- Obamacare 101—What's the Big Debate Over Health Insurance Cost-Sharing Subsidies? Los Angeles Times by Noam Levey—As President Trump and congressional leaders scramble to put together a spending bill to keep the government from shutting down at the end of this week, negotiations could turn on the fate of an arcane, but critical part of the Affordable Care Act: cost-sharing reduction payments, or CSRs. If you've never heard of this piece of the Obamacare puzzle, here's a rundown of what they are and why they're getting pulled into Trump's first budget fight.
- Health Insurers Try to Plan Ahead as Congress Deliberates on Health Law NPR by Alison Kodjak—As Republicans in Congress debate changes to the Affordable Care Act, insurance executives across the country are trying to make plans for next year. Companies that sell policies on the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, face fast-approaching deadlines to inform states about what plans they want to sell, and what they intend to charge. "Insurance companies need to file rates in 2 1/2 months," says Tom Policelli, CEO of Minuteman Health, which sells Obamacare policies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
- Insurers Say Trump Commitment on Obamacare Payments Falls Short The Hill by Peter Sullivan—Health insurers say a new commitment from the White House to continue paying Obamacare insurer subsidies is not enough. While top congressional Democrats spoke positively of the White House's commitment on Wednesday to maintain the payments, insurers say the move does not give them the enough long-term certainty. The trade group America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) said it still believes Congress should actively appropriate the funds for the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments and not leave it up to the administration. "Our position has not changed—the American people need Congress to fund CSRs now," said Kristine Grow, spokeswoman for AHIP.