window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"stateofhealth_12938": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_12938",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "12938",
"found": true
},
"parent": 12907,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-400x266.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 266
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-320x213.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 213
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 426
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1369362439,
"modified": 1369362439,
"caption": "(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)",
"description": "doctor with patient",
"title": "RS2064_doctor and patient Joe Raedle_Getty Images-lpr",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16605": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16605",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16605",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16598,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-400x266.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 266
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-320x213.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 213
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 425
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386701107,
"modified": 1386701107,
"caption": "(Getty Images)",
"description": "health insurance application",
"title": "450746397",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16589": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16589",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16589",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16578,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-400x300.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 300
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-320x240.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 240
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 480
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-e1386636414685-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386636401,
"modified": 1386636401,
"caption": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Deductible",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16572": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16572",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16572",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16564,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-400x300.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 300
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-320x240.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 240
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 480
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386616200,
"modified": 1386616200,
"caption": "(Getty Images)",
"description": "Q&A, FAQ, question, answer",
"title": "120724245",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16555": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16555",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16555",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16553,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-400x293.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 293
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-320x234.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 234
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-639x372.jpg",
"width": 639,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197.jpg",
"width": 639,
"height": 468
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386356682,
"modified": 1386356682,
"caption": "You're cute Prince George, but not cute enough to beat out Obamacare. (John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images)\n",
"description": "Princess Kate, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry, Royal Baby, Prince George",
"title": "185635670",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16531": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16531",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16531",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16516,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-400x266.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 266
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-320x213.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 213
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-641x372.jpg",
"width": 641,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738.jpg",
"width": 641,
"height": 427
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386185594,
"modified": 1468887472,
"caption": "Certified specialist helps a consumer apply to Covered California at a free enrollment fair at Pasadena City College. ",
"description": "Covered California",
"title": "450630139",
"credit": "David McNew/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16495": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16495",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16495",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16490,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-400x267.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 267
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-320x214.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 214
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 427
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1386018573,
"modified": 1386018573,
"caption": "(David McNew/Getty Images)",
"description": "doctor with patient, emergency room",
"title": "RS1782_medi-cal patient -scr",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_14038": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_14038",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14038",
"found": true
},
"parent": 14025,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-400x230.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 230
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-320x184.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 184
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 368
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/RS5161_78770400-scr-e1375404453328-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1375404444,
"modified": 1375404444,
"caption": "(Getty Images)",
"description": "(Getty Images)",
"title": "Health Insurance",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16425": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16425",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16425",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16420,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-400x299.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 299
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-320x240.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 240
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 479
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1385491801,
"modified": 1385491801,
"caption": "Jane Bradford and her family will save more than $400 a month on premiums, she says. (Photo Courtesy of Bradford Family)",
"description": "Bradford family",
"title": "family",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_14103": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_14103",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14103",
"found": true
},
"parent": 14062,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-400x403.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 403
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-320x323.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 323
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-466x372.jpg",
"width": 466,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707.jpg",
"width": 466,
"height": 470
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/99896707-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1375721597,
"modified": 1375721597,
"caption": "(Getty Images)",
"description": "Health Insurance Policy, think stock",
"title": "99896707",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_16359": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_16359",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16359",
"found": true
},
"parent": 16349,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-400x290.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 290
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-320x232.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 232
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 464
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/PEterLeeCROP-e1386913666627-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1385148399,
"modified": 1385148399,
"caption": "Peter Lee, seen here in a 2012 photo, is the executive director of Covered California and testified Thursday before the joint legislative committee on health.",
"description": null,
"title": "PEterLeeCROP",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_15508": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_15508",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "15508",
"found": true
},
"parent": 15481,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-400x225.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 225
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-320x180.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 180
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 360
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1380925113,
"modified": 1380925113,
"caption": "Screenshot from CoveredCA.com, the website of Covered California.",
"description": "CoveredCa.com, screen shot, Covered California",
"title": "coveredca",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"lisaaliferis": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "240",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "240",
"found": true
},
"name": "Lisa Aliferis",
"firstName": "Lisa",
"lastName": "Aliferis",
"slug": "lisaaliferis",
"email": "laliferis@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Lisa Aliferis is the founding editor of KQED's \u003cem>State of Health\u003c/em> blog. Since 2011, she's been writing and editing stories for the site. Before taking up blogging, she toiled for many years (more than we can count) producing health stories for television, including\u003cem> Dateline NBC\u003c/em> and San Francisco's CBS affiliate, KPIX-TV. She also wrote up a \u003ca title=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\">handy guide to the Affordable Care Act\u003c/a>, especially for Californians. Her work has been honored for many awards. Most recently she was a finalist for \"Best Topical Reporting\" from the Online News Association. You can follow her on Twitter: \u003ca title=\"https://twitter.com/laliferis\" href=\"https://twitter.com/laliferis\">@laliferis\u003c/a>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twitter": "laliferis",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": []
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Lisa Aliferis | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/lisaaliferis"
},
"state-of-health": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8344",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8344",
"found": true
},
"name": "State of Health",
"firstName": "State of Health",
"lastName": null,
"slug": "state-of-health",
"email": "stateofhealth@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "State of Health | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/state-of-health"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"stateofhealth_category_reform": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_15",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "15",
"score": 13.558132
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Obamacare",
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President? \r\n",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President?",
"title": "Obamacare Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 15,
