Press and Media.May 2019
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Media Clips COVERED CALIFORNIA BOARD CLIPS Mar. 18, 2019 – May 15, 2019 Since the Mar. 14 board meeting, high-visibility media issues included: President Trump deciding he wants a GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, before quickly being convinced to shelve the idea until after the 2020 elections. The administration’s Department of Justice declared its opposition to the ACA, filing in a federal appeals court that the legislation is unconstitutional and should be struck down. Meanwhile in California, Gov. Newsom unveiled his new budget that includes changes for Covered California, while Americans weighed in on the current health care climate. COVERED CALIFORNIA PRESS RELEASES AND REPORTS New Analysis Finds Record Number of Renewals for Leading State-Based Marketplaces, but Lack of Penalty Is Putting Consumers at Risk, May 7 ....................... 4 Open Forum: Trump abolished the health care mandate. California needs to restore it, San Francisco Chronicle, May 15, 2019 .......................................................................... 9 PRINT Articles of Significance Gavin Newsom’s health care budget has more help for Covered California, less for undocumented, Sacramento Bee, May 10, 2019 .......................................................... 10 Twelve State-based Marketplace Leaders Express Serious Concerns about Federal Health Reimbursement Arrangement Rule Changes, NASHP, April 29, 2019 .............. 13 3.6 Million Californians Would Benefit if California Takes Bold Action to Expand Coverage and Improve Affordability UC Berkeley Labor Center, April 25, 2 019 .................................................................... 14 California individual mandate would generate $350M a year, analysis says Politico Pro, May 8, 2019 ............................................................................................... 18 2M-plus California children lack adequate health care access, audit finds Politico Pro, Mar. 18 ...................................................................................................... 19 COVERED CALIFORNIA Media Clips • May 2019 1 We read Democrats’ 9 plans for expanding health care. Here’s how they work. Vox, Mar. 20, 2019 ........................................................................................................ 20 ACA Marketplaces More Competitive In 2019, Health Leaders, Mar. 22, 2019 ............ 31 How Trump’s ‘Invisible Wall’ Frightens Legal Immigrants Out of Medical Care American Prospect, Mar. 22, 2019 ................................................................................ 32 Medicare for All Would Abolish Private Insurance. ‘There’s No Precedent in American History.’, New York Times, Mar. 23, 2019 ..................................................................... 35 Donald Trump is very committed to taking away your health insurance Vox, Mar. 27, 2019 ........................................................................................................ 39 PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government Public Policy Institute, Mar. 27, 2019............................................................................. 43 Trump Retreats on Health Care After McConnell Warns It Won’t Happen New York Times, April 2, 2019 ...................................................................................... 43 Survey finds a political divide on health care quality, despite similar problems paying for care, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 2, 2019 ............................................. 47 House committee advances 6 bills to strengthen ACA Politico Pro, April 4, 2019 .............................................................................................. 49 Trump Is Being Vague About What He Wants to Replace Obamacare. But There Are Clues, New York Times, April 5, 2019 ........................................................................... 50 Excess Administrative Costs Burden the U.S. Health Care System Center for American Progress, April 8, 2019 ................................................................. 53 Republicans Managed to Make ObamaCare Popular Wall St. Journal, April 9, 2019 ....................................................................................... 63 Supreme Court may get to decide fate of Obamacare before 2020 election CNN, April 10, 2019 ....................................................................................................... 65 Why States Want Certain Americans to Work for Medicaid The Atlantic, April 12, 2019 ........................................................................................... 67 Obamacare marketplaces fare better in states that embrace them Washington Post, April 16, 2019 ................................................................................... 74 COVERED CALIFORNIA Media Clips • May 2019 2 Trump administration finalizes plan to trim Obamacare subsidies Politico Pro, April 18, 2019 ............................................................................................ 76 CBO: over 1 million Americans have become uninsured since 2016 Vox, April 19, 2019 ........................................................................................................ 77 Americans are more focused on health costs than Medicare-for-all, poll shows Washington Post, April 24, 2019 ................................................................................... 78 After Vox reporting, California moves forward on plan to end surprise ER bills Vox, April 24, 2019 . ....................................................................................................... 80 Trump Administration Files Formal Request to Strike Down All of Obamacare New York Times, May 1, 2019 ...................................................................................... 82 Health insurance deductibles soar, leaving Americans with unaffordable bills Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2019 .................................................................................. 85 Individual Insurance Market Performance in 2018 Kaiser Family Foundation, May 7, 2019 . ....................................................................... 91 Government reports Obamacare coverage gains are starting to retreat CNN, May 9, 2019 ......................................................................................................... 96 COVERED CALIFORNIA Media Clips • May 2019 3 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2019 New Analysis Finds Record Number of Renewals for Leading State-Based Marketplaces, but Lack of Penalty Is Putting Consumers at Risk • The analysis finds that even in states where there is no penalty, more consumers than ever before are keeping their coverage. • The high rate of paid renewals is evidence that once insured, consumers keep their coverage even without the “nudge” of the penalty. • However, the lack of an individual mandate penalty continues to put consumers at risk by lowering levels of new enrollment, which is leading to higher premiums that could force some people — particularly those who are unsubsidized — to lose their coverage. SACRAMENTO, CALIF — A new analysis reveals that more renewing consumers than ever before are keeping their health insurance in three of the leading state-based exchanges. The analysis provides the first complete picture of the impact of the removal of the federal penalty on the individual insurance market. Earlier data detailed the large drop in new enrollment in many marketplaces that was likely caused by the removal of the penalty, but this analysis finds that consumers are very likely to keep their coverage once they are insured. “For the first time, we are getting a look at the impact of changes at the federal level, and the early news shows that once people get coverage, they want to keep it,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. (more) COVERED CALIFORNIA Media Clips • May 2019 4 “However, we remain extremely concerned that the removal of the individual mandate penalty is leading some Californians to roll the dice and stay uninsured, leading to higher than necessary premiums that could ultimately price them out of coverage — particularly for middle-class customers who do not receive financial help.” Effectuation Rates of Renewing Consumers The analysis, which was produced by Covered California, the Massachusetts Health Connector and the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, found that instead of seeing a decline in consumers keeping their coverage with the removal of the penalty, an increasing number of existing consumers are staying enrolled in their health plan. The effectuation rate for renewing members reached its highest level for each of the three states: Covered California, with 89 percent of actively enrolled consumers in December of 2018 renewing and paying for their coverage in January 2019 compared to 86.5 percent in 2018; in Massachusetts, the renewal rate for the same period went from 87 percent in 2018 to 91 percent in 2019; and it went from 79 to 88 percent in Washington (see Table 1: Effectuation Rates for Renewing Consumers). Table 1: Effectuation Rates for Renewing Consumers* *Data refers to renewing consumers only. Total effectuation, including new enrollment, will be available in the summer. “Having health insurance matters, and once people sign up and get protection, benefits and peace of mind, they tend to stay covered,” said Louis Gutierrez, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. He added, “This information reinforces the lesson from our state that building a culture