- Insurers Confront Big Obamacare Decision The Hill by Jessie Hellmann—Insurers are nearing the deadline for deciding whether to propose massive rate hikes or leave the Obamacare markets altogether in the face of immense uncertainty over the future of the law. The federal deadline for insurers to file rate proposals with the federal government is June 21. Many insurers had been hoping that the Trump administration would say for certain whether it would continue to pay cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies for covering low-income enrollees. No such assurances from the administration appear to be coming, leaving insurers with a difficult choice.
- Trump Says Market Is Failing, but One Insurer Bets Big on Obamacare New York Times by Margot Sanger-Katz and Reed Abelson—On Tuesday, the insurer Centene announced plans to expand aggressively into the state marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act. Centene said it intended to sell individual policies for the first time in Nevada, Missouri and Kansas, and to grow its presence in six other states, including Ohio and Florida.
- Cleveland Clinic Jumps into Insurance Biz with Oscar Health Modern Healthcare by Shelby Livingston—While many health insurers are fleeing the individual market, health system Cleveland Clinic is jumping into the insurance business head first with the New York-based startup Oscar Health. Ohio's Cleveland Clinic and the tech-focused Oscar said Thursday they are launching a joint venture health insurance company that will offer individuals coverage on and off the Affordable Care Act's exchanges at a time when most other insurers are jumping ship because of financial losses and regulatory uncertainty perpetuated by the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress.