SEBELIUS: 'I APOLOGIZE. I'M ACCOUNTABLE' (Oct. 31, 2013)
Testifying to Congress about the botched healthcare.gov launch, Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took responsibility and apologized to those still waiting for coverage. CNN reports Sebelius said she made a mistake when she told President Obama the site was ready for Oct. 1. |
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HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS TESTIFIES ON ACA (Oct. 30, 2013)
Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will field questions today from a House committee trying to get down to the bottom of the troubled Marketplace website launch, according to USA Today. This morning, a former White House official said the website is expected to be fixed by Nov. 30. |
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REPORT: MORE THAN 2 MILLION GETTING BOOTED FROM INSURANCE PLANS (Oct. 29, 2013)
While the Affordable Care Act seeks to insure those who have previously lacked coverage, CBS News reports that nearly 2 million people have been told that they're unable to renew their existing plans. CBS notes that that's more than triple the number of people said to be purchasing plans under the ACA. |
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LAWMAKERS DEMAND MARKETPLACE ANSWERS, FIX (Oct. 28, 2013)
Both Republicans and Democrats are demanding swift answers and quick action on the ill-functioning Marketplace website. According to PBS, some lawmakers are threatening to subpoena Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius if she doesn't provide details on the troubled launch by 5 p.m. today. |
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LEGAL TROUBLE FOR AFFORDABLE CARE ACT? (Oct. 25, 2013)
The Los Angeles Times reports the Affordable Care Act law contains a potential legal issue that could unravel the law in many states. A tax credit helps cover the cost for low-income Americans if they buy through an exchange established by the state - but 36 states have opted against opening their own exchanges.
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PA. RESIDENTS DENIED ACA COVERAGE OVER MEDICAID ISSUE (Oct. 24, 2013)
Some Pennsylvania residents are being denied coverage to health plans under the Affordable Care Act because the state has not expanded its Medicaid program, according to abc27 News. The state says it's working on a plan to insure the 500,000 to 600,000 Pennsylvanians within that "health care hole." |
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OBAMA: AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WORKING IN MANY AREAS (Oct. 23, 2013)
In spite of problems with the troubled healthcare.gov website, President Obama says many parts of the Affordable Care Act are working as planned to the benefit of the American people. NPR reports the president mentioned prescription savings for seniors and insurance call centers as some of Obamacare's successes. |
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REPORT: AMERICANS LOSING FAITH IN HEALTH LAW (Oct. 22, 2013)
In the wake of a problematic insurance exchange launch, Americans' faith in the Affordable Care Act is eroding, according to Time. Nearly 41 percent of Americans approve of the health care law, but 46 percent of people polled between Oct. 9 and 13 said that the Marketplace website was not working well - or at all. |
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WHAT ARE PATIENTS' TOP COMPLAINTS ABOUT HEALTH LAW? (Oct. 21, 2013)
Since the launch of the health care Marketplace on Oct. 1, patients have had some hands-on time with the Affordable Care Act. Of course, the transition hasn't been particularly easy for patients and providers alike. What are patients' biggest complaints about the law? CNN Money has taken a look. Find out for yourself here. |
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INSURERS CLAIM MARKETPLACE GENERATING FLAWED DATA (Oct. 18, 2013)
In yet another setback for the embattled health insurance Marketplace website, insurers say the federal health care exchange is generating flawed data, such as duplicate enrollments and missing data fields, straining their ability to handle even the current small number of those who have enrolled. Marketwatch has more here. |
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LESS THAN 1 PERCENT OF MARKETPLACE VISITORS ENROLLED (Oct. 17, 2013)
This morning, Mediaite and various sources are reporting that only .4 percent of visitors to the health care Marketplace website enrolled in a plan in the first week - just 36,000 out of nearly 9.5 million unique visitors. That's according to an independent study by Millward Brown Digital, which you can view by clicking here. |
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PENNSYLVANIANS SHARE PERSONAL MARKETPLACE EXPERIENCES (Oct. 16, 2013)
