Covered California is moving aggressively to address quality of care issues via its new contracts with health insurers. Most contract provisions go into effect for the years 2017-19. The changes include a system for identifying and penalizing health care providers who provide substandard care. "We are creating a market that rewards quality over quantity and moves health reform forward in an impactful way," Covered California ... (More)
Survey: Uninsured ‘disengaged’
January 28, 2016 Leave a Comment
Most of the nation's uninsured are "disengaged" from the ongoing enrollment process under the Affordable Care Act, a health-care survey indicates. Just 15 percent of those without health insurance are aware that Jan. 31 is the deadline to enroll for Obamacare coverage, the Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests. The majority (57 percent) of those surveyed could not identify the deadline day, which has been widely publicized and ... (More)
2 more days for Obamacare signup
December 15, 2015 Leave a Comment
The window for health care coverage to begin Jan. 1 has been extended by two days, to Dec. 17, Covered California announced. The move came Tuesday night, almost immediately after the federal Obamacare website announced its own extension. Covered California said agents still were "processing thousands of applications" as the Dec. 15 deadline loomed. Consumers also were complaining about failed access to the Covered California web ... (More)
Average $969 penalty in 2016
December 11, 2015 Leave a Comment
The penalty for failing to have health insurance is going up, perhaps even higher than you expected. Among uninsured individuals who are not exempt from the Affordable Care Act penalty, the average household fine for not having insurance in 2015 will be $661, rising to $969 per household in 2016, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. Individuals will pay the penalty when they complete their federal taxes the following ... (More)
Provider directories draw fines
November 5, 2015 Leave a Comment
California has fined Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross for using inaccurate directories of providers for state Obamacare networks. Blue Shield of California was fined $350,000 and Anthem was fined $250,000, the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) announced Nov. 3. The problems date back to early 2014, when the state began receiving complaints about the network directories. The state subsequently found significant ... (More)
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