Changes To Health Law Rules Include Extra Month To Enroll In 2015
Kaiser Health News
March 6, 2014
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/March/06/Changes-To-Health-Law-Rules-Include-Extra-Month-To-Enroll-In-2015.aspx
The Obama administration on Wednesday released a broad set of regulatory changes to the health law that would give some consumers additional time to stay in plans that do not comply with all its coverage requirements and all consumers more time to enroll in coverage come 2015. In response to reporters’ questions, an administration official said repeatedly that March 31 remains the enrollment deadline for consumers who want to get coverage on the health insurance exchanges this year.  After problems with the rollout of the health law’s web site and lower-than-expected enrollment, there had been speculation that the deadline would be extended.
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Obama Gives Health Plans Added Two-Year Reprieve
The Wall Street Journal
March 5, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303369904579421541748450598?mg=reno64-wsj
The Obama administration further postponed a provision of the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, the latest in a series of changes that have delayed or pared back the health overhaul so much that many of its ambitious goals won't be achieved during its first years in full effect.
Democrats sought to create a new health-care landscape when they passed the law in 2010, with millions of uninsured Americans gaining coverage, employers facing fines if they didn't insure workers and skimpy health plans disappearing. But a series of delays by the administration—and decisions by states on implementing the law—have taken a toll. The latest delay came Wednesday, when federal officials said insurance companies could continue selling plans that don't meet the law's more rigorous standards until 2016 in some instances. It was the second time the administration delayed that requirement after the law's tougher standards prompted insurers to cancel millions of people's health plans last year. The latest delay averts another raft of cancellations before this year's midterm elections.
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Obama administration rewrites some health-care policies
The Washington Post
March 5, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/obama-administration-rewrites-some-health-care-policies/2014/03/05/7fa11912-a489-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html
The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it has rewritten an array of far-reaching rules under the Affordable Care Act, the most significant of which will let people keep bare-bones health insurance policies for three more years. The rule changes will touch essentially every sector affected by the 2010 health-care law. It will buffer more health plans in insurance exchanges from high patient costs, give states more time to decide whether to run their own marketplaces, and spare certain unions from a fee they have resented.
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2-year extension offered for canceled health plans
The Washington Post
March 5, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2-year-extension-seen-for-canceled-health-plans/2014/03/05/2f86f85e-a482-11e3-b865-38b254d92063_story.html
Warding off the specter of election-year health insurance cancellations, the Obama administration Wednesday announced a two-year extension for individual policies that don’t meet requirements of the new health care law. The decision helps defuse a political problem for Democrats in tough re-election battles this fall, especially for senators who in 2010 stood with President Barack Obama and voted to pass his health overhaul.
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Flagging Down Taxi Drivers To Sign Up For Obamacare
NPR
March 4, 2014
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/03/04/283962230/flagging-down-taxi-drivers-to-sign-up-for-obamacare
Dan Ware has been driving a taxicab in Chicago for more than a decade, but he still doesn't have what many jobs offer: health insurance. "I'm without health coverage," he says. And that's not unusual, says Chicago Public Health Commissioner Bechara Choucair. "What we know in Chicago is that around 70 percent of taxi drivers are uninsured," Choucair says.
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New ObamaCare delay to help Democrats in midterm elections
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199784-new-obamacare-delay-to-help-midterm-dems
The Obama administration is set to announce another major delay in implementing the Affordable Care Act, easing election pressure on Democrats.  As early as this week, according to two sources, the White House will announce a new directive allowing insurers to continue offering health plans that do not meet ObamaCare’s minimum coverage requirements.  Prolonging the “keep your plan” fix will avoid another wave of health policy cancellations otherwise expected this fall.  The cancellations would have created a firestorm for Democratic candidates in the last, crucial weeks before Election Day.  The White House is intent on protecting its allies in the Senate, where Democrats face a battle to keep control of the chamber.  “I don’t see how they could have a bunch of these announcements going out in September,” one consultant in the health insurance industry said. “Not when they’re trying to defend the Senate and keep their losses at a minimum in the House. This is not something to have out there right before the election.”
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Analysis provides new insight on Medicaid enrollment
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199752-overnight-health-analysis-provides-insight-on
A new analysis of Medicaid enrollments says that only 2.4 million to 3.5 million people have newly registered for the program since October under the healthcare law.  Figures released by consulting firm Avalere Health are significantly lower than the Obama administration's total estimate for people who have been determined eligible for Medicaid since October: 8.9 million.  Federal health officials have frequently cited the rush of interest in Medicaid as a bright spot in ObamaCare's rollout. The law allows states to expand the program to more low-income patients using mostly federal dollars.
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Medical imaging launches campaign against cuts
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/199731-medical-imaging-launches-campaign-against-cuts
Advocates for the medical imaging industry are launching a campaign to highlight the technology's value during a time of rising healthcare cuts.  The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) said that the multi-platform effort will put a "long overdue spotlight" on how imaging has lowered healthcare costs by minimizing unnecessary procedures.  "Patients and physicians benefit from advanced medical imaging technologies that save lives while reducing long-term healthcare spending," said MITA Executive Director Gail Rodriguez in a statement. "Thanks to the investments made by manufacturers in research and development, for example, almost no one has to undergo exploratory surgery."  The campaign comes as lawmakers look for ways to pay for overhauling Medicare's flawed physician payment system.
