10 States Are Critical to Administration’s Efforts to Enroll 6 Million in New Health Plans, Kaiser Health News, 3/19/14
Phil Galewitz writes that North Carolina is one of the 10 states the Obama administration is focusing on to reach its goal of enrolling 6 million uninsured in the health exchanges by the March 31 deadline.
Health Care Enrollment Falls Short of Goal with Deadline Approaching, The New York Times, 3/12/14
Robert Pear writes that almost a million people signed up last month for private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to federal officials, bringing the total to date to 4.2 million but leaving the Obama administration well short of its original goal, with less than a month to go before the end of the open enrollment period.
Medication Use is Rising for Adults with Attention Disorder, The New York Times, 3/12/14
Alan Schwarz reports that the number of young American adults taking medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder nearly doubled from 2008 to 2012, according to a report by the nation’s largest prescription drug manager.
NC Health Insurance Sign-Ups Higher Than Predicted, AP, 3/11/14
Emery Dalesio reports that with a deadline looming at the end of March to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act or face a penalty, North Carolina trailed only four other states in enrollment. Just over 200,000 people had selected a health insurance policy by March 1, more than half the nearly 391,000 eligible to enroll in a marketplace plan, the report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.
Nearly One Million More Sign Up for Obamacare Plans in February, Kaiser Health News, 3/11/14
Phil Galewitz reports that about 4.2 million Americans have enrolled in private health plans through the end of February via the online insurance marketplaces established by the federal health law — with enrollment jumping by nearly 1 million people last month, according to the Obama administration said.
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Dental Board’s Autonomy, Modern HealthCare, 3/10/14
Joe Carlson reports that State boards of medicine and dentistry are typically immune from federal antitrust laws because states have an inherent role in regulating safe healthcare practices. That’s why the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners felt justified in sending threatening warnings to non-dentists and their landlords, saying that only dentists can use peroxide treatments to remove teeth stains. But to the Federal Trade Commission, those warnings sounded like illegal suppression of competition. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the debate.
Smart Phones Keep Tabs on Patients, Kaiser Health News, 3/10/14
Daniela Hernandez reports that physicians and other providers are seeking to monitor patients remotely through new technologies, aiming to identify problems early and cut costs and inefficiencies in the health care system.
5 Things to Know for the March 31 Health Exchange Deadline, USA Today, 3/8/14
Kelly Kennedy writes that millions of uninsured people qualify for subsidies to pay for their insurance, but there are still — even after months of advertising, community meetings, door-to-door information sessions and even speeches by the president — many who don’t know about the exchanges, don’t know they’re eligible for financial help, or who don’t know the Affordable Care Act still stands. Others simply haven’t gotten around to enrolling yet.
Is There a Doctor in the House? Yes, 17. And 3 in the Senate, The New York Times, 3/8/14
Jeremy W. Peters reports that a heightened political awareness, and a healthy self-regard that physicians could do a better job, are drawing a surprisingly large number to the power of elective office.
Rocky ICD-10 Rollout Predicted for Oct. 1 Deadline, Modern HealthCare, 3/6/14
Joseph Conn reports that chaos is the predicted descriptor of the Oct. 1 deadline for nationwide conversion to the ICD-10 codes, according to one health care information technology professional. But Dr. Terrance Govender, Navigant Consulting’s director of health care coding and documentation, says providers can still take steps over the next six months to mitigate some of the disruption.
Obama’s Budget Includes Boost for Training Doctors in Underserved Areas, Modern HealthCare, 3/3/14
Paul Demko writes that while some are calling President Barack Obama’s budget dead on arrival, one expected provision in his budget long has had bipartisan support—funding to train new physicians to serve in high-need areas.
