March 13, 2013
Potter scheduled to appear at House hearing to debunk industry’s profit-driven campaign to weaken Affordable Care Act, just as insurers prepare to cover millions of Americans who now lack health plans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wendell Potter, former health insurance industry executive and author of Deadly Spin, will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, on Friday, March 15, 2013, about the health insurance industry’s concerted effort to weaken the health care reform law in the months before it extends coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
Potter plans to apologize to the family of Leslie Elder, who died because she could not get health insurance under the old rules, which allowed insurers to deny coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions. He will also discuss the health insurance industry’s public relations campaign to allow insurance companies to continue price-gouging older Americans (like Leslie Elder) for the same coverage they sell to younger Americans. Such a move would require a significant legislative change to the Affordable Care Act.
Also testifying before the subcommittee will be Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, and Christopher Carlson, actuarial principal for the consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Who:
Wendell Potter, Senior Analyst at the Center for Public Integrity and former health insurance industry communications executive
What:
Testimony before House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health: “Unaffordable: Impact of Obamacare on Americans’ Health Insurance Premiums”
When:
9 a.m., Friday, March 15, 2013
Where:
2123 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20003
The hearing may be viewed online live at http://energycommerce.house.gov/.
Note: Wendell Potter is a contributor to healthinsurance.org.
September 12, 2012
Times Union— Department of Health representatives meeting with regional advisors say the top two desires for the state’s health insurance exchange – the New York Health Benefit Exchange – are comprehensive benefits and affordable coverage. Of course, the more benefits covered, the more expensive plans offered on the exchange will be.
Tags: aca, health reform, New York, new york state health insurance exchangeAugust 26, 2012
Kaiser Health News – Maryland could be among a group of states attempting to go above and beyond the Affordable Care Act to develop sweeping cost controls and possibly be used as a model for other states. The proposed changes would potentially keep per-capita Medicare costs rising more slowly in other states.
Tags: health reform, Maryland, Maryland health insurance, MedicareJuly 26, 2012
OregonLive – While Republican governors across the country are resisting implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Oregon is taking a very different approach. The state is moving forward with plans to create its own state health insurance exchange and is establishing coordinated care organizations to provide health care for Medicaid recipients.
Tags: health insurance exchange, Medicaid, oregon state health insurance exchangeJuly 18, 2012
The Lund Report – Oregon’s Health Insurance Exchange Board is preparing to launch an aggressive communications campaign in 2013 to encourage residents to purchase health insurance and avoid paying a penalty. Through the the Oregon health insurance exchange, each insurer will be limited to three health plan options in the individual and small-group market.
Tags: oregon state health insurance exchangeJuly 17, 2012
healthinsurance.org blog – Blogger Maggie Mahar asked health reform expert Timothy Jost whether a new “tempest in a teapot” over the wording of the health reform law will prevent millions from receiving health reform premium subsidies if their state health insurance exchanges aren’t actually state-run. Jost says one might expect more legal challenges from opponents of the law, but the lawsuits won’t “take down” Obamacare.
Tags: health insurance exchange, health reform, Maggie Mahar, premium subsidies, Timothy JostJuly 10, 2012
Forbes – Texas Governor Rick Perry has, today, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius telling her—in no uncertain terms—what she can do with Obamacare. The missive comes as 6.2 million Texans—one quarter of the entire population of the state—continue to live without any healthcare coverage whatsoever.
Tags: health insurance, Obamacare, rick perry, Sebelius, TexasJuly 9, 2012
Florida Gov. Rick Scott opposes the federal health care law, and he wants the world to know it. But in expressing his strong opposition to the Affordable Care Act, Scott also got his facts wrong …
Tags: florida state health insurance exchangeJune 29, 2012
Denver Post –The state will redouble efforts to prepare for 2014′s growth in Medicaid enrollment, and a consumer “exchange” – the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange – where citizens should find individual health insurance with affordable, uniform benefits, proponents said.
Tags: benefits, Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, colorado state health insurance exchange, individual health insuranceApril 15, 2012
Robert Greenstein, President of the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities (CBPP) dubbed Ryan’s proposal “Robin Hood in reverse – on steroids. It could likely produce the largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in modern U.S. history.”
Tags: budget plan, Congress, Medicare, Paul RyanDecember 1, 2011
JournalStar.com – The state legislature’s Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee chair says it’s not likely that a state health insurance exchange bill will get out of committee and be debated in the 2012 regular session. That could result in a special session after April 2012 if the state decides to proceed with its own exchange.