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MoveOn targets GOP governors over Medicaid
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199727-moveon-goes-after-gop-governors-over-medicaid
The liberal nonprofit group MoveOn launched a campaign on Monday directly targeting some of the highest profile Republican governors in the country over their continued opposition to expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare.  The group put up with billboards in Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Virginia that will run through the end of the month. The ads, in conjunction with planned petitions and rallies, aim to “ratchet up the pressure” on elected officials and “urge them to accept federal Medicaid funds” for the estimated 2 million in those states that could benefit. “Welcome to Texas! Where Gov. Perry has denied 1,046,000 Texans health care and now all Texans are paying for it. It’s like a whole other country,” one billboard reads.  “Louisiana! Pick your passion! But hope you don’t love your health. Gov. Jindal is denying Medicaid to 242,000 people,” reads another.
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Commerce: O-Care boosts personal income, consumer spending
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199719-commerce-obamacare-boosting-personal-income
The Affordable Care Act contributed to a rise in personal income and consumer spending in January, according to a report released Monday by the Department of Commerce.  The report found that personal income rose .3 percent in January, after remaining flat in December. The bulk of the increase came from $19.2 billion in expanded Medicaid benefits, and $14.7 billion in ObamaCare-related tax credits and premium subsidies.  The healthcare law also contributed to the .4 percent rise in consumer spending for January. Increased demand for healthcare services led to an additional $29 billion in spending for the month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis found.
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Week ahead: House to vote on ending ObamaCare penalty
The Hill
March 3, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199601-week-ahead-house-to-vote-on-ending-obamacare
Healthcare will dominate the news this week among three major industry conferences, the release of President Obama's budget and a House vote to eliminate the individual mandate penalty for 2014.  The House vote is likely to win the most attention. The bill would get rid of the ObamaCare penalty for not having health insurance for the rest of the year.  GOP leaders argue that no one who lacks health insurance should be asked to pay a fine given the various problems with ObamaCare's rollout. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) described the GOP's effort as reducing the penalty from $95 to $0.  The vote could take place on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, along with, perhaps, a Senate vote to confirm Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has worked to hold up Murthy’s nomination.
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Cornyn rips ObamaCare's Medicare Advantage changes
The Hill
March 2, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/199656-cornyn-rips-obamacares-medicare-advantage-changes
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) took to Fox News on Sunday to attack ObamaCare on Medicare Advantage.  "This is sort of a repetition of 'If you like what you have, you can keep it' false promise, because many seniors are finding that the $300 billion that has been cut out of Medicare has been then used to try to fund ObamaCare," Cornyn said Sunday afternoon, two days before his primary.  "Medicare Advantage has been a tremendous success, it's growing because seniors like the innovation, the choice and the range of services that they have have available to them, but this of course threatens this private-sector alternative and will force people into a single-payer option."
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Finance Committee Members Express Bipartisan Concerns Over Proposed Medicare Rule
Senate Finance Committee
February 28, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=7173d31c-c037-4dbd-9f78-6488f0647891
In a letter today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, were joined by 18 colleagues in urging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to reconsider changes proposed for the Medicare Part D prescription-drug program.  “The Medicare prescription drug program – strengthened by the Affordable Care Act – is working for seniors.  While this new Medicare proposal provides additional tools to prevent fraud and abuse among drug prescribers, the uncertainty and potential disruption is too great to ignore,” Wyden said. “The Administration should press pause and redouble efforts to guarantee seniors’ drug coverage remains accessible, comprehensive and affordable.”
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Key Dems break with White House on Medicare change
The Hill
February 28, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/199613-key-dems-break-with-white-house-on-medicare-change
A number of powerful Senate Democrats broke with the Obama administration Friday by opposing proposed changes to Medicare's prescription drug program.  Led by newly installed Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), all but four Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee criticized a suggested overhaul that would enlarge the government's role in Part D.  The letter, also signed by Finance Republicans, described the strength of the current program and urged Medicare officials to abandon their plans to change it.  "We are perplexed as to why [you] would propose to fundamentally restructure Part D by requiring immediate, large-scale changes to the program," the lawmakers wrote.
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HHS touts jump in Medicaid eligibility
The Hill
February 28, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199590-hhs-touts-jump-in-medicaid-eligibility
The number of people eligible for Medicaid jumped again in January, according to federal health officials.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported Friday that more than 8.9 million people were approved to receive either Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) between October and January.  Roughly 2.6 million of these verdicts occurred in January, up from 2.3 million in December and fewer than 2 million in November.  The 8.9 million figure includes those who received renewals and were therefore eligible before ObamaCare. The administration has been criticized for not breaking down how many people have been determined eligible for Medicaid solely because of the Affordable Care Act.
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Planned Parenthood launches 'Women are Watching' campaign
The Hill
February 28, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199588-planned-parenthood-warns-2014-candidates-not
Planned Parenthood's political arm announced a new Women are Watching campaign on Friday that, it said, could play a major role in the midterm fight for the Senate.  The Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) said the campaign would inform voters about where candidates stand on women’s issues.  It plans to invest in U.S. Senate races in North Carolina, Montana and Alaska, and governors races in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.  The pro-abortion rights group has already released Webs ads in North Carolina and Texas, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis shot to fame after filibustering an anti-abortion bill in the state legislature.
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HHS expands access to ObamaCare subsidies
The Hill
February 28, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/199549-hhs-expands-access-to-o-care-subsidies
The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) this week quietly expanded access to ObamaCare subsidies and tax credits in states, where the online exchanges have failed disastrously.  The Affordable Care Act requires consumers to enroll through a uniform application on the national and state exchanges to qualify for federal subsidies and credits.  However, the state-run exchanges in some of these states — Oregon, Maryland, Massachusetts and Hawaii in particular — have experienced more technical problems than even the federal website. Consumers in those states are having difficulty enrolling five months after the launch.   The HHS change will allow those who tried to sign up on their state-run exchanges, but couldn’t, to retroactively obtain the subsidies they would have been eligible for, even if they ended up purchasing healthcare through a private insurer. The privately purchased plans must still meet certain basic requirements of the healthcare law.