"slug": "reform",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Obamacare",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "stateofhealth",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 21
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/company-paragraph",
"content": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President? \r\n"
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/stateofhealth?category=reform",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 21
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://hls.kqed.org/hls/kqed_app/playlist.m3u8",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stateofhealth_16615": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16615",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16615",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386716527000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386716527,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Some Covered California Plans Narrow Your Choice of Doctors, Hospitals",
"title": "Some Covered California Plans Narrow Your Choice of Doctors, Hospitals",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12938\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-12938\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg\" alt=\"(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-400x266.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Pauline Bartolone\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/December/09/California-policyholders-have-few-hospitals-or-choices.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Diane Shore \u003ca href=\"http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BlueShield.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">got a letter that her health policy would be canceled\u003c/a>, the small premium increase for a new plan didn’t bother her that much. What she’s really troubled by is: “My physicians will no longer be in this network of physicians, or the hospitals won’t be as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">“There isn’t something that says: ‘Alert. Be aware. Take action now to be sure this works for you.\"\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Sixty-two year old Shore owned an IT consulting business in the San Francisco Bay Area, and retired when she sold her business in 2000. She says she wants to stick with the providers that she’s had for years, including the surgeon who operated on her for breast cancer in 1998.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have full confidence in her,” she says. “And my primary care doctor has been my primary care doctor for 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Shore’s case, the problem is that the Blue Shield of California plan being offered limits her choice of doctors and hospitals just to Marin County, where she lives, just north of San Francisco. But, she says, “All my doctors are in San Francisco. I live 20 minutes from San Francisco. In fact, it’s more convenient for me to go to San Francisco than to the hospital here in Marin County.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shore’s experience doesn’t surprise San Francisco-based insurance broker Susan Shargel, who’s trying to sort out all the new ways insurers are contracting with doctors. Some health plans will have fewer doctors and hospitals. Blue Shield, for example, says it will have half the doctors and three quarters of the hospitals next year as they have this year in the individual market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shargel thinks that the changes are not clear in the cancellation letters. “There isn’t something that says: ‘Alert. Be aware. Take action now to be sure this works for you or to be sure you know what’s happening.’ There needs to be a red alert,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Narrow Networks Part of Effort to Keep Premiums Low\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health plan offered to Shore was a Blue Shield of California EPO plan. EPO stands for “exclusive provider organization.” The company says it is offering these lower-cost plans for the first time next year to buyers on the individual market. Other insurers are offering similar plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patrick Johnston, president of the California Association of Health Plans, notes that the federal Affordable Care Act requires more benefits than most insurance plans have provided up until now. That includes free preventive care, a limit on annual out-of-pocket spending and a ban on lifetime “caps” for medical expenses. So, to keep health plans affordable for buyers on the individual market, one of the few cost variables to work with is doctor contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In areas where there are a lot of hospitals, some more expensive than others, and a lot of doctors, it’s only natural that a health plan will sign up some, but maybe not all,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Johnston says if you’re buying your own insurance next year and want to keep your doctors, you may have to shop around. “Transitioning might mean looking or having difficulty signing up exactly the same doctors,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurers are negotiating hard, according to Gerry Kominski, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA, saying to providers, for example: “We’re willing to pay you $50 a visit. If you’re not willing to do that, we know a doctor’s group across the street that will accept that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kominski acknowledges the trend of narrowing provider networks pre-dates the Affordable Care Act, but \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/28/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea/\" target=\"_blank\">has been accelerating under the law\u003c/a>. And not just for individual policyholders; it’s been happening for people who get insurance through work as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he’s quick to add that\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/28/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"> it’s necessary\u003c/a>: “If we want to keep health care from becoming completely unaffordable for everyone, at some point something has to give. And in this case what’s giving is the ability to choose any doctor and any hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he says, some of the plans may have a wider variety of doctor and hospital choices, but they are likely to cost more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes Capital Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News. \u003c/em>\u003cem>Blue Shield of California Foundation helps support KHN coverage of California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16615 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16615",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/10/some-covered-california-plans-narrow-your-choice-of-doctors-hospitals/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 795,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 19
},
"modified": 1386716527,
"excerpt": "When Diane Shore got a letter that her health policy would be canceled, the small premium increase for a new plan didn’t bother her that much. What she’s really troubled by is: “My physicians will no longer be in this network of physicians, or the hospitals won’t be as well.”\r\n\r\nSixty-two year old Shore owned an IT consulting business in the San Francisco Bay Area, and retired when she sold her business in 2000. She says she wants to stick with the providers that she’s had for years, including the surgeon who operated on her for breast cancer in 1998.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "When Diane Shore got a letter that her health policy would be canceled, the small premium increase for a new plan didn’t bother her that much. What she’s really troubled by is: “My physicians will no longer be in this network of physicians, or the hospitals won’t be as well.”\r\n\r\nSixty-two year old Shore owned an IT consulting business in the San Francisco Bay Area, and retired when she sold her business in 2000. She says she wants to stick with the providers that she’s had for years, including the surgeon who operated on her for breast cancer in 1998.",
"title": "Some Covered California Plans Narrow Your Choice of Doctors, Hospitals | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Some Covered California Plans Narrow Your Choice of Doctors, Hospitals",
"datePublished": "2013-12-10T15:02:07-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-10T15:02:07-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "some-covered-california-plans-narrow-your-choice-of-doctors-hospitals",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16615/some-covered-california-plans-narrow-your-choice-of-doctors-hospitals",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12938\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-12938\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg\" alt=\"(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-400x266.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/RS2064_doctor-and-patient-Joe-Raedle_Getty-Images-lpr-e1386715964428-320x213.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Pauline Bartolone\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/December/09/California-policyholders-have-few-hospitals-or-choices.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Diane Shore \u003ca href=\"http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BlueShield.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">got a letter that her health policy would be canceled\u003c/a>, the small premium increase for a new plan didn’t bother her that much. What she’s really troubled by is: “My physicians will no longer be in this network of physicians, or the hospitals won’t be as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">“There isn’t something that says: ‘Alert. Be aware. Take action now to be sure this works for you.\"\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Sixty-two year old Shore owned an IT consulting business in the San Francisco Bay Area, and retired when she sold her business in 2000. She says she wants to stick with the providers that she’s had for years, including the surgeon who operated on her for breast cancer in 1998.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have full confidence in her,” she says. “And my primary care doctor has been my primary care doctor for 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Shore’s case, the problem is that the Blue Shield of California plan being offered limits her choice of doctors and hospitals just to Marin County, where she lives, just north of San Francisco. But, she says, “All my doctors are in San Francisco. I live 20 minutes from San Francisco. In fact, it’s more convenient for me to go to San Francisco than to the hospital here in Marin County.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shore’s experience doesn’t surprise San Francisco-based insurance broker Susan Shargel, who’s trying to sort out all the new ways insurers are contracting with doctors. Some health plans will have fewer doctors and hospitals. Blue Shield, for example, says it will have half the doctors and three quarters of the hospitals next year as they have this year in the individual market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shargel thinks that the changes are not clear in the cancellation letters. “There isn’t something that says: ‘Alert. Be aware. Take action now to be sure this works for you or to be sure you know what’s happening.’ There needs to be a red alert,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Narrow Networks Part of Effort to Keep Premiums Low\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health plan offered to Shore was a Blue Shield of California EPO plan. EPO stands for “exclusive provider organization.” The company says it is offering these lower-cost plans for the first time next year to buyers on the individual market. Other insurers are offering similar plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patrick Johnston, president of the California Association of Health Plans, notes that the federal Affordable Care Act requires more benefits than most insurance plans have provided up until now. That includes free preventive care, a limit on annual out-of-pocket spending and a ban on lifetime “caps” for medical expenses. So, to keep health plans affordable for buyers on the individual market, one of the few cost variables to work with is doctor contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In areas where there are a lot of hospitals, some more expensive than others, and a lot of doctors, it’s only natural that a health plan will sign up some, but maybe not all,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So Johnston says if you’re buying your own insurance next year and want to keep your doctors, you may have to shop around. “Transitioning might mean looking or having difficulty signing up exactly the same doctors,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurers are negotiating hard, according to Gerry Kominski, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA, saying to providers, for example: “We’re willing to pay you $50 a visit. If you’re not willing to do that, we know a doctor’s group across the street that will accept that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kominski acknowledges the trend of narrowing provider networks pre-dates the Affordable Care Act, but \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/28/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea/\" target=\"_blank\">has been accelerating under the law\u003c/a>. And not just for individual policyholders; it’s been happening for people who get insurance through work as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he’s quick to add that\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/28/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"> it’s necessary\u003c/a>: “If we want to keep health care from becoming completely unaffordable for everyone, at some point something has to give. And in this case what’s giving is the ability to choose any doctor and any hospital.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he says, some of the plans may have a wider variety of doctor and hospital choices, but they are likely to cost more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes Capital Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News. \u003c/em>\u003cem>Blue Shield of California Foundation helps support KHN coverage of California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16615/some-covered-california-plans-narrow-your-choice-of-doctors-hospitals",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_261"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_12938",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16598": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16598",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16598",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386701226000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386701226,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Obamacare FAQ: Will You Qualify for Medi-Cal?",
"title": "Obamacare FAQ: Will You Qualify for Medi-Cal?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16605\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-640x425.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: For people buying on the individual market who want health insurance starting Jan. 1, the deadline to sign up is Monday, Dec. 23. We will run one post a day with questions and answers on the Affordable Care Act and Covered California until that deadline. Readers can also consult \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED’s Obamacare Guide\u003c/a>, written specifically for Californians.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Emily Bazar\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/will-you-qualify-medi-cal-under-obamacare1178\" target=\"_blank\">CHCF Center for Health Reporting\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While more than \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">80,000 people have enrolled\u003c/a> in coverage through Covered California, an additional 140,000 people appear to be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state's version of the Medicaid program for low-income residents. It's part of the Medicaid expansion, which is expected to include people of all stripes, from young adults and college students to single, older men. It could include you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: How will Medi-Cal eligibility be expanded? My 37-year-old, single daughter is currently not eligible.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Medi-Cal provides medical services to more than 8 million low-income Californians. The expansion is expected to make roughly 1.4 million state residents newly eligible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Will Jack of San Clemente’s daughter be among them? I don’t know for sure, but at least one detail he shared sounds promising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/Medi-CalExpansionInformation.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Under the expansion\u003c/a>, the income threshold to qualify for Medi-Cal will go up to 138 percent of the \u003ca href=\"http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">Federal Poverty Level\u003c/a>. This year, that computes to about $15,800 for an individual and $32,500 for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps even more momentous (pay attention here, Jack), the program will be open to childless adults, who were previously ineligible. This is where the college students and single, older males come in, and single, 37-year-old females, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few other important details:\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re newly eligible, most of you will have to enroll in Medi-Cal managed care.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Most lawfully present immigrants will be eligible for full benefits under the Medi-Cal expansion. Those who are in the country without proper documents will not.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Asset tests and property limits will go away for most new applicants. \u003ca href=\"http://healthconsumer.org/New_Health_Law_CA_IssueBrief_6_Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">There are some exceptions\u003c/a>, especially if you’re \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/searching-right-insurance-under-obamacare1101\" target=\"_blank\">65 or older\u003c/a> or have a disability.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re eligible for Medi-Cal, that makes you ineligible for tax credits from Covered California. You could still opt out of Medi-Cal and buy a plan from the exchange, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/17/medi-cal-and-obamacare-some-surprising-twists/\" target=\"_blank\">but you’d have to pay full price\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: I’m 55 years old with no dependents and am employed part-time. I currently have individual health insurance that costs me almost 20 percent of my monthly income. My income makes me eligible for Medi-Cal starting next year. Will I still be eligible even though I currently have individual insurance? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: This may come as a surprise to Howard, who hails from Fresno, but you don’t have to be unemployed -- or uninsured -- to qualify for the Medi-Cal expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can drop your expensive, individual market plan and enroll in Medi-Cal instead. Assuming that you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same goes for those who have health coverage through an employer. You, too, can join Medi-Cal if you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This won’t be a rare occurrence. According to \u003ca href=\"http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthcare/resources/CalSIM_Statewide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">an analysis\u003c/a> by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, 310,000 Californians who would have otherwise gotten job-based insurance next year will be newly eligible for Medi-Cal. About 240,000 more would have had individual market plans, like Howard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">[\u003cstrong>Related:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">Obamacare Explained -- A Guide for Californians\u003c/a>]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many folks in the individual market or who have job-based coverage are finding the premiums they’re paying now are unaffordable,” says Laurel Lucia, an Obamacare expert at the center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There won’t be any premiums in Medi-Cal and the benefits will be more generous than what they’re probably getting in the individual market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: How do I sign up?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Start with the Covered California -- with its \u003ca href=\"http://www.coveredca.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website\u003c/a> or phone number: 1-800-300-1506. The idea is that Covered California agents will act as a one-stop-shop to help you figure out what program you’re eligible for and sign you up. If they can’t close the transaction themselves, they’ll transfer you to your county Medi-Cal office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let’s hope it’s as simple and easy as the bigwigs say it will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final reminder: You have until Dec. 23 to enroll for coverage that starts Jan. 1. The open-enrollment period will last for six months, through March 31, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16598 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16598",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/10/will-you-qualify-for-medi-cal-under-obamacare/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 794,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1386782396,
"excerpt": "Q: How will Medi-Cal eligibility be expanded? My 37-year-old, single daughter is currently not eligible.\r\n\r\nA: Medi-Cal provides medical services to more than 8 million low-income Californians. The expansion is expected to make roughly 1.4 million state residents newly eligible.\r\n\r\nWill Jack of San Clemente’s daughter be among them? I don’t know for sure, but at least one detail he shared sounds promising.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Q: How will Medi-Cal eligibility be expanded? My 37-year-old, single daughter is currently not eligible.\r\n\r\nA: Medi-Cal provides medical services to more than 8 million low-income Californians. The expansion is expected to make roughly 1.4 million state residents newly eligible.\r\n\r\nWill Jack of San Clemente’s daughter be among them? I don’t know for sure, but at least one detail he shared sounds promising.",
"title": "Obamacare FAQ: Will You Qualify for Medi-Cal? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Obamacare FAQ: Will You Qualify for Medi-Cal?",
