Welcome to The ACP Advocate,
Our first article this issue notes that an information gap still exists regarding the country's health insurance marketplaces. Both current and potential customers are unaware of crucial information about their options for the next open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 for coverage that starts in 2015.
More than 40 million Americans younger than 65 were uninsured as of March 2014, while about 7.3 million people purchased health insurance through the federal or state marketplaces during the first open enrollment period. You can find up-to-the-minute ACP resources on open enrollment through the first 'In focus' item to the right.
Our next article considers how navigators are proving to be the key to getting people enrolled at Healthcare.gov.
Navigators know how to decipher the mysteries of the Healthcare.gov website and can help clients find the coverage they need. Physicians are encouraged to refer patients early on to navigators.
Finally, our last article tells how patients who can compare prices of medical services will choose lower-cost options and save themselves some money, a new study in JAMA reports.
In medicine, cheaper is not always better, pointed out Dr. Robert Centor, chair of ACP’s Board of Regents. And it's also unclear whether price transparency will ultimately have an impact on overall health care spending since costs vary widely depending on the hospital, insurance company, physician, and provider involved in each service.
Until our next issue and for more coverage of what's happening in Washington take a look at my award-winning blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty. My November 5 blog post explains the impact of the 2014 elections on health reform and the Affordable Care Act. You can also follow me on Twitter @BobDohertyACP.
As always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to: TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.
Yours truly,
Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians |
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| In the news |
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As Open Enrollment Nears, Many Still in the Dark About What to Do
New survey reveals lack of information among people who got insurance last year, as well as those who didn't
An information gap still exists regarding the country's health insurance marketplaces, with both current and potential customers unaware of crucial information about their options, according to a new survey... (read more)
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| In focus |
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Health Insurance Marketplace Resources |
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ACP provides several tools for practitioners and their patients to prepare them for the upcoming open enrollment period and provide information on health coverage and insurance market reform. ACP's resources include FAQs addressing concerns of physicians and their patients, state-specific information on enrollment and coverage provisions, and other useful resources. The enrollment period will start on Nov. 15, 2014 and end on Feb. 15, 2015. |
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Hardship Exception Applications |
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CMS is announcing its intent to reopen the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals to avoid the2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating meaningful use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT). The new deadline will be November 30, 2014. Previously, the hardship exception application deadline was April 1, 2014 for eligible hospitals and July 1, 2014 for eligible professionals. |
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Students to Service Program |
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If you are a student in your final year at accredited U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical school, are committed to primary care and have eligible student loans, you can apply to the NHSC Students to Service (S2S) Program.
If selected, you can receive $120,000 in loan repayment for committing to serve at an approved NHSC site full time for at least 3 years (or half time for at least 6 years) following the completion of a primary care residency.
The FY 2015 S2S LRP application cycle opened on September 17, 2014.
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| About this newsletter |
| The ACP Advocate is an e-newsletter, edited by the College's Washington, DC governmental affairs division, created to provide you, our members, with succinct news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care. To learn more about ACP's Advocacy and to access the ACP Advocate archives, go to www.acponline.org/advocacy. |
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