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Finding consensus on 5 ways to improve ACA
USA Today
February 27, 2014
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/27/consensus-improving-health-care-law-aca/5613187/
As President Obama hosted governors from both parties at the White House Sunday night, talk turned from how to repeal the Affordable Care Act to how best to deal with it now that it is law.  As it turns out, there are several bipartisan improvements both fans and foes agree on.  "The whole dialogue on the Affordable Care Act is about people fighting, causing gridlock and a mess, instead of working on something important like wellness," said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, adding that he had "a lot of issues" with the law. "But it is the law, so I'm trying to work in that context."
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Vote on GOP Obamacare alternative in doubt
Politico
February 27, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/obamacare-alternative-vote-104042.html?hp=r13
Suddenly, a House vote on a Republican alternative to Obamacare seems less likely.  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) declined to commit to an alternative measure coming up for a vote this year but said GOP leadership is going to “continue to having conversations with our members” about items like tax reform and replacing President Barack Obama’s signature domestic legislation.  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is holding a private meeting Friday with Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California and GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington about an Obamacare alternative. He has said in the past the bill would come up for a vote in 2014.
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: House GOP ObamaCare alternative looks less likely
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199495-overnight-health-house-gop-obamacare
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday defended the House GOP’s go-slow approach on immigration, tax reform and replacing ObamaCare, saying the party wanted to avoid repeating mistakes Democrats made and had to face the “reality” of its limited power in Washington.  When pressed on whether the House would actually hold votes on major legislation in 2014, the Speaker quickly backed away, and wouldn’t commit to anything more than continued “conversations” in the coming month.  On healthcare, he noted that party leaders were meeting on Friday to discuss a Republican proposal, but he said members were still going through hundreds of ideas that have been put forward.  A handful of GOP senators produced an alternative to ObamaCare earlier this year. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has been charged with putting together a Republican proposal that leaders have said will get a vote later this year.
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Surgeon general nominee one step closer
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/199501-surgeon-general-nominee-one-step-closer-to-confirmation
President Obama's nominee for surgeon general is one step closer to confirmation after the Senate health committee approved him for the job on Thursday.  The Senate will likely confirm Dr. Vivek Murthy in the coming weeks despite a move by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to block the nomination over concerns about Murthy's stance on guns.  Murthy is a practicing physician and medical instructor who founded Doctors for America, a group that has advocated for the Affordable Care Act.  This affiliation and Murthy's previous comments supporting gun control have made his nomination controversial with Republican senators.  Paul, placing a hold on the nomination this week, said he had "serious concerns" about Murthy's ability to be politically impartial as surgeon general.  "Dr. Murthy has disqualified himself from being surgeon general because of his intent to use that position to launch an attack on Americans’ right to own a firearm,” Paul wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday.
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CMS: We're still improving HealthCare.gov
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199497-cms-were-still-improving-healthcaregov
Federal health officials announced new technical improvements to HealthCare.gov on the same day that Time magazine published a piece about the site's chaotic launch last fall.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it has streamlined the account creation process, added more help at various steps of the enrollment process and allow consumers to report life changes — like marriage — that might impact their status.  CMS Communications Director Julie Bataille also called attention to efforts to strengthen the site's customer service with additional training and new Spanish-speaking representatives.  "The tech team continues to monitor system performance in real time, 24/7 and take steps to improve the user experience," Bataille wrote in a blog post.
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Paul bill would stop Obama from tweaking healthcare law
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/199496-paul-bill-stops-obama-from-tweaking-o-care
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced a bill Thursday that would allow a congressional member to stop the president from directing his administration not to enforce federal laws.  Republicans have accused President Obama of circumventing Congress in changing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.  “The Obama administration is trying to rewrite ObamaCare by executive fiat and that act is a violation of the separation of powers in the United States Constitution,” Paul said in a press release. “This and other attempts by the Obama administration to rewrite the law can be stopped if this bill becomes law.”  The Constitutional Check and Balance Act authorizes members of Congress to take the administration to federal court if the president, or any other executive branch official, directs federal agencies to not enforce a provision of law.  Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) has a companion measure in the House.
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Report: Obama considered scrapping HealthCare.gov and starting over
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199485-report-obama-considered-scrapping
President Obama considered scrapping HealthCare.gov and starting over at the height of the website's problems last fall, according to a report in Time magazine.  The revelation underscores the total chaos that faced the White House and federal health officials in October when ObamaCare's enrollment website was barely functioning.  In a lengthy piece, journalist Steven Brill reported that Obama sent White House chief of staff Denis McDonough to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in October to determine whether the site could be fixed.   McDonough described the central question of his mission as: "Can it be patched and improved to work, or does it need to be scrapped to start over?   "[Obama] wanted to know if this thing is salvageable," McDonough added.
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Hatch: Study Shows Medicare Advantages Cuts will Hurt Seniors' Access to Quality Health Care
Senate Finance Committee
February 27, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/ranking/release/?id=216f68bf-25eb-45c1-9b11-d81072d9cf6f
Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today said a new study by Oliver Wyman confirmed that steep cuts to the popular Medicare Advantage (MA) program will hurt seniors’ access to quality and affordable health care. The report found that seniors who rely on this critical program may see their benefits reduced and premiums increased by between $65 to $145 a month over the next two years.  “The Obama Administration’s cuts to Medicare Advantage would hurt the quality health care that 15 million seniors receive from this popular program,” said Hatch. “Medicare Advantage has successfully increased choice and ensured greater access to quality and affordable care. But, as this report shows, seniors will pay the price of these cuts with many having to pay up to $145 a month more and others who could lose their plans, benefits and doctors all together. This isn’t right and has to be stopped. ”
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Sebelius: US healthcare delivery system stuck in 20th century
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/199462-sebelius-us-healthcare-delivery-system-stuck-in-20th-century
The U.S. healthcare delivery system is stuck in "the 20th century" for failing to keep up with recent medical and technological advances, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday.  The secretary said the overall experience of going to the doctor was little-changed from 40 years ago.  “The only difference is the dates on the magazines in the waiting room,” Sebelius said in her keynote address at The Aspen Institute and The Advisory Board Company's Care Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C.  Sebelius called the disparity between the “march of human progress” in medicine and information technology, and the stasis in the doctor-patient relationship “the great dichotomy” of modern-day healthcare in the United States.  “We have to face facts,” she said. “If you were to give our nation a grade on health innovation, at best I’d say we’d get an incomplete.”