Tags: Nebraska, nebraska state health insurance exchangeNovember 30, 2011
MPBN – Governor Paul LePage is catching flack from Maine Democrats for accepting federal funds to plan a state health insurance exchange while at the same time pursuing a lawsuit in attempt to block the federal health reform law.
Tags: lepage, Maine, maine state health insurance exchangeNovember 30, 2011
Richmond Times-Dispatch – It’s clear that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell opposes last year’s federal health reform law. What remains unclear is whether he supports creation of a state-run health insurance exchange.
Tags: Virginia health insurance, virginia state health insurance exchangeNovember 29, 2011
DesMoinesRegister.com – Gov. Terry Branstad is opposed to a federal overhaul of health care, but he has agreed to take $7 million in federal grants to prepare for the possibility of an Iowa state health insurance exchange.
Tags: aca, IowaNovember 23, 2011
The Morning Call – Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration says it’s moving ahead with plans to establish a state-run health insurance exchange. At least 2 million residents are expected to use it.
Tags: Pennsylvania, pennsylvania state health insurance exchangeNovember 22, 2011
Wyoming Tribune Eagle – The state is moving toward establishment of a state-run health insurance exchange and is expected to seek federal funding in December to continue its study of the feasibility of establishing a state-run exchange.
Tags: wyoming, wyoming state health insurance exchangeNovember 22, 2011
Tulsa World – An informal poll of a state committee examining state health insurance exchange options has found that a majority favor a state exchange of some sort.
Tags: oklahoma, oklahoma state health insurance exchangeNovember 19, 2011
The Commercial Appeal – Despite court challenges to the federal health reform law, the state of Tennessee will continue to prepare for a state health insurance exchange.
Tags: Tennessee health insurance, tennessee state health insurance exchangeNovember 17, 2011
Spartanburg Herald-Journal – The state’s top health official has recommended that South Carolina not pursue a state-run health insurance exchange.
Tags: South Carolina health insurance, south carolina state health insurance exchangeNovember 16, 2011
Tulsa World – The panel charged with studying the Affordable Care Act adjourned Tuesday without making a decision about Oklahoma’s own state health insurance exchange.
Tags: oklahoma, oklahoma state health insurance exchangeNovember 15, 2011
Kaiser Health News – South Carolina’s top health official will recommend that the state allow the federal government to build the state’s health insurance exchange. His recommendation will go to Gov. Nikki Haley this week.
Tags: South Carolina health insurance, south carolina state health insurance exchangeNovember 14, 2011
North Dakota is on its way to becoming the first state in the country to have an operating health insurance exchange, which is required under the Affordable Care Act.
Tags: North Dakota, north dakota state health insurance exchangeNovember 8, 2011
insurancenewsnet.com – State agencies in New York are moving steadily forward with planning to get a state health insurance exchange operational by 2014.
Tags: New York, new york state health insurance exchangeNovember 6, 2011
Lake County News-Sun – Disagreements about how to operate a state health insurance exchange in Illinois threaten efforts to get the exchange up and running in time for a federal deadline.
Tags: Illinois health insurance, illinois state health insurance exchangeNovember 1, 2011
The Lund Report – Oregon’s Individual and Employer Consumer Advisory Committee hopes Oregonians will see a state health insurance exchange is not a typical government program and end up believing, “it works.”
Tags: Oregon, oregon state health insurance exchangeOctober 31, 2011
Politics In Minnesota – Gov. Mark Dayton has issued an executive order to develop Minnesota’s state health insurance exchange – a move likely to draw the ire of Republicans at the Capitol.
Tags: minnesota, minnesota state health insurance exchangeOctober 30, 2011
The Bismarck Tribune – The editorial board says the state would be better off operating its own state health insurance exchange, since the state will be required to pay for the exchanges after 2015.
Tags: North Dakota, north dakota state health insurance exchangeOctober 22, 2011
Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Relief for small businesses could be on the way through an insurance exchange intended to save money for employers and give employees improved health plan options.
Tags: Georgia, georgia state health insurance exchangeOctober 20, 2011
Connecticut Post – Twenty-five people protested on October 20 that three of the members of the Insurance Exchange Board have a conflict of interest because they are employed by an insurer or health care provider.
Tags: Connecticut health insurance, connecticut state health insurance exchangeOctober 16, 2011
Associated Press – Insurance officials working on computer issues, staffing, and a business plan for a planned state health insurance exchange.
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