How Should the Affordable Care Act Be Judged? How Will It Be Judged?
There’s a rush to judgment when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, particularly of the rocky rollout of HealthCare.gov. But when the dust settles, how should the law be judged? “Road to Reform” consulted experts to find out.
How Many People Are Losing Their Plans Under Obamacare, Really?
The swirl of political attention around “Obamacare cancellation letters” has tended to ignore the policy realities — including that most people receiving cancellation letters are being offered other plans. Here’s a closer look at how many plans are being canceled and four other key questions dogging the Affordable Care Act’s latest hot-button issue.