"datePublished": "2013-12-10T10:47:06-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-11T09:19:56-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "will-you-qualify-for-medi-cal-under-obamacare",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16598/will-you-qualify-for-medi-cal-under-obamacare",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-e1386701134397.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16605\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450746397-640x425.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: For people buying on the individual market who want health insurance starting Jan. 1, the deadline to sign up is Monday, Dec. 23. We will run one post a day with questions and answers on the Affordable Care Act and Covered California until that deadline. Readers can also consult \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED’s Obamacare Guide\u003c/a>, written specifically for Californians.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Emily Bazar\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/will-you-qualify-medi-cal-under-obamacare1178\" target=\"_blank\">CHCF Center for Health Reporting\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While more than \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">80,000 people have enrolled\u003c/a> in coverage through Covered California, an additional 140,000 people appear to be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state's version of the Medicaid program for low-income residents. It's part of the Medicaid expansion, which is expected to include people of all stripes, from young adults and college students to single, older men. It could include you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: How will Medi-Cal eligibility be expanded? My 37-year-old, single daughter is currently not eligible.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Medi-Cal provides medical services to more than 8 million low-income Californians. The expansion is expected to make roughly 1.4 million state residents newly eligible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Will Jack of San Clemente’s daughter be among them? I don’t know for sure, but at least one detail he shared sounds promising.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/Medi-CalExpansionInformation.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Under the expansion\u003c/a>, the income threshold to qualify for Medi-Cal will go up to 138 percent of the \u003ca href=\"http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">Federal Poverty Level\u003c/a>. This year, that computes to about $15,800 for an individual and $32,500 for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps even more momentous (pay attention here, Jack), the program will be open to childless adults, who were previously ineligible. This is where the college students and single, older males come in, and single, 37-year-old females, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few other important details:\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re newly eligible, most of you will have to enroll in Medi-Cal managed care.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Most lawfully present immigrants will be eligible for full benefits under the Medi-Cal expansion. Those who are in the country without proper documents will not.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Asset tests and property limits will go away for most new applicants. \u003ca href=\"http://healthconsumer.org/New_Health_Law_CA_IssueBrief_6_Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">There are some exceptions\u003c/a>, especially if you’re \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/searching-right-insurance-under-obamacare1101\" target=\"_blank\">65 or older\u003c/a> or have a disability.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>If you’re eligible for Medi-Cal, that makes you ineligible for tax credits from Covered California. You could still opt out of Medi-Cal and buy a plan from the exchange, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/17/medi-cal-and-obamacare-some-surprising-twists/\" target=\"_blank\">but you’d have to pay full price\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: I’m 55 years old with no dependents and am employed part-time. I currently have individual health insurance that costs me almost 20 percent of my monthly income. My income makes me eligible for Medi-Cal starting next year. Will I still be eligible even though I currently have individual insurance? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: This may come as a surprise to Howard, who hails from Fresno, but you don’t have to be unemployed -- or uninsured -- to qualify for the Medi-Cal expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can drop your expensive, individual market plan and enroll in Medi-Cal instead. Assuming that you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same goes for those who have health coverage through an employer. You, too, can join Medi-Cal if you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This won’t be a rare occurrence. According to \u003ca href=\"http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthcare/resources/CalSIM_Statewide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">an analysis\u003c/a> by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, 310,000 Californians who would have otherwise gotten job-based insurance next year will be newly eligible for Medi-Cal. About 240,000 more would have had individual market plans, like Howard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">[\u003cstrong>Related:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">Obamacare Explained -- A Guide for Californians\u003c/a>]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many folks in the individual market or who have job-based coverage are finding the premiums they’re paying now are unaffordable,” says Laurel Lucia, an Obamacare expert at the center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There won’t be any premiums in Medi-Cal and the benefits will be more generous than what they’re probably getting in the individual market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: How do I sign up?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Start with the Covered California -- with its \u003ca href=\"http://www.coveredca.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website\u003c/a> or phone number: 1-800-300-1506. The idea is that Covered California agents will act as a one-stop-shop to help you figure out what program you’re eligible for and sign you up. If they can’t close the transaction themselves, they’ll transfer you to your county Medi-Cal office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let’s hope it’s as simple and easy as the bigwigs say it will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A final reminder: You have until Dec. 23 to enroll for coverage that starts Jan. 1. The open-enrollment period will last for six months, through March 31, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16598/will-you-qualify-for-medi-cal-under-obamacare",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_294",
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_674"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16605",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16578": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16578",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16578",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386636503000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386636503,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "What's the Difference Between a Deductible and a 'Medical' Deductible?",
"title": "What's the Difference Between a Deductible and a 'Medical' Deductible?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16587\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/coveredca-rev-e1386636141463.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16587 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/coveredca-rev-640x367.jpg\" alt=\"Different 'deductibles' and 'medical deductibles' for one Covered California applicant. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"367\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Different deductibles and medical deductibles for one Covered California applicant. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sunday afternoon was flying by when I received an email from Jon Brooks, a colleague who is currently shopping for health insurance for himself and his family on Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Do you have any idea,\" he wrote, \"what the difference is between a 'deductible' and a 'medical deductible'? Plan I'm looking at has 'deductible' of $0 and 'medical deductible' of $4,000 for family.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huh?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then today, a freelance reporter, also working on her application, asked me the same thing. As you can see in the screenshot above, she was comparing three plans. For two of the plans, the deductible was $5,000, but for the third plan, the deductible was \"not applicable.\" Further down, the medical deductible for two plans was \"not applicable\" but for the third plan was $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were both confused.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16589\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-16589\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Deductible\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Definition of 'deductible' as captured from the Covered California website. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At first James Scullary, a spokesman at Covered California, was confused, too. But he called me back with the answer. It turns out that \"deductible\" might mean more than one thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Covered California, if your plan has a \"deductible,\" that number is the amount that you must pay out of pocket before your insurance will begin to pay. Money you spend on \u003cem>both\u003c/em> medical services (like doctor visits) and prescription drugs are counted toward the deductible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if your plan has a \"medical deductible,\" that refers to \"most medical services,\" but does not include prescription drugs. Plans with medical deductibles have a second deductible just for prescription drugs. In the shot above, you can see that the plan in the third column has a $2,000 medical deductible and a $250 \"brand drug\" deductible. The plan has \"not applicable\" under plain old \"deductible\" because the plan does not have a plain old deductible. It has a medical deductible combined with a drug deductible for (I'm doing the math here) a total deductible of $2,250.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, when you're shopping for health insurance, pay attention to whether your plan has a \"deductible\" or a \"medical deductible\" + \"drug deductible.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the promises of the ACA is that consumers will be able to make an \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/individuals-and-families/\" target=\"_blank\">apples-to-apples\u003c/a>\" comparison. But Scullary agreed this deductible-vs-medical-deductible was confusing. \"It's not apples-to-apples,\" he said, adding that it's an issue that has been raised internally and that Covered California is \"looking to simplify, so we don't have the confusion.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I pointed out that a reasonable person might equate \"not applicable\" with \"zero.\" Scullary agreed that \"not applicable\" was \"not as clear as it could be.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing that could simplify the confusion is better definitions. If you mouse over the terms, a dialogue box pops up with the definition. Check out the photo of the 'medical deductible' definition. It's similar to, yet different from, the definition for \"deductible\" above.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16582\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/MedDeducit.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-16582 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/MedDeducit-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Definition of 'medical deductible' from the Covered California website. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Note that \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/08/kids-dental-plans-cost-extra-in-new-health-marketplace/\" target=\"_blank\">children's dental benefits are not included\u003c/a> under Covered California health plans, because consumers must buy a separate policy for children's dental. The fact that the words appear here in this definition suggests that children's dental benefits are somehow covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called Brooks to fill him in. He said he had been confused and he wanted an answer \"because it was going to factor into my decision as to which plan I picked.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he somehow knew that equating \"not applicable\" with \"zero\" was too good to be true, when he was also seeing \"$4,000\" elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I used the logic that whatever is worse for me is probably true,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>This post has been updated with more detail about medical deductibles.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16578 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16578",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/09/why-you-should-know-the-difference-between-a-deductible-and-a-medical-deductible/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 640,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 19
