Health News
- Kentucky's Health-insurance Exchange Has Covered A Greater Share Of Population Than Any Other State-based Exchange
Kentucky has registered more people for Medicaid and private health insurance than any other state with its own exchange created under the federal health-reform law, Christine Vestal reports for Stateline, in a story explaining why Kynect and...
- Aug. 28 Webinar Will Help Journalists Understand Health Reform
Jennifer TolbertAfter The Rural Blog published an item (see below) yesterday that said 80 percent of people who could benefit from insurance exchanges being established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act knew nothing about it, a...
- Beshear Announces Launch Of Kynect, The State's New Online Shop For Health Insurance; Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 1
Gov. Steve Beshear has announced the launch of Kentucky?s Healthcare Connection, which is referred to as Kynect and is Kentucky's one-stop onlineshop for the state's new health insurance exchange. Beginning next year, most Americans will be required...
- Cbo Estimates Court Ruling Will Mean 3 Million Fewer People Than Predicted Will Get Insurance, Saving Federal Government $84 Billion
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 3 million fewer people will get health insurance than expected before the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The CBO forecasts that will reduce the law's estimated...
- What's The Status Of A Health Insurance Exchange In Kentucky?
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News At the end of February, Kentucky received $57.8 million in federal funds to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace under federal health-care reform. Officials say all the money will be used to plan...
Health News
Most who would benefit from insurance exchanges under health reform knew nothing about them last fall
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will affect millions of Americans, especially those in rural areas. But many are not prepared for the coming changes, according to a survey by Enroll America, a non-profit group that calls itself "a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to maximize the number of uninsured Americans who enroll in health coverage made available by the Affordable Care Act" through online insurance marketplaces known as exchanges.
The survey "shows that nearly 80 percent of those who stand to benefit have no idea what an exchange is or how to get the health insurance subsidies they will offer," Christine Vestal reports for Stateline. There's no reason to think the percentage in Kentucky would have been much different at the time of the survey, taken early last fall. State government, which will open its exchange Oct. 1, has been using advertising and other means to inform people who could benefit from the exchange.
"When the exchanges open, anyone who does not already have employer-sponsored insurance will be able to comparison shop for coverage and find out whether they qualify for federal subsidies to help pay for their policies," Vestal notes. "Visitors to federally funded websites and call centers will also find out whether they qualify for Medicaid or the Children?s Health Insurance Program, and they?ll be able to sign up for that coverage immediately. Policies purchased on the exchange will take effect Jan. 1, 2014. The Obama administration is scheduled to announce Thursday how it will dole out $54 million in federal money to hire so-called 'navigators' who will help people actually sign up." (Read more)
Clearly, this subject needs more news coverage to inform people about it. To help reporters do that, the Kaiser Family Foundation is holding a series of free, one-hour webinars, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET. For details and registration, click here.
The survey "shows that nearly 80 percent of those who stand to benefit have no idea what an exchange is or how to get the health insurance subsidies they will offer," Christine Vestal reports for Stateline. There's no reason to think the percentage in Kentucky would have been much different at the time of the survey, taken early last fall. State government, which will open its exchange Oct. 1, has been using advertising and other means to inform people who could benefit from the exchange.
"When the exchanges open, anyone who does not already have employer-sponsored insurance will be able to comparison shop for coverage and find out whether they qualify for federal subsidies to help pay for their policies," Vestal notes. "Visitors to federally funded websites and call centers will also find out whether they qualify for Medicaid or the Children?s Health Insurance Program, and they?ll be able to sign up for that coverage immediately. Policies purchased on the exchange will take effect Jan. 1, 2014. The Obama administration is scheduled to announce Thursday how it will dole out $54 million in federal money to hire so-called 'navigators' who will help people actually sign up." (Read more)
Clearly, this subject needs more news coverage to inform people about it. To help reporters do that, the Kaiser Family Foundation is holding a series of free, one-hour webinars, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET. For details and registration, click here.
- Kentucky's Health-insurance Exchange Has Covered A Greater Share Of Population Than Any Other State-based Exchange
Kentucky has registered more people for Medicaid and private health insurance than any other state with its own exchange created under the federal health-reform law, Christine Vestal reports for Stateline, in a story explaining why Kynect and...
- Aug. 28 Webinar Will Help Journalists Understand Health Reform
Jennifer TolbertAfter The Rural Blog published an item (see below) yesterday that said 80 percent of people who could benefit from insurance exchanges being established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act knew nothing about it, a...
- Beshear Announces Launch Of Kynect, The State's New Online Shop For Health Insurance; Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 1
Gov. Steve Beshear has announced the launch of Kentucky?s Healthcare Connection, which is referred to as Kynect and is Kentucky's one-stop onlineshop for the state's new health insurance exchange. Beginning next year, most Americans will be required...
- Cbo Estimates Court Ruling Will Mean 3 Million Fewer People Than Predicted Will Get Insurance, Saving Federal Government $84 Billion
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 3 million fewer people will get health insurance than expected before the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The CBO forecasts that will reduce the law's estimated...
- What's The Status Of A Health Insurance Exchange In Kentucky?
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News At the end of February, Kentucky received $57.8 million in federal funds to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace under federal health-care reform. Officials say all the money will be used to plan...