Health News
The Appalachian Regional Healthcare system has posted notices in its 10 hospitals that "provides an incorrect web address to sign up for federally mandated health coverage, falsely states uninsured patients won't receive non-emergency services after Jan. 1 and sets an arbitrary deadline to enroll for insurance" under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. "And CEO Joe Grossman is OK with that."
Grossman told Meehan that he dictated the notice's stern tone and established the Nov. 30 deadline for ARH patients to get insurance effective Jan. 1 to "build a sense of urgency" because he had heard patients say they had no incentive to sign up for health insurance. Meehan notes that the actual deadline was Dec. 23, and the deadline for the first year of enrollment is March 31; and that the chain serves "some of the poorest areas of the country. Ten percent of ARH's patients are uninsured," and Grossman said many don't pay taxes and this would not be subject to the fine for not having insurance.
ARH sent a letter with "the exact aggressive and misleading language" to 12,000 uninsured patients who received treatment at the hospitals in July, August and September.
"Cara Stewart, an attorney with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center, a nonprofit advocacy group," said the letter seemed like "fear mongering," Meehan reports. "Stewart emphasized that there is nothing in the ACA denying care for uninsured people. In fact, there are specific federal funds set aside to pay for uninsured care through 2020, she said." (Read more)
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Since enrollment for coverage through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act opened Oct. 1, more than 255,000 Kentucky residents have signed up; because a goal of the law is to provide everyone with affordable insurance, the Lexington Herald-Leader...
Health News
Appalachian Regional Hospitals use untruthful information to encourage Obamacare signups; CEO says he has no regrets
Grossman told Meehan that he dictated the notice's stern tone and established the Nov. 30 deadline for ARH patients to get insurance effective Jan. 1 to "build a sense of urgency" because he had heard patients say they had no incentive to sign up for health insurance. Meehan notes that the actual deadline was Dec. 23, and the deadline for the first year of enrollment is March 31; and that the chain serves "some of the poorest areas of the country. Ten percent of ARH's patients are uninsured," and Grossman said many don't pay taxes and this would not be subject to the fine for not having insurance.
ARH sent a letter with "the exact aggressive and misleading language" to 12,000 uninsured patients who received treatment at the hospitals in July, August and September.
"Cara Stewart, an attorney with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center, a nonprofit advocacy group," said the letter seemed like "fear mongering," Meehan reports. "Stewart emphasized that there is nothing in the ACA denying care for uninsured people. In fact, there are specific federal funds set aside to pay for uninsured care through 2020, she said." (Read more)
- Thousands Of Kentuckians Face Federal Tax Penalty For Not Having Health Insurance
"Thousands of Kentuckians might face a penalty this tax season for failing to sign up for health insurance during 2014," Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. The state estimated that 340,000 Kentuckians would buy private insurance through...
- Penalty For Those Without Health Insurance In 2015 Will Be Significantly Higher Than For 2014; Feb. 15 Is Deadline To Sign Up
Wall Street Journal photo illustrationOne aspect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act supporters don't spend much time talking about is the part of the law that imposes a penalty on those who don't have insurance, but the time has...
- Sicker Patients, Competition For Beds And A Growing Number Of Patients Create Long Wait Times At Uk Emergency Room
The University of Kentucky's emergency room has the longest wait time in Kentucky and this time is also way above the national average, Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. With beds regularly lining the halls of the ER, the average...
- Safety-net Hospitals, Haven For The Uninsured, Are Seeing More Covered Patients Since The Expansion Of Medicaid
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Hospitals that most often treat the poor and uninsured are seeing fewer uninsured patients since the new health law's expansion of Medicaid, Phil Galewitz reports for Kaiser Health News. Kentucky's...
- County Analysis Shows Wide Range In Numbers Of Previously Uninsured Who Now Have Coverage Through State Exchange
Since enrollment for coverage through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act opened Oct. 1, more than 255,000 Kentucky residents have signed up; because a goal of the law is to provide everyone with affordable insurance, the Lexington Herald-Leader...