},
"modified": 1430410085,
"excerpt": null,
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Sunday afternoon was flying by when I received an email from Jon Brooks, a colleague who is currently shopping for health insurance for himself and his family on Covered California. "Do you have any idea," he wrote, "what the difference is between a 'deductible' and a 'medical deductible'? Plan I'm looking at has 'deductible' of",
"title": "What's the Difference Between a Deductible and a 'Medical' Deductible? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "What's the Difference Between a Deductible and a 'Medical' Deductible?",
"datePublished": "2013-12-09T16:48:23-08:00",
"dateModified": "2015-04-30T09:08:05-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "why-you-should-know-the-difference-between-a-deductible-and-a-medical-deductible",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16578/why-you-should-know-the-difference-between-a-deductible-and-a-medical-deductible",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16587\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/coveredca-rev-e1386636141463.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16587 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/coveredca-rev-640x367.jpg\" alt=\"Different 'deductibles' and 'medical deductibles' for one Covered California applicant. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\" width=\"640\" height=\"367\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Different deductibles and medical deductibles for one Covered California applicant. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sunday afternoon was flying by when I received an email from Jon Brooks, a colleague who is currently shopping for health insurance for himself and his family on Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Do you have any idea,\" he wrote, \"what the difference is between a 'deductible' and a 'medical deductible'? Plan I'm looking at has 'deductible' of $0 and 'medical deductible' of $4,000 for family.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huh?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then today, a freelance reporter, also working on her application, asked me the same thing. As you can see in the screenshot above, she was comparing three plans. For two of the plans, the deductible was $5,000, but for the third plan, the deductible was \"not applicable.\" Further down, the medical deductible for two plans was \"not applicable\" but for the third plan was $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were both confused.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16589\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-16589\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/Deductible-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Deductible\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Definition of 'deductible' as captured from the Covered California website. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At first James Scullary, a spokesman at Covered California, was confused, too. But he called me back with the answer. It turns out that \"deductible\" might mean more than one thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Covered California, if your plan has a \"deductible,\" that number is the amount that you must pay out of pocket before your insurance will begin to pay. Money you spend on \u003cem>both\u003c/em> medical services (like doctor visits) and prescription drugs are counted toward the deductible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if your plan has a \"medical deductible,\" that refers to \"most medical services,\" but does not include prescription drugs. Plans with medical deductibles have a second deductible just for prescription drugs. In the shot above, you can see that the plan in the third column has a $2,000 medical deductible and a $250 \"brand drug\" deductible. The plan has \"not applicable\" under plain old \"deductible\" because the plan does not have a plain old deductible. It has a medical deductible combined with a drug deductible for (I'm doing the math here) a total deductible of $2,250.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, when you're shopping for health insurance, pay attention to whether your plan has a \"deductible\" or a \"medical deductible\" + \"drug deductible.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the promises of the ACA is that consumers will be able to make an \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/individuals-and-families/\" target=\"_blank\">apples-to-apples\u003c/a>\" comparison. But Scullary agreed this deductible-vs-medical-deductible was confusing. \"It's not apples-to-apples,\" he said, adding that it's an issue that has been raised internally and that Covered California is \"looking to simplify, so we don't have the confusion.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I pointed out that a reasonable person might equate \"not applicable\" with \"zero.\" Scullary agreed that \"not applicable\" was \"not as clear as it could be.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing that could simplify the confusion is better definitions. If you mouse over the terms, a dialogue box pops up with the definition. Check out the photo of the 'medical deductible' definition. It's similar to, yet different from, the definition for \"deductible\" above.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16582\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/MedDeducit.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-16582 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/MedDeducit-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Definition of 'medical deductible' from the Covered California website. (Lisa Aliferis/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Note that \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/08/kids-dental-plans-cost-extra-in-new-health-marketplace/\" target=\"_blank\">children's dental benefits are not included\u003c/a> under Covered California health plans, because consumers must buy a separate policy for children's dental. The fact that the words appear here in this definition suggests that children's dental benefits are somehow covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called Brooks to fill him in. He said he had been confused and he wanted an answer \"because it was going to factor into my decision as to which plan I picked.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he somehow knew that equating \"not applicable\" with \"zero\" was too good to be true, when he was also seeing \"$4,000\" elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I used the logic that whatever is worse for me is probably true,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>This post has been updated with more detail about medical deductibles.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16578/why-you-should-know-the-difference-between-a-deductible-and-a-medical-deductible",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_368"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16589",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16564": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16564",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16564",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386616777000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386616777,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Obamacare FAQ: Can I Drop My Employer-Offered Insurance?",
"title": "Obamacare FAQ: Can I Drop My Employer-Offered Insurance?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16572\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor's note: For people buying on the individual market who want health insurance starting Jan. 1, the deadline to sign up is Monday, Dec. 23. We will run one post a day with questions and answers on the Affordable Care Act and Covered California until that deadline. Today's installment comes from the \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/project/ask-emily-answers-consumer-questions-about-obamacare\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Health Reporting's Ask Emily\u003c/a> column. Readers can also consult \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED's Obamacare Guide\u003c/a>, written specifically for Californians.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Emily Bazar\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: If my husband’s employer offers health care insurance but it is unaffordable, where does that leave us? Will we qualify for help under Obamacare or will we be out in the cold? We make about $45,000 annually.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Apparently, lots of you dislike the health insurance options offered by your employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carrie from the Sacramento suburbs submitted this question, but I’ve received a crush of similar queries from all over the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your most common complaint? The coverage is too expensive. The runner-up: The plans your employers offer don’t cover certain benefits, doctors or hospitals.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Work is where most of us get our health insurance (if we have it). Though the rate has dropped over time, \u003ca href=\"http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf405434\" target=\"_blank\">53 percent of Californians\u003c/a> received their coverage through an employer (or the employer of a family member) in 2010-2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Jan. 1, when the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act take effect, you’ll be free to ditch your employer’s coverage and shop for plans on your own, either through the state-run insurance marketplace called \u003ca href=\"http://www.coveredca.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Covered California\u003c/a> or on the open insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you will be eligible for tax credits to offset your premiums is a whole other matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/coverage-basics/PDFs/CC-health-plans-booklet-rev3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">2-6 health plans in each region of the state\u003c/a> that cover a standard set of benefits. Individuals and families who earn between 138 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for sliding-scale tax credits. That's about $15,800 to $46,00 for an individual or $32,500 to $94,000 for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Do you clear the income hurdle? Don’t get too excited yet, because even if you fall within that income range, you’re not automatically eligible for the tax credits through Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, you qualify for the credits if your employer’s insurance is considered “\u003ca href=\"http://mn.gov/health-reform/images/WG-Access-2012-03-08-Summary-of-Health-Care-Affordability%20Provisions.