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Boehner says Republicans will lead, but backs away from votes
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/199447-boehner-says-gop-will-lead-but-backs-away-from-votes
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday defended the House GOP’s go-slow approach on immigration, tax reform and replacing ObamaCare, saying the party wanted to avoid repeating mistakes Democrats made and had to face the “reality” of its limited power in Washington.  The Speaker began his weekly Capitol press conference by attacking President Obama for intending to “pack it in for the year” and said Republicans would, by contrast, demonstrate leadership by presenting an alternative vision to the country.  “We’ll lead,” Boehner pledged, “and our members will not shy away from advancing better solutions for the American people.”  But when pressed on whether the House would actually hold votes on major legislation in 2014, the Speaker quickly backed away, and wouldn’t commit to anything more than continued “conversations” in the coming month.  He cited what he characterized as the Democrats’ rush to pass healthcare reform in 2010, recalling then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) infamous quote that they would have to “pass the bill, so you can find out what’s in it.”
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Insurers: Medicare Advantage cuts cost seniors $900 per year
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/199438-ahip-girding-for-medicare-advantage-fight
The health insurance industry fighting proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage payments argued they will raise seniors' out-of-pocket costs next year.  America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade group, blasted the reductions with a report Thursday finding that beneficiaries could pay as much as $900 more in 2015 if the cuts take effect.  The report by consulting firm Oliver Wyman concluded that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans could see a 5.9 percent total cut to their payments next year as a result of changes proposed by federal health officials.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) floated a 2015 cut of roughly 2 percent on Friday. The number was less than many insurers expected, causing major gains for several insurance stocks this week.  Still, AHIP President Karen Ignagni said the CMS is putting seniors' well-being on the line.
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Hillary Clinton open to ObamaCare changes
The Hill
February 27, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199412-hillary-clinton-defends-obamacare-but-says
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday defended ObamaCare but said she’s open to “evidence-based changes” in the program, according to CNN.  “I think we are on the right track in many respects but I would be the first to say if things aren’t working then we need people of good faith to come together and make evidence-based changes,” she said in remarks to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Orlando, Fla.  Clinton said the problem of small businesses moving full-time workers to part-time status to avoid paying for their healthcare coverage should be addressed.  The former first lady and secretary of State said the law’s successes should be the focus.  She applauded the law, for example, for allowing people under the age of 26 to stay on their parents’ healthcare plans.
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Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announce record-breaking recoveries resulting from joint efforts to combat health care fraud
HHS
February 26, 2014
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2014pres/02/20140226a.html
Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program report showing that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations through this and other programs in the last three years, the government recovered $8.10.  This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 17-year history of the HCFAC Program.
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Wyden Applauds Record-Breaking Federal Health Care Fraud Recoveries
Senate Finance Committee
February 26, 2014
http://www.finance.senate.gov/newsroom/chairman/release/?id=419a76e5-4e3b-4d47-b573-2696dcaac044
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden today applauded a new report showing record-breaking recoveries from federal efforts to combat health care fraud.  The new annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program report finds that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations over the last three years, the government recovered $8.10.  This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 17-year history of the HCFAC Program.  The report also shows that the government’s health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered a record-breaking $4.3 billion in taxpayer dollars in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, up from $4.2 billion in FY 2012. These recoveries are from individuals and companies who attempted to defraud federal health programs serving seniors or who sought excessive or unlawful payments from taxpayers.
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Signing up for Obamacare could someday take as little as 10 minutes
The Washington Post
February 26, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/26/signing-up-for-obamacare-could-someday-take-as-little-as-10-minutes/
With five weeks to go until the end of open enrollment, the White House still has a lot of work ahead if it wants to meet the Congressional Budget Office's initial target of 7 million Obamacare signups. New government numbers released Tuesday suggest the administration is a little over halfway to that goal, though officials have sought to temper those expectations.  To further boost adoption, the administration is now turning directly to some of the private entrepreneurs who responded to Healthcare.gov's botched rollout with solutions of their own. And in some cases that's meant a much smoother and less time-consuming enrollment experience. While enrollees have largely signed up for health care plans through the federal marketplace or one of the state-based exchanges, they are about to be able to choose from a number of third-party registration services that plug right into the government's data hub.
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In final stretch, Obamacare equation is numbers, days and attitudes
Politico
February 26, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/obamacare-enrollment-healthcare-gov-104006.html?hp=r3
The White House announced late Tuesday that sign-ups in the federal- and state-run Obamacare insurance exchanges had surpassed the psychologically significant 4 million mark. It’s a lot higher than seemed possible back when only six people managed to get through HealthCare.gov on Oct. 1.  But the administration wants to boost those numbers to around 6 million before open enrollment season ends March 31. A strong March finish helps the White House put that rocky October rollout firmly behind it, give the health plans the customers needed to make the new insurance markets work and head toward the November midterms with some stories of success.