We've heard plenty of stories - many from the national media - about the health care Marketplace's shortcomings. Now, Transforming Health has compiled exclusive feedback from Pennsylvanians about their experiences with the online insurance exchange. Click here to read a wide range of revealing local opinions. |
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MARKETPLACE ENROLLEES BECOME 'URBAN LEGEND' (Oct. 15, 2013)
Who has been able to sign up for health care under the federal Marketplace? According to Kaiser Health News, enrollees are something of an urban legend: while a few have reported varying degrees of success,only a handful of true successes exist. The Obama administration says it will release enrollment numbers monthly. |
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REPORT: PA.'S POOREST FALL INTO COVERAGE GAP (Oct. 11, 2013)
Under the health care law, Pennsylvania's poorest uninsured fall into a coverage gap. While those making between 100 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for aid, WITF reports an estimated 400,000 residents make too little to qualify for Marketplace subsidies, yet make too much to qualify for Medicaid. |
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HOSPITALS CUTTING STAFF TO MAKE UP LOST REVENUE (Oct. 10, 2013)
As Medicare continues squeezing prices under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals are making up for lost revenue by slashing staff, reports Modern Healthcare. For each $100,000 drop in Medicare revenue, a new study has found hospitals eliminate 1.7 full-time jobs. The study did not examine the quality of care impact |
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REPORT: TIME RUNNING OUT FOR MARKETPLACE UPDATES (Oct. 9, 2013)
We told you yesterday that the health insurance Marketplace website was being updated. But, according to a former health official, time is running out. The former Dept. of Health and Human Services employee told Time that the longer the fixes take, the more the health care law is imperiled.Find out why here. |
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HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE FIX ON THE WAY? (Oct. 8, 2013)
Last week's launch of the health insurance Marketplace website was plagued with problems. Today, Reuters reports those issues are being fixed. The White House says it is repairing software and capacity problems within the website, which received nearly 9 million unique visitors after launching on Oct. 1. |
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IN AGE OF ACA, AMISH GO THEIR OWN WAY (Oct. 7, 2013)
The Affordable Care Act, specifically the brand new Marketplace, is affecting hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. But one group found in Pa. is exempt from the law: the Amish community has successfully opted out of Obamacare. Click here to learn how the Amish health system works via NBC News. |
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BE IN-THE-KNOW ABOUT HEALTH CARE FRAUD (Oct. 4, 2013)
You may have heard that scammers are using confusion over the Affordable Care Act to dupe patients. But Pennsylvania's attorney general recommends five simple rules that patients can follow to avoid fraud. You can read the tips by clicking here, courtesy of Patch, and don't forget to share the information with your patients! |
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DOCTOR SHORTAGE, PATIENT FLOOD COULD CRASH HEALTH SYSTEM (Oct. 3, 2013)
The influx of newly insured patients under the Affordable Care Act could overburden physicians and crash America's health system, warns CNN. As nearly half of U.S. physicians are over 50 - at or near retirement age - The Annals of Family Medicine estimates 52,000 more primary care physicians will be needed by 2025. |
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MARKETPLACE LAUNCHES TO ROCKY START IN PA. (Oct. 2, 2013)
Yesterday, Pennsylvania's health insurance exchange, or "Marketplace," opened to consumers. Unfortunately, technological glitches prevented many from signing up, as abc27 News reports in this piece featuring the PAFP's Brent Ennis. Visit the PAFP's brand new ACA News Archive for the latest on the health law!
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SIGN UP FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AT HEALTHCARE.GOV (Oct. 1, 2013)
Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are eligible to sign up for affordable health insurance through the Marketplace at healthcare.gov beginning today. You'll be asked to enter some basic information in order to see the plans. Please note: Because of high web traffic, you may experience delays when using the website. |
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Click here to go back to the ACA news archive.
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