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">unaffordable\u003c/a>.” That happens when:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The employee’s share of the insurance premium to cover him- or herself only is more than 9.5 percent of annual household income. If the employer offers multiple plan options, the test applies to the lowest-cost option.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>or\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Your employer’s insurance covers, on average, less than 60 percent of your medical expenses, leaving you with expenses of 40 percent or more.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The income and affordability tests are two big hurdles. You’d need to clear them both if you want the tax credits. (For more details, check out this \u003ca href=\"http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Questions-and-Answers-on-Employer-Shared-Responsibility-Provisions-Under-the-Affordable-Care-Act\" target=\"_blank\">Internal Revenue Service Q&A\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there's a third hurdle for readers like Carrie, who need family or dependent coverage. It’s what \u003ca href=\"http://hpm.ph.ucla.edu/faculty/dylan-roby-phd\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Roby\u003c/a>, a health reform expert at UCLA, calls “\u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/%E2%80%9Ckid-glitch%E2%80%9D-could-your-family-fall-obamacare%E2%80%99s-affordability-gap1131\" target=\"_blank\">the kid glitch\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Carrie's case, the employer-sponsored health plan options for herself, her husband and their 14-year old daughter run from $677 to $924 each month, which is expensive for them. But then Carrie told me this: “In fairness, the company DOES cover the employee alone much more generously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gulp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That last sentence may put Carrie and her family in a category of people -- specifically spouses, children and dependents -- who will not be able to take advantage of affordable options under Obamacare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s the glitch: If coverage for the employee alone is less than 9.5 percent of household income, then that employee AND his or her family members are ineligible for tax subsidies. Not even if the cost of family coverage exceeds 9.5 percent of household income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ll end up with some kids who would have gotten subsidized coverage from the exchange on a family plan who won’t because the employer is offering single coverage that’s affordable, but family coverage that is not,” Roby explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, where does that leave Carrie and others in her situation? They need to do the math –- carefully -– and cross their fingers that they’re not victims of the kid glitch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16564 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16564",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/09/obamacare-qa-work-based-health-insurance-what-is-the-kid-glitch-consumer-questions-answers-aca/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 771,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 23
},
"modified": 1386782444,
"excerpt": "Q: If my husband’s employer offers health care insurance but it is unaffordable, where does that leave us? Will we qualify for help under Obamacare or will we be out in the cold? We make about $45,000 annually.\r\n\r\nA: Apparently, lots of you dislike the health insurance options offered by your employers.\r\n\r\nCarrie from the Sacramento suburbs submitted this question, but I’ve received a crush of similar queries from all over the state.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Q: If my husband’s employer offers health care insurance but it is unaffordable, where does that leave us? Will we qualify for help under Obamacare or will we be out in the cold? We make about $45,000 annually.\r\n\r\nA: Apparently, lots of you dislike the health insurance options offered by your employers.\r\n\r\nCarrie from the Sacramento suburbs submitted this question, but I’ve received a crush of similar queries from all over the state.",
"title": "Obamacare FAQ: Can I Drop My Employer-Offered Insurance? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Obamacare FAQ: Can I Drop My Employer-Offered Insurance?",
"datePublished": "2013-12-09T11:19:37-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-11T09:20:44-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "obamacare-qa-work-based-health-insurance-what-is-the-kid-glitch-consumer-questions-answers-aca",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16564/obamacare-qa-work-based-health-insurance-what-is-the-kid-glitch-consumer-questions-answers-aca",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16572\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-e1386616233892.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16572\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/120724245-640x480.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor's note: For people buying on the individual market who want health insurance starting Jan. 1, the deadline to sign up is Monday, Dec. 23. We will run one post a day with questions and answers on the Affordable Care Act and Covered California until that deadline. Today's installment comes from the \u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/project/ask-emily-answers-consumer-questions-about-obamacare\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Health Reporting's Ask Emily\u003c/a> column. Readers can also consult \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED's Obamacare Guide\u003c/a>, written specifically for Californians.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Emily Bazar\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Q: If my husband’s employer offers health care insurance but it is unaffordable, where does that leave us? Will we qualify for help under Obamacare or will we be out in the cold? We make about $45,000 annually.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A: Apparently, lots of you dislike the health insurance options offered by your employers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carrie from the Sacramento suburbs submitted this question, but I’ve received a crush of similar queries from all over the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Your most common complaint? The coverage is too expensive. The runner-up: The plans your employers offer don’t cover certain benefits, doctors or hospitals.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Work is where most of us get our health insurance (if we have it). Though the rate has dropped over time, \u003ca href=\"http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf405434\" target=\"_blank\">53 percent of Californians\u003c/a> received their coverage through an employer (or the employer of a family member) in 2010-2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Jan. 1, when the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act take effect, you’ll be free to ditch your employer’s coverage and shop for plans on your own, either through the state-run insurance marketplace called \u003ca href=\"http://www.coveredca.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Covered California\u003c/a> or on the open insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether you will be eligible for tax credits to offset your premiums is a whole other matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/coverage-basics/PDFs/CC-health-plans-booklet-rev3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">2-6 health plans in each region of the state\u003c/a> that cover a standard set of benefits. Individuals and families who earn between 138 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for sliding-scale tax credits. That's about $15,800 to $46,00 for an individual or $32,500 to $94,000 for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Do you clear the income hurdle? Don’t get too excited yet, because even if you fall within that income range, you’re not automatically eligible for the tax credits through Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, you qualify for the credits if your employer’s insurance is considered “\u003ca href=\"http://mn.gov/health-reform/images/WG-Access-2012-03-08-Summary-of-Health-Care-Affordability%20Provisions.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">unaffordable\u003c/a>.” That happens when:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The employee’s share of the insurance premium to cover him- or herself only is more than 9.5 percent of annual household income. If the employer offers multiple plan options, the test applies to the lowest-cost option.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>or\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Your employer’s insurance covers, on average, less than 60 percent of your medical expenses, leaving you with expenses of 40 percent or more.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The income and affordability tests are two big hurdles. You’d need to clear them both if you want the tax credits. (For more details, check out this \u003ca href=\"http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Questions-and-Answers-on-Employer-Shared-Responsibility-Provisions-Under-the-Affordable-Care-Act\" target=\"_blank\">Internal Revenue Service Q&A\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there's a third hurdle for readers like Carrie, who need family or dependent coverage. It’s what \u003ca href=\"http://hpm.ph.ucla.edu/faculty/dylan-roby-phd\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Roby\u003c/a>, a health reform expert at UCLA, calls “\u003ca href=\"http://centerforhealthreporting.org/article/%E2%80%9Ckid-glitch%E2%80%9D-could-your-family-fall-obamacare%E2%80%99s-affordability-gap1131\" target=\"_blank\">the kid glitch\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Carrie's case, the employer-sponsored health plan options for herself, her husband and their 14-year old daughter run from $677 to $924 each month, which is expensive for them. But then Carrie told me this: “In fairness, the company DOES cover the employee alone much more generously.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gulp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That last sentence may put Carrie and her family in a category of people -- specifically spouses, children and dependents -- who will not be able to take advantage of affordable options under Obamacare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s the glitch: If coverage for the employee alone is less than 9.5 percent of household income, then that employee AND his or her family members are ineligible for tax subsidies. Not even if the cost of family coverage exceeds 9.5 percent of household income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’ll end up with some kids who would have gotten subsidized coverage from the exchange on a family plan who won’t because the employer is offering single coverage that’s affordable, but family coverage that is not,” Roby explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, where does that leave Carrie and others in her situation? They need to do the math –- carefully -– and cross their fingers that they’re not victims of the kid glitch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16564/obamacare-qa-work-based-health-insurance-what-is-the-kid-glitch-consumer-questions-answers-aca",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_674"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16572",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16553": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16553",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16553",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386361777000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386361777,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Obamacare Vs. Royal Baby; Obamacare Wins!",