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Health Law’s Small Co-ops Have Had a Mixed Success So Far
The New York Times
February 26, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/business/mixed-success-so-far-for-health-laws-co-ops.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DAsia%2520Pacific%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26pgtype%3Darticle%23%2Fhealth%2Blaw%2F24hours%2F&_r=0
The rented offices of HealthyCT, a new insurer in Connecticut, bustle with the energy of a start-up. The sales force takes pride in noting that HealthyCT is a truly local outfit, governed by members, rather than a for-profit behemoth like Anthem, the state’s dominant insurer whose offices are a 10-minute drive away.  Lawmakers were hoping for that newcomer’s zeal when they added a provision to the federal health care law setting up 23 nonprofit cooperatives intended to shake up the insurance market.  “We’ve got a great story to tell,” Ken Lalime, the chief executive of HealthyCT, said recently from his office in Wallingford, Conn.  But so far, few in Connecticut are listening. Just 1,700 customers have signed up for plans through the co-op, about 3 percent of those who have bought coverage in the state’s new insurance marketplace, where other carriers, Anthem and ConnectiCare, have outpaced it. “Our goal was five times that, by this point,” Mr. Lalime said.
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Insurance companies ramp up enrollment blitz
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199371-overnight-health-insurance-companies-ramp-up
Insurance companies are providing a boost to the Obama administration with their own campaigns to publicize healthcare plans on ObamaCare's new insurance marketplaces.  Though quiet about the unpopular healthcare law, the efforts are expected to cost health insurers hundreds of millions of dollars in 2014 alone between television, radio and online ads.  The campaigns are increasingly relevant around the country as ObamaCare's enrollment period turns the corner into its final month.  The exchanges have signed up 4 million people for private plans so far, the administration said Tuesday, and insurance companies are ramping up their efforts to reach more consumers before it's too late.  "They're going to put a lot of their gunpowder behind this final run to the deadline," said Scott Roskowski, chief development officer at TVB, a trade group for local commercial broadcasters.
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Senators probe ‘pay-to-play’ allegations on FDA approval of painkillers
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/food-safety/199338-senators-probe-pay-to-play-allegations-on-fda-approval-of
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and David Vitter (R-La.) are probing allegations that members of the pharmaceutical industry paid big money to meet with members of the Food and Drug Administration ahead of the agency’s approval of a controversial painkiller.  The senators sent a letter on Wednesday to the Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester, Dr. Mark Taubman, after reports surfaced that the school arranged for members of the pharmaceutical industry to sit with FDA officials at conferences at a cost of between $25,000 and $35,000 each.  “The FDA’s approval process should not compromise patient safety for financial gain,” the senators wrote.  The senators asked for details on all payments between the organizations, and the purpose for those transfers.  The FDA oversees safety regulations for painkiller medications, and the senators are questioning whether the meetings influenced the approval of a new painkiller called Zohydro ER.
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Senate Dems' e-cig bill: Don't market to kids
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/legislation/199337-senate-dems-unveil-e-cig-bill
A group of Senate Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday to prohibit electronic cigarette makers from marketing their products to children.  The bill, penned by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), marks the first legislative attempt to crack down on the burgeoning industry, and comes ahead of the Food and Drug Administration’s expected move to regulate the nicotine delivery devices.  “E-cigarette makers are adopting the deplorable marketing tactics once used by tobacco companies to entice children and teenagers into using their addictive product,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), one of five lawmakers co-sponsoring the bill.  “With fruit and candy flavors and glossy celebrity ads, e-cigarettes makers are undeniably targeting young people.”  The legislation would empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to determine what constitutes marketing e-cigarettes to children, and then enforce a ban on the practice in coordination with state attorney’s general, the lawmakers said.
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RNC ties Hillary Clinton to ObamaCare
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/199319-rnc-ties-hillary-clinton-to-obamacare
The Republican National Committee is tying prospective Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton to ObamaCare in a new memo as Clinton addresses a healthcare industry conference on Wednesday.  The memo is a preview of attacks Republicans will lob at Clinton if she decides to run for president in 2016 — as most Democrats believe she will — and is an indication they believe healthcare reform would be a major liability for her.  Clinton is speaking at the annual conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Florida on Wednesday.  In the memo, the RNC argues that Clinton’s healthcare reform proposal from her 2008 run for president was “ObamaCare on steroids.”  It points to comments Clinton made while campaigning about her proposal that align closely with many of ObamaCare’s provisions.
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Enroll America adds muscle to O-Care push
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199310-enroll-america-launches-final-month-long
An ObamaCare enrollment group with close ties to the White House is launching a final, coordinated push to sign people up for health insurance ahead of the March 31 deadline.  A spokesman for Enroll America told The Hill the prominent nonprofit had grown its pool of volunteers to nearly 20,000, increased its field reach by 35 percent, hired more than 70 new employees since January, and increased its digital advertising budget from $5 million to $7 million for 2014.  The group’s “Countdown to Get Covered” will include a bus tour through Texas and Ohio, with stops at events popular with the young, like the SXSW music festival, and more than 3,000 events assisting people with in-person enrollment.
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Paul threatens to block surgeon general pick
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/199297-sen-paul-threatens-to-block-obamas-surgeon-general-nominee
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) threatened this week to block the Obama administration's surgeon general nominee, saying the White House decided to “politicize” the position by choosing Vivek Hallegere Murthy.  “We are asking [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid to withdraw his nomination,” Paul said on Fox News’ “Hannity."  Paul said “every other word that comes out of [Murthy's] mouth or through his tweets is something condemning gun owners, condemning the NRA."  Obama nominated Murthy in November, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is slated to vote on the nomination on Wednesday.  Paul sits on the panel and threatened to filibuster the nomination on the Senate floor if the committee advances it.
