CUSTOMERS RECEIVE 'ACA SURCHARGE' AT FLA. RESTAURANT CHAIN (Feb. 28, 2014)
A restaurant chain in Florida is beginning to charge customers an extra fee to help recoup some of the costs of complying with the Affordable Care Act. CNN reports eight Gator's Dockside restaurants are charging a 1 percent fee on each bill so the chain can offer its full-time employees insurance coverage. |
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PATIENTS SHARE THEIR ACA STORIES (Feb. 27, 2014)
Between all the talk about various coverage plans, website troubles and the political debate that surrounds the Affordable Care Act, it sometimes seems patients' experiences with the health care law are getting lost in the mix. The Wall Street Journal has compiled patient stories and is asking readers to submit their own. |
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ACA HITS 4 MILLION ENROLLEES (Feb. 26, 2014)
An estimated 4 million Americans have signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act so far, reports Time. The Obama administration had hoped 7 million would sign up before the deadline at the end of March; there are five weeks left for those still shopping. Just 25 percent of current enrollees are younger patients.
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GOP, DEMS AT ODDS OVER HEALTH LAW REPORT (Feb. 25, 2014)
A new report on small business health costs has Republicans and Democrats at odds over the success of the Affordable Care Act. According to CNN, the GOP says the report proves small companies suffer under the ACA; Democrats say the report ignores subsidies that will decrease premiums. Read the full report here. |
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ACA ENROLLMENT NUMBERS HARD TO VERIFY (Feb. 24, 2014)
How many previously uninsured Americans have signed up for insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act? The answer is complicated. Politico reports part of the reason there's no verifiable number is because the government isn't yet able to say how many of the newly insured didn't have coverage before. |
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LOW-INCOME FAMILIES TO PAY THOUSANDS IN ACA TAXES? (Feb. 21, 2014)
America's newly insured may have a problem looming on the horizon: a lack of assistance in helping them understand their new plans. Federal funding for consumer assistance programs has been either spent or turned down, according to Politico; only a handful of states' assistance programs are still running. |
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REPORT: 250,000 CANCELED POLICIES IN PA. (Feb. 20, 2014)
America's newly insured may have a problem looming on the horizon: a lack of assistance in helping them understand their new plans. Federal funding for consumer assistance programs has been either spent or turned down, according to Politico; only a handful of states' assistance programs are still running. |
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ARE NEWLY INSURED RUNNING OUT OF HELP? (Feb. 19, 2014)
America's newly insured may have a problem looming on the horizon: a lack of assistance in helping them understand their new plans. Federal funding for consumer assistance programs has been either spent or turned down, according to Politico; only a handful of states' assistance programs are still running. |
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TEN TOP QUESTIONS CONSUMERS ASK ABOUT ACA (Feb. 18, 2014)
A new poll has found that a third of Americans are unfamiliar with the Affordable Care Act, and The Fiscal Times reports that the many changes to the law over the last several months only adds to consumers' confusion. That's why the publication has assembled a list of 10 top ACA questions - and the answers. |
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UPDATE: ONE-FIFTH OF ACA ENROLLEES DIDN'T PAY PREMIUM (Feb. 14, 2014)
Last month, we told you that an estimated one in five ACA enrollees was expected to fail to pay their first month's premium. Today, the New York Times reports that figure seems to be coming true, with numbers varying slightly between different insurers. Those who did not pay did not receive coverage in January. |
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PLATINUM, GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE ... AND COPPER? (Feb. 13, 2014)
The White House is considering a proposal that would create a new tier of ACA insurance plans, the Wall Street Journal reports. The so-called "copper" policies would offer a lower level of coverage than existing ACA plans and require more ordinary costs up front. If that sounds confusing, click here to read more. |
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EXPERTS: ACA 'FAILURE' JUST AS LIKELY AS REPEAL (Feb. 12, 2014)
Is the Affordable Care Act doomed? According to experts, the law is just as unlikely to fail as it is to be repealed. According to USA Today, that's because the law has provisions to protect insurers from an unfavorable balance of sick and healthy patients; additionally, insurers stand to gain too much to let it fail. |
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OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DELAYING EMPLOYER MANDATE (Feb. 11, 2014)
The Obama administration is delaying the employer mandate for a year, giving employers more time to determine how they'll expand coverage or provide insurance to their employees. USA Today reports the extension was granted after input from employers and Congress. The rule will now begin January 2015. |
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NEARLY 5 MILLION STUCK IN ACA COVERAGE GAP (Feb. 10, 2014)
More than 5 million people are stuck in the Affordable Care Act's "coverage gap" in states that opted out of expanding Medicaid coverage. While many of those patients are clustered in the south, the Wall Street Journal reports between 20 and 25 percent of Pennsylvania's uninsured population falls into that gap.
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WHITE HOUSE LISTS SIX ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF ACA (Feb. 7, 2014)
The Obama administration is defending the Affordable Care Act against claims that the Congressional Budget Office's recent report paints the law as a "job killer." On WhiteHouse.gov, the administration has listed six economic benefits of the ACA, including reducing the deficit, boosting demand, and reducing "job lock." |
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FACT CHECK: RESPONSES TO CBO REPORT (Feb. 6, 2014)
Yesterday, we told you about the Congressional Budget Office's estimation that the health care law will create a net loss of the equivalent of 2 million jobs. But the difference between deciding to work less or losing a job, as some Republicans suggest, is stark. USA Today has a fact check about what the numbers really mean.
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CBO: ACA TO COST 2 MILLION JOBS BY 2014 (Feb. 5, 2014)
The Congressional Budget Office's new economic report suggests the Affordable Care Act will cause Americans to work fewer hours, costing the equivalent of 2 million jobs by 2017. Politico reports that number is nearly three times as high as the office's previous prediction. Meanwhile, the White House has responded. |
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GET THE MOST OUT OF ACA BY AVOIDING 4 BIG MISTAKES (Feb. 4, 2014)
Pennsylvania patients who are selecting coverage plans through HealthCare.gov have plenty of options. But signing up for health insurance is a tremendous commitment, and confusion sometimes sets in when there are so many products to choose from. ABC News has compiled a list of mistakes to avoid when signing up. |
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