GAO Advises CMS To Step Up Tracking Of Health Law Implementation Funding
The watchdog agency says the federal government has spent $3.7 billion during the current fiscal year on the marketplaces. News outlets also report on developments related to exchanges in California, Minnesota and Montana.
Politico Pro: GAO Urges Better Tracking Of Health Law Financing
The Obama administration has spent $3.7 billion during this fiscal year on implementation of the Obamacare exchanges, according to a new GAO report that advised CMS to better track the health care law’s financing. The money includes some funding that was not specifically tagged for the exchanges, GAO said. Since March 2010, it found, CMS has also spent $79.8 million on total salary expenses related to implementation of the law’s exchanges (Haberkorn, 9/22).
Los Angeles Times: 30,000 Californians Face Obamacare Enrollment Delays, Dropped Coverage
California's health insurance exchange is vowing to fix enrollment delays and dropped coverage for about 30,000 consumers before the next sign-up period this fall. Covered California said it failed to promptly send insurance applications for 20,000 people to health plans recently, causing delays and confusion over their coverage. Another group of up to 10,000 people have had their insurance coverage canceled prematurely because they were deemed eligible for Medi-Cal based on a check of their income, officials said (Terhune, 9/22).
Minnesota Public Radio: Why PreferredOne Pulled Out Of MNsure
Early next month, the state Commerce Department will reveal next year's premium rates for plans to be sold on MNsure, Minnesota's health insurance exchange. But the insurer with the lowest prices and most customers on MNsure won't be on the list next time around. PreferredOne announced last week that it's dropping out of the insurance exchange. It said selling insurance through MNsure was not sustainable. ...we discuss PreferredOne's decision [with Stephen Parente and Joel Ario] (9/23).
The Missoulian: Three Montana Groups Get $609K In Health Care 'Navigator' Grants
Once again, the federal government is funding "navigators" in Montana to help the uninsured buy private, subsidized health coverage this fall – with a new emphasis on Native American consumers. Earlier this month, federal officials awarded $609,000 in navigator grants to three Montana groups: Planned Parenthood of Montana, the Montana Health Network and the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council. ... [Martha Stahl, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana] said her group will be working closely with the other two grant recipients and other organizations to sign up more people for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, as well as target Native Americans (Dennison, 9/22).