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GOP memo: No cure for Dems' Medicare pains
The Hill
February 26, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/199290-gop-committees-in-joint-memo-no-cure-for-dems-medicare-headache
The top three Republican political committees are going after vulnerable Democrats on Medicare, accusing them of causing cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.  The Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee issued a joint memo Wednesday morning blaming Democrats for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposed 3.55 percent cut to the Medicare Advantage program, which the GOP says will hurt seniors.  "ObamaCare robs Medicare Advantage by $156 billion," the memo reads. "Because of this drastic cut, seniors across the country will see their premiums rise, benefits shrink, and may lose access to the doctor they've known for years. This reality is harmful to our senior citizens and is a political nightmare for Democrats."
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White House Meeting Turns Into a Lightning Round for Obama and Boehner
The New York Times
February 25, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/us/politics/obama-and-boehner-meet-at-white-house.html?hpw&rref=politics&action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DHealth%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26pgtype%3Darticle%23%2Fhealth%2Blaw%2F24hours%2F&_r=0
President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner sat across from each other for an hour on Tuesday in the leather-bound chairs of Mr. Obama’s office and quickly ticked through a remarkably long list of issues.  They chatted about economic matters like manufacturing, trade promotion authority and flood insurance, according to aides to both men. They discussed the Affordable Care Act and the president’s push for an immigration overhaul. They engaged on efforts to wind down the war in Afghanistan, the process of getting a budget, and the stalled highway funding bill. And don’t forget the California drought and Mr. Obama’s new plan for fighting fires.  All told, they spent about five and a half minutes on each of the subject areas. (Less, actually, since the above list is not a complete record of the topics covered during the conversation, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said.)
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Obamacare enrollment hits 4 million
Politico
February 25, 2014
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/obamacare-enrollment-103951.html?hp=l2
About 4 million people have signed up for health coverage in the new Obamacare exchanges since Oct. 1 with just over a month left for people to enroll, federal officials said late Tuesday. That total is up from 3.3 million enrolled at the end of January.  In a blog post, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner released the new number of signups through the state and federal exchanges. But she provided few details and no demographic breakdown, such as the number of young adults who have signed up or the percentage who have paid their premiums. Tavenner said health officials continue to see “strong demand nationwide” and that more than 12 million calls have come into the federal call center since the fall.
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AP Exclusive: Health law cybersecurity challenges
The Washington Post
February 25, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/states-face-health-law-cybersecurity-challenges/2014/02/25/be1b1d12-9e50-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html
As the Obama administration raced to meet its self-imposed deadline for online health insurance markets, security experts working for the government worried that state computer systems could become a back door for hackers.  Documents provided to The Associated Press show that more than two-thirds of state systems that were supposed to tap into federal computers to verify sensitive personal information for coverage were initially rated as “high risk” for security problems.  Back-door attacks have been in the news, since the hackers who stole millions of customers’ credit and debit card numbers from Target are believed to have gained access through a contractor’s network.
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CBO: GOP ObamaCare bill would increase deficit, uninsured
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199269-cbo-gop-obamacare-bill-would-increase-deficit
A Republican bill to change ObamaCare’s definition of full-time work to 40 hours would increase the deficit by $74 billion over 10 years and cause 1 million people to lose their work-based insurance, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday.  The Save American Workers Act, proposed by Rep. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and touted by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as a top legislative priority for Republicans, would also increase the number of uninsured by 500,000, and push about another 500,000 onto Medicaid or ObamaCare, the report found.  House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) called the bill “reckless” in a statement and said it would shift more people into publicly funded healthcare.
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Obama: 4M have signed up for ObamaCare
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199249-obama-four-million-have-signed-up-for
Approximately 4 million people have purchased insurance through the ObamaCare exchanges, President Obama told volunteers at an Organizing for Action summit in Washington on Tuesday.  “We now have more than 4 million Americans who have signed up for quality, affordably health insurance,” Obama said. “Four million. That's on top of the 3 million young people who have been able to get covered staying on their parents plan… you've already made sure people all across America are getting better coverage.”  The announcement, which came with just five weeks left in the early enrollment period, means some 700,000 have enrolled in ObamaCare so far in February. Earlier this month, the Obama administration said just under 3.3 million people had selected coverage through the end of January.
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Dems go on offense on ObamaCare
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199233-overnight-health-dems-go-on-offense-on
Democrats are going on offense with ObamaCare against Republicans, believing the GOP has overplayed its hand on the healthcare law.  On Tuesday, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius lambasted the Republican governors in five Southern states, singling out Gov. Rick Perry (Texas) in particular, for “playing politics with people’s lives” by refusing to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare.  “That’s an outrage,” she said. “It should be a conversation in every community, in every town hall, in every church group and every PTA program to put pressure on the governors and legislatures to say, this is not acceptable.”  On Medicaid, Democrats see an opening in the GOP-led states that are refusing federal government dollars to expand the program. A high percentage of those who would obtain Medicaid under an expansion are blacks and Hispanics, so the issue dovetails with the administration’s final enrollment push for ObamaCare, and hits the GOP with groups they’ve struggled to gain traction with.
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New regs would outlaw junk food ads in schools
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/pending-regs/199232-new-regs-would-outlaw-junk-food-ads-in-schools
The Obama administration proposed Tuesday to ban advertisements for unhealthy food in the country’s schools, targeting a $150 million per year industry that is nonetheless backing the plan.   Draft regulations unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reflect the latest phase of first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to combat a national childhood obesity crisis.  “Our classrooms should be healthy places where kids are not bombarded with ads for junk food,” Obama said Tuesday during an event at the White House.  She described the new guidelines as “part of a broader effort to inspire companies to rethink how they market food to kids in general.”  Obama pointed to statistics showing that the average child is exposed to thousands of food-related ads every year, with the vast majority for products full of sugar, fat and salt. By comparison, kids see an average of one ad for healthy alternatives every week, she said.