"title": "Obamacare Vs. Royal Baby; Obamacare Wins!",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16555\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16555\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-640x468.jpg\" alt=\"You're cute Prince George, but not cute enough to beat out Obamacare. (John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images) \" width=\"640\" height=\"468\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You're cute Prince George, but not cute enough to beat out Obamacare. (John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yahoo ranks all manner of searches in its \u003ca href=\"http://news.yahoo.com/twerk-snap-shake-yahoo-unveils-050000339.html\" target=\"_blank\">annual Year in Review\u003c/a>: Top Searched Handbags; Top Searched Celebrity Pregnancies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here at State of Health, we were much more interested in Yahoo's Most Searched News Stories -- and were thrilled to see that \"obamacare (affordable care act)\" came in second. That in and of itself wasn't a huge surprise, because we know Obamacare is a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/category/reform/\" target=\"_blank\">big news story\u003c/a>. But it's who Obamacare beat that was startling: the Royal Baby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's right. People searched more for the Affordable Care Act than they did the birth of Prince George. The ranking went as follows (lower case is search-style):\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>jody arias trial\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>obamacare (affordable care act)\u003c!--more-->\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>boston marathon bombing\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>royal baby birth\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>george zimmerman trial\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Obamacare also came in second in Yahoo's most searched \"what\" questions. But here Obamacare lost out to popular culture -- big time. \"What is Obamacare\" came in second to \"What is Twerking.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Geez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yahoo released its rankings earlier this week, which means it's not capturing the surging drive of traffic that is expected over the next two weeks as the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday Dec. 23 deadline\u003c/a> approaches to sign up for insurance that will begin Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that's too bad, because we think if Yahoo would count December in its rankings, Obamacare would be the clear first-place winner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can Covered California Keep Up With Traffic as Deadline Nears?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Covered California marketplace is being swamped with applications. From the \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exchange-enrollment-20131206,0,5145290.story#ixzz2mj1Kjfol\" target=\"_blank\">LA Times\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>In response to higher-than-expected demand, the Covered California exchange said it is adding staff and expanding its capacity to answer consumer calls. It received 17,000 calls in less than an hour Wednesday, more than it received in an entire day in recent weeks. The exchange is also trying to dig through a backlog of 25,000 paper applications filed in October and November. ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan>\"We have been running strong all week, and at times we have exceeded the capacity of our phone lines,\" said exchange spokesman Dana Howard. \"The demand is more than we projected. But the bottom line is folks will be able to get themselves enrolled for Jan. 1.\"\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Covered California has been outperforming Healthcare.gov, the marketplace for 36 other states. As of mid-November nearly \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">80,000 people had enrolled\u003c/a> in private health plans. \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/02/medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">Another 140,000 people\u003c/a> appear to be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state's health insurance program for the poor and disabled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Times reports that with the spike in traffic, average call center wait times have also spiked -- to 25 minutes up from 18 minutes the week before. Even those who filed applications weeks ago may face issues. Again, from the Times:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Health insurance agents, key allies of Covered California so far, are also voicing frustration. The California Assn. of Health Underwriters expressed concern Thursday about the exchange failing to process about 25,000 paper applications that agents had submitted weeks ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exchange said those paper applications were filled out in October and November when many agents were unable to access the state's online enrollment system. Howard, the exchange spokesman, said the exchange will be working with agents to manually enter that paperwork into the state's computer system and fill in additional information needed to complete the enrollment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have to make a stronger effort to get those applications done with the deadline approaching,\" he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16553 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16553",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/06/forget-the-royal-baby-obamacare-is-yahoos-2-news-story-in-2013/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 601,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 18
},
"modified": 1386721520,
"excerpt": "Yahoo ranks all manner of searches in its annual Year in Review: Top Searched Handbags; Top Searched Celebrity Pregnancies.\r\n\r\nBut here at State of Health, we were much more interested in Yahoo's Most Searched News Stories -- and were thrilled to see that \"obamacare (affordable care act)\" came in second. That in and of itself wasn't a huge surprise, because we know Obamacare is a big news story. But it's who Obamacare beat that was startling: the Royal Baby.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Yahoo ranks all manner of searches in its annual Year in Review: Top Searched Handbags; Top Searched Celebrity Pregnancies.\r\n\r\nBut here at State of Health, we were much more interested in Yahoo's Most Searched News Stories -- and were thrilled to see that "obamacare (affordable care act)" came in second. That in and of itself wasn't a huge surprise, because we know Obamacare is a big news story. But it's who Obamacare beat that was startling: the Royal Baby.",
"title": "Obamacare Vs. Royal Baby; Obamacare Wins! | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Obamacare Vs. Royal Baby; Obamacare Wins!",
"datePublished": "2013-12-06T12:29:37-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-10T16:25:20-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "forget-the-royal-baby-obamacare-is-yahoos-2-news-story-in-2013",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16553/forget-the-royal-baby-obamacare-is-yahoos-2-news-story-in-2013",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16555\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-e1386356713197.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16555\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/185635670-640x468.jpg\" alt=\"You're cute Prince George, but not cute enough to beat out Obamacare. (John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images) \" width=\"640\" height=\"468\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">You're cute Prince George, but not cute enough to beat out Obamacare. (John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yahoo ranks all manner of searches in its \u003ca href=\"http://news.yahoo.com/twerk-snap-shake-yahoo-unveils-050000339.html\" target=\"_blank\">annual Year in Review\u003c/a>: Top Searched Handbags; Top Searched Celebrity Pregnancies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here at State of Health, we were much more interested in Yahoo's Most Searched News Stories -- and were thrilled to see that \"obamacare (affordable care act)\" came in second. That in and of itself wasn't a huge surprise, because we know Obamacare is a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/category/reform/\" target=\"_blank\">big news story\u003c/a>. But it's who Obamacare beat that was startling: the Royal Baby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's right. People searched more for the Affordable Care Act than they did the birth of Prince George. The ranking went as follows (lower case is search-style):\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>jody arias trial\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>obamacare (affordable care act)\u003c!--more-->\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>boston marathon bombing\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>royal baby birth\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>george zimmerman trial\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Obamacare also came in second in Yahoo's most searched \"what\" questions. But here Obamacare lost out to popular culture -- big time. \"What is Obamacare\" came in second to \"What is Twerking.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Geez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yahoo released its rankings earlier this week, which means it's not capturing the surging drive of traffic that is expected over the next two weeks as the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday Dec. 23 deadline\u003c/a> approaches to sign up for insurance that will begin Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that's too bad, because we think if Yahoo would count December in its rankings, Obamacare would be the clear first-place winner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can Covered California Keep Up With Traffic as Deadline Nears?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Covered California marketplace is being swamped with applications. From the \u003ca href=\"http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exchange-enrollment-20131206,0,5145290.story#ixzz2mj1Kjfol\" target=\"_blank\">LA Times\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>In response to higher-than-expected demand, the Covered California exchange said it is adding staff and expanding its capacity to answer consumer calls. It received 17,000 calls in less than an hour Wednesday, more than it received in an entire day in recent weeks. The exchange is also trying to dig through a backlog of 25,000 paper applications filed in October and November. ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan>\"We have been running strong all week, and at times we have exceeded the capacity of our phone lines,\" said exchange spokesman Dana Howard. \"The demand is more than we projected. But the bottom line is folks will be able to get themselves enrolled for Jan. 1.\"\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Covered California has been outperforming Healthcare.gov, the marketplace for 36 other states. As of mid-November nearly \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">80,000 people had enrolled\u003c/a> in private health plans. \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/02/medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california/\" target=\"_blank\">Another 140,000 people\u003c/a> appear to be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state's health insurance program for the poor and disabled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Times reports that with the spike in traffic, average call center wait times have also spiked -- to 25 minutes up from 18 minutes the week before. Even those who filed applications weeks ago may face issues. Again, from the Times:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Health insurance agents, key allies of Covered California so far, are also voicing frustration. The California Assn. of Health Underwriters expressed concern Thursday about the exchange failing to process about 25,000 paper applications that agents had submitted weeks ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exchange said those paper applications were filled out in October and November when many agents were unable to access the state's online enrollment system. Howard, the exchange spokesman, said the exchange will be working with agents to manually enter that paperwork into the state's computer system and fill in additional information needed to complete the enrollment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We have to make a stronger effort to get those applications done with the deadline approaching,\" he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16553/forget-the-royal-baby-obamacare-is-yahoos-2-news-story-in-2013",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_368"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16555",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16516": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16516",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16516",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386185843000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386185843,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Why Are Nearly All Covered California Enrollees in Just Four Plans?",
