Connecticut had one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country before Obamacare, and has been heralded as one of the most successful states in rolling out the health law. But even here, on the eve of the second sign-up period for private insurance under the health law, it’s not hard to find people without health insurance. So who are they, and what are their chances of getting insured anytime soon?
Access Health CT
Posted inHealth
Obamacare case headed to U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t directly affect CT
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a key case related to Obamacare, but it has little direct impact on Connecticut.
Posted inHealth
30,000 could lose coverage or subsidies as exchange addresses income, immigration discrepancies
As many as 30,000 customers of the state’s health insurance exchange could lose their coverage or see a drop in the subsidies used to discount their premiums next month because they did not submit information needed to verify their eligibility.
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Obamacare enrollment, year 2: What you need to know
The second sign-up period for insurance under the federal health law known as Obamacare begins next month. There are some key changes from last year, including a shorter shopping season, new plan options and a higher penalty for those who don’t have coverage in 2015. Here are the details.
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Obamacare worry: Unexpected tax bills for those with discounted insurance
Nearly 60,000 Connecticut residents get discounted health insurance as part of Obamacare. And officials are worried that some of them could get hit with an unexpected tax bill next year.
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Foundations chip in to help people sign up for Obamacare
Three foundations plan to pay for about 35 people to conduct “shoe-leather” outreach to help Connecticut residents sign up for Obamacare during the open enrollment that begins Nov. 15. The workers are intended to supplement a sign-up effort by the state’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, that critics worry won’t be enough to reach the remaining uninsured.
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CT hospitals say Obamacare hasn’t cut uncompensated care
A recent federal report says hospitals saw a major decrease in uncompensated care after the rollout of key provisions of the federal health law this year. But so far, that’s not what Connecticut hospitals are experiencing, according to their association.
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With Hartford Hospital deadline looming, Anthem adds St. Francis to exchange network
St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford is joining Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s network for plans sold through the state’s health insurance exchange. The timing is important for Anthem, which could sever ties with Hartford Hospital’s parent company next week.
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Why some Obamacare insurance discounts could drop in 2015
Costs to buy insurance through Connecticut’s health insurance exchange won’t, on average, rise much next year. For some plans, the prices are dropping. But some customers who get financial aid to buy their insurance could see price increases beyond the rise in sticker price if they stick with their current plans.
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Exchange says Obamacare helped close racial, ethnic coverage gaps
Black and Hispanic Connecticut residents were disproportionately likely to be uninsured before the rollout of the federal health law, and new data suggest that the first sign-up period for coverage under Obamacare made a dent in that disparity.
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Access Health plans much smaller enrollment assistance effort this time
When enrollment for Obamacare opens two months from now, Connecticut’s health insurance exchange is planning an in-person outreach effort that’s a fraction of the size of last year’s nearly $3 million sign-up blitz. The smaller scale worries consumer advocates, who say reaching the remaining uninsured will take a more intensive effort.
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Obamacare Q&A: CT exchange will let some automatically renew plans
Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, is developing a system to automatically renew coverage for some people who don’t want to make changes to their benefits.
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What new numbers on the uninsured do, and don’t, tell us about Obamacare
New figures released Tuesday indicate that the number of people without health insurance dropped in early 2014, the first year the major provisions of the federal health law took effect. But the numbers still give us a very limited picture of the impact Obamacare has had on coverage in Connecticut.
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Obamacare Q&A: Keeping old policies, and why abortion coverage costs some people $1
Can you keep an old insurance plan purchased at the end of last year to avoid the new Obamacare rules? And why does federal law on abortion mean that some Connecticut residents are paying $1 in premiums each month?
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Access Health CT’s IT chief to lead agency as interim boss
Jim Wadleigh, the top information technology official at Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, will lead the agency on an interim basis after chief executive Kevin Counihan leaves for a top federal job next week.