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Manufacturers warn of ObamaCare fallout
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/economy/199225-manufacturers-warn-obamacare-could-cost-workers-their-coverage
Manufacturers on Tuesday warned that ObamaCare is putting millions of people at risk of losing their employer-based healthcare coverage.  Jay Timmons, the CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), said that, while a majority of his member companies offer health insurance to their employees, ObamaCare is making it more expensive for them to offer those benefits.  “Ninety-seven percent of manufacturers offer health coverage to their employees, but the healthcare law threatens their ability to provide these benefits by forcing them into a one-size-fits-all system,” Timmons said during his annual State of Manufacturing address, which he delivered in Houston.  Instead of living up to its touted benefits of greater savings, efficiency and certainty for employers, Timmons said the healthcare law is ramping up costs and creating “heartburn” for manufacturers.
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OFA launches final ObamaCare sign-up push
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199217-ofa-launches-final-obamacare-sign-up-push
The group that arose from President Obama's reelection campaign is launching its final push to enroll the uninsured in ObamaCare's exchanges.  Organizing for Action (OFA) announced Tuesday that its "Last Call" campaign will involve new social media tools and ground efforts by volunteers around the country.  The administration was once hoping to enroll 7 million people in private plans by March 31, but officials have sought to soften that perception.  Through January, only 3.3 million had signed up, about one million fewer than was initially forecast.  The OFA is not the only group gearing up for ObamaCare's final enrollment month. Enroll America is also preparing one last push, along with navigators and outside groups around the country.  Activists are especially concerned about boosting sign-ups among Hispanics and African-Americans, two groups that tend to be disproportionately uninsured.
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Report: HHS found White House 'disarray' before O-Care rollout
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199211-report-hhs-found-white-house-disarray-before-o
A top federal health official found "disarray" within the White House healthcare team several months before ObamaCare's exchanges launched, according to a report.  Emails obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request and published by the Washington Examiner revealed Anton Gunn's apparent frustration with his counterparts in the West Wing.  Gunn is the former director of external affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who recently left for the private sector.  The emails contained his back-and-forth with Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, in May to discuss efforts to prepare for the exchanges' launch on Oct. 1.  "I think we need to have a Come to Jesus meeting with our friend over there," Gunn wrote of an unnamed White House official. "I think they are in disarray. I don't know who's in charge on healthcare."
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White House 'on track' to enroll youths in O-Care
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199206-white-house-on-track-for-o-care-youth
The White House said Tuesday it wasn't worried it wouldn't be able to sign up enough young consumers on the ObamaCare exchanges, despite enrollment numbers that continue to lag behind initial projections.  "We believe, based on the data we've seen thus far, and based on the experience that Massachusetts had, in the closest thing to a model and precursor to the Affordable Care Act at a state level, that we will achieve that necessary demographic mix for the exchanges to work effectively," White House press secretary Jay Carney said.  "We feel, based on the data that we've seen and has been released, that we are on track to have the demographic mix that we need," he added.  Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services said 27 percent of enrollees were between the ages of 18 and 34. In September, the administration forecast that 38.5 percent of total enrollees would be within that age range.
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Boehner: O-Care 'sucker punch' to economy
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/healthcare/199192-boehner-obamacare-a-sucker-punch-to-us-economy
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday said the Obama administration's latest report about the impact of ObamaCare shows the healthcare reform law will crush U.S. economic growth.  Boehner took to the House floor to respond to a report the administration released late Friday about the law — a report that House Republicans requested. He said the report shows that while Obama has said the law would reduce insurance premiums by thousands of dollars per family, the reverse is now expected to happen.  "Instead, according to the administration's own bookkeepers, premiums will go up for two out of three small businesses in our country," Boehner said. "This amounts to about 11 million employees who are going to see more money coming out of their paycheck for their health insurance every month."
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HHS: 'Not quite sure where' 7M ObamaCare pledge came from
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/199187-hhs-not-quite-sure-where-7m-o-care-pledge-came-from
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius declined on three consecutive occasions Tuesday to say the Obama administration would meet the original goal of having 7 million people signed up for ObamaCare by March 31.  In an interview with HuffPostLive, moderator Marc Lamont Hill directly asked Sebelius three times in a row if 7 million people will have enrolled in ObamaCare by the time open enrollment for 2014 ends.  After dodging the first two times, Sebelius sought to diminish the importance of the figure.  “First of all, 7 million was not the administration,” Sebelius said. “That was a CBO, Congressional Budget Office, prediction when the bill was first signed. I’m not quite sure where they even got their number. Their number’s all over the board, and you know, the vice president has looked and said it may be closer to five to six. I’m more interested in what we are doing today: getting the word out to target populations.”
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GOP leaders to HHS: Call off Medicare changes
The Hill
February 25, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/199158-gop-leaders-to-hhs-call-off-medicare-changes
Republican Senate leaders criticized the Obama administration Tuesday for proposed changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D they say would weaken the two programs.  Led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the lawmakers called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to suspend proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage and reforms in Part D that would allow regulators to participate in negotiations between insurance companies and pharmacies for the first time.  "Unlike ObamaCare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit is wildly popular and it has cost less than initial projections," the letter stated.  "At a time when HHS is struggling on basic implementation tasks on many fronts, we cannot understand the logic behind the department's interest in further undermining one of the few success stories under its purview."
