Obamacare Comes To Skid Row
In Los Angeles, there's a concerted effort to enroll the homeless into Medicaid, as the federal-state health insurance program opens for the first time to all poor adults.
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In Los Angeles, there's a concerted effort to enroll the homeless into Medicaid, as the federal-state health insurance program opens for the first time to all poor adults.
Experts say that potential trouble spots for out-of-pocket spending include prescription drugs; specialist care, including that provided by academic medical centers; and services such as physical therapy.
Going without insurance "is like gambling," says a 43-year-old social worker. But the high deductibles of Affordable Care Act plans make them a hard sell.
Even in California, the path to finalizing new insurance coverage can be long and arduous.
The entertainment industry relies heavily on freelancers and independent contractors who rarely are able to gain health insurance through their employers. Though the health law might help some, people in this industry still sometimes face difficulties in the health care system.
In rural panhandle towns, people know little about the health law, and what they know they don't like. Still, many could benefit from the law's subsidies to buy insurance, while others will be left out because the state is not expanding Medicaid.
The Department of Justice estimates former inmates and detainees will comprise about 35 percent of the people who will qualify for Medicaid coverage in the states expanding their programs.
Because of the diversity of this immigrant population, experts say educational campaigns to raise awareness about the health law's new coverage options must avoid a "one-size-fits-all" model.
Yes, if they cancel everyone in a "block of business" that was buying a particular policy.
The "pay-it-forward" program has served more than 4,000 adults in the Battle Creek area since 2007.
In Oregon, the online health marketplace isn't working for people looking to buy individual policies. But the state has been rapidly expanding Medicaid anyway. In Texas, insurance helpers may face state regulations that would make it even harder to assist people seeking coverage.
Although the health law could expand coverage to millions, many low-income people and others will not have insurance and will still have to rely on these programs for preventive care.
Not a single person is enrolled yet in Oregon, where 7,300 applications have been filed, all on paper.
Health officials are counting on physicians to help educate patients about new insurance options under the health law. But like everyone else, doctors have differing opinions about Obamacare.
What accounts for the different experiences of the state and federally managed exchanges? Why are the exchanges that the federal government runs so bug-ridden, subjecting users to long delays and possibly even more serious problems?
After 300,000 Floridians receive notices that their plans will expire, Florida Blue, the state's largest insurance company, assures customers they will be eligible for new, ACA compliant plans.
An information session at a beauty salon in the heart of St. Paul's Latino community helps clear up confusion but yields no enrollments so far.
In Washington state, nearly 25,000 residents have signed up for coverage in the exchange's first two weeks, whereas in Oregon, no one has been able to enroll through its website, although low-income residents have been able to sign up for Medicaid without the site.
Health centers expand thanks to federal grants, but increased competition could hurt smaller facilities.
Texas community groups are relying on promotoras - health counselors, often women, who offer one-on-one counseling about coverage options in Spanish-speaking communities.
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