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Obama's star power fades for health law
The Hill
February 24, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199088-overnight-health-obamas-star-power-fades-for
The Obama administration is short of star power as it begins its last public relations blitz for ObamaCare.  President Obama's celebrity supporters are not in the forefront as they were during the star-studded campaign-style videos that dominated the airwaves in 2008.  Contrary to expectations, the White House's A-list backers have mainly stuck to Twitter to voice support for ObamaCare, while others have engaged in inexpensive online videos, or chosen to promote California's insurance marketplace instead of HealthCare.gov, the notoriously troubled website for the federal exchanges.  Less than a year ago, Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Amy Poehler were guests at the White House to discuss a strategy to promote the healthcare law.
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Pharmaceutical companies express concerns about Canada revoking drug patents over their usefulness
The Hill
February 24, 2014
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/economy/199090-pharmaceutical-companies-express-concerns-about-canada-revoking
Pharmaceutical companies are expressing growing concerns about a trend in Canadian courts where patents on medicines are being revoked over challenges of their usefulness.  Since 2005, Canadian courts have made 21 decisions denying patent utility to 18 products made by 10 companies, allowing Canadian companies to manufacture the drugs before the end of the 20-year patents, according to a document obtained by The Hill.  A source with Eli Lilly told The Hill said a pattern has emerged where patents for innovative medicines are being challenged on the grounds that the inventions are not useful by Canadian companies that already have started producing and selling their cheaper generic versions domestically.  The Lilly source argued that if the drug wasn’t useful why would a Canadian company want to produce the generic version.
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In Va., fight over Medicaid expansion continues
The Washington Post
February 24, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/in-va-fight-over-medicaid-expansion-continues/2014/02/24/988697ea-9d59-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html
Gov. Terry McAuliffe hit the road to sell Medicaid expansion Monday, touring a Northern Virginia hospital to make the human and business case for insuring more poor and working people — and to pressure House Republicans who have pledged to block the effort.  Launching a two-week media blitz, McAuliffe (D) sharply rapped the GOP-led House of Delegates for its role in the current impasse. He told doctors and administrators at Inova Loudoun Hospital that as a businessman and a person of deep faith, he finds Republicans’ refusal to expand coverage nonsensical economically and “very disturbing” morally.
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Connecticut Plans to Market Health Exchange Expertise
The New York Times
February 24, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/us/connecticut-plans-to-market-health-exchange-expertise.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140224&tntemail0=y&_r=1
Connecticut has been so successful in getting people to sign up for health insurance through its online marketplace that it is setting up a consulting business to help other states build and operate websites where people can compare and buy private insurance policies.  And the Obama administration has encouraged the effort, in the hope that more states will run their own exchanges in 2015 or 2016.  Kevin J. Counihan, the chief executive of the Connecticut exchange, said Monday that it would license or franchise its technology, selling an “exchange in a box” to other states. It would offer a package of basic services, with an option for states to buy more.  “We have something that’s working, and we want to share it,” said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who is chairwoman of the board of the state exchange, Access Health CT.
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John Dingell to Retire After Nearly 60 Years in House
The New York Times
February 24, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/us/politics/dingell-to-retire-from-congress.html?hpw&rref=politics
No member of the House has served as long as Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan. So it resonated when Mr. Dingell announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election to a seat he has held since the Eisenhower administration in part because the institution he once revered had become “obnoxious,” riven by acrimony and marked by lack of productivity.  “There is going to be a lot of blaming and finger-pointing back and forth, but all of us are at fault,” Mr. Dingell said in remarks to a chamber of commerce in Michigan, adding: “The enormous expense of money made by people in the course of the campaign has not been well spent in the interest of the public, of the Congress of the country.”
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Pentagon budget would cut military health benefits and commissary funds
The Washington Post
February 24, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/02/24/pentagon-budget-would-cut-military-medical-benefits-and-commissary-funding/
The Pentagon’s 2015 budget proposal would raise health-care costs for certain members of the military community and drastically trim subsidies for the commissaries that provide discounted groceries to troops and their families.  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday that the proposed changes to the Tricare program would involve fee increases for active-duty family members and military retirees, but he provided no specifics on how much the rates would rise.  “We will ask retirees and some active-duty family members to pay a little more in their deductibles and co-pays, but their benefits will remain affordable and generous, as they should be,” he said.
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Little uniformity in military health care
The Washington Post
February 24, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/little-uniformity-in-military-health-care/2014/02/24/27cb9a52-9b18-11e3-975d-107dfef7b668_story.html
A new series of critical reports highlights the need to speed up unification of the military services’ separate approaches to health care, which is one of the fastest-growing budget items but still lacks common standards for dealing with some medical issues.  The Military Health System, which provides care to more than 9.7 million active, retired and service-family beneficiaries worldwide, cost $51.4 billion in fiscal 2012, or 9.7 percent of Pentagon spending. That was up from $19 billion in fiscal 2001, or 6 percent of spending.  The Congressional Budget Office has projected health spending could reach $65 billion in fiscal 2017 and $92 billion by 2030.
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How to find out if your doctor is in good standing. It takes some digging.
The Washington Post
February 24, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-to-find-out-if-your-doctor-is-in-good-standing-it-takes-some-digging/2014/02/24/12c31766-9915-11e3-80ac-63a8ba7f7942_story.html
Recently a reader wrote me to ask how patients can perform background checks on their doctors, to make sure that they’re in good standing. He had a reason for asking: A few years ago, he said, he’d agreed to have a spinal fusion performed by an apparently well-regarded surgeon. The operation left him worse off than when he started, and he later discovered that there were numerous malpractice lawsuits pending against the surgeon.  The reader was outraged and confused. He had been given the surgeon’s name by another doctor. He’d even looked up the surgeon’s profile online, and what he found there looked like a clean record.  Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof way to vet your doctor, says physician Michael Carome, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization based in Washington. But there are some basic steps you can take to look into a doctor’s credentials and record.
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