"title": "Why Are Nearly All Covered California Enrollees in Just Four Plans?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16531\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"Certified specialist helps a consumer apply to Covered California at a free enrollment fair at Pasadena City College. (David McNew/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Certified specialist helps a consumer apply to Covered California at a free enrollment fair at Pasadena City College in November. (David McNew/Getty Images) \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Dan Diamond\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/96-of-californians-picked-just-four-health-plans-through-covered-california\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthem Blue Cross had 1,591 people use Covered California to get subsidies and sign up for its health plans in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valley Health Plan had five.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That data point's taken from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/186134938/Covered-California-enrollment-data\" target=\"_blank\">Covered California release\u003c/a> that offers some of the first insight into the makeup of early enrollees through the exchange and which plans they're picking. And while it's hardly fair to directly compare the two issuers -- Anthem has a presence in all 19 of Covered California's regions, whereas Valley is only offering plans in Santa Clara County -- the contrast is eye-catching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's also telling. The biggest players, so far, are getting enormous market share from Covered California's customers. The smaller plans are seeing a trickle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So Far, Exchange Strengthens Market Position of Large Plans\u003c!--more-->\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges were supposed to open up the market -- \"more choices, greater competition,\" trumpets a 2010 \u003ca href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal/titlei/exchange\" target=\"_blank\">White House fact sheet\u003c/a>. The exchanges were a rare Obamacare idea that have enjoyed \u003ca href=\"http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/are-republicans-really-anti-exchange/\">consistent Republican support\u003c/a>. And several experts told California Healthline in July that Valley and other small health plans were the \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/aetna-and-united-are-out-of-california-whos-moving-in\" target=\"_blank\">ones to watch\u003c/a> in California's exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what if the exchanges are leading to market consolidation, not competition? It seems premature to ask, but here's a picture of \u003cspan>the Covered California market from October:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>28 percent of customers picked Anthem plans;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>26 percent picked Kaiser Permanente plans;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>26 percent picked Blue Shield of California plans; and\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>16 percent picked Health Net plans.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>That means that fewer than 4 percent of customers were divvied up between the other seven plans currently available on the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's worth repeating: Unlike smaller plans -- like Valley, Sharp and a few others that only focused on a slice of California's population -- the \"big four\" issuers chose to offer \u003ca href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJHH1xlks_o/Uo5xJt90JoI/AAAAAAAAAM4/Kk7MFQQGTt0/s1600/table_Page_7.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">plans across the state\u003c/a>. Their broader presence helped goose their enrollment numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that alone can't explain customers' shopping patterns, because similar proportions show up when drilling down into individual regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>In October, Valley captured about 2 percent of new Covered California customers in Santa Clara County; the other 98 percent were split between the big four.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Contra Costa Health Plan got about 4 percent of the new customers in its county; the rest went with the big four.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Western Health Advantage saw fewer than 2 percent of new customers in the North Bay and Sacramento Valley regions, while the remainder were split between Anthem, Kaiser and Blue Shield. (Health Net isn't offering plans in those regions).\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Three Drivers of Customer Behavior\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why the market dominance by the large issuers? Experts suggest a few factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The power of name recognition\u003c/em>: The big four plans presently command more than 80 percent of the individual insurance market in California. \"One might expect [the large plans] to have an even bigger advantage early on due to their recognized brands and marketing muscle,\" Kaiser Family Foundation's Larry Levitt told \u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em> via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The power of being an ex-customer\u003c/em>: Some new plan members are very recent \u003cem>old \u003c/em>members; officials at several plans suggested that more than 10 percent of new enrollees were former customers. So while most of the sign-ups may be with the major plans like Anthem and Kaiser, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/how-many-people-are-losing-their-plans-under-obamacare-really\">most of the plan cancellations \u003c/a>have been with them, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Challenges with the website\u003c/em>: The lack of \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/10/health-plans-criticize-covered-california-for-not-posting-quality-ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\">plan quality ratings\u003c/a> and provider directories may have hindered head-to-head comparisons -- even as cautious insurers delayed their marketing campaigns -- again leading customers to stick with names that may have been familiar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, price was expected to be a lever for consumer choice -- \u003ca href=\"http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2010/10/11/the-massachusetts-connector-success-or-just-a-pr-coup/\" target=\"_blank\">that was the case\u003c/a> in Massachusetts, at least. But so far, it's unclear whether it's being weighted as heavily in California. In several regions, there didn't appear to be much correlation between plan prices and sign-ups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, it's \"way too early to read too much into the early enrollment numbers,\" Micah Weinberg of the Bay Area Council said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The October sign-ups weren't representative of Covered California's expected, and eventual, pool of customers, Weinberg pointed out. Look at the huge percentage of non-subsidized customers, who out-numbered subsidized customers by about five-to-one, he noted. Or the lack of Spanish-speaking customers, who made up just 3 percent of enrollees in October but represent 60% of the state's uninsured population, Anna Gorman \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2013/december/01/covered-california-spanish-speaking-consumers.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">reports at \u003cem>Kaiser Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The population that's enrolled to date, as far as we understand, is a population with greater health care needs,\" Weinberg added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"So they may be more likely to go with what they know, or go with the sort of well-known needs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But we'll know a lot more later on,\" Weinberg predicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Will Small Plans Stick it Out?\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weinberg and others also raise the question of whether more plans are necessarily better for consumers. Some studies have suggested that just three-to-four insurers are enough to make a region competitive, although exchange rates \u003ca href=\"http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/chart-of-the-day-a-first-look-at-competition-in-the-exchanges/\" target=\"_blank\">significantly fall\u003c/a> as the number of competitors rises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would the smaller plans drop out if they don't get enough customers? That's unlikely, experts and historical evidence suggest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I suspect there is a volume level at which a plan would decide it's not worth the administrative expense associated with participating,\" Kaiser's Levitt muses, \"but I imagine that's pretty low. Probably the bigger issue is in putting together a provider network ... [with] a whole-new provider network, the economics may not work at low volumes.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And exchanges can lead to disproportionate enrollment gains for their smaller plans -- eventually. In Massachusetts, Neighborhood Health Plan saw its enrollment \u003ca href=\"http://aishealth.com/archive/nhex1011-05\">nearly double\u003c/a> to about 230,000 between 2006 and 2011, largely attributable to the state's new mandate and insurance exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts -- the state's largest insurer by number of members -- saw the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mass.gov/chia/docs/r/pubs/12/2011-june-key-indicators.pdf\">biggest decline in market share\u003c/a> across that period, losing about 175,000 enrollees even as other plans added more than 500,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Overall, the Health Connector has spurred competition and created an efficient distribution model for smaller plans and new offerings,\" according to David Williams, president of the Massachusetts-based Health Business Group. \"And new plans are [still] signing up,\" he added, noting that two more issuers are joining the state's exchange in 2013 and 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Signs of Success\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has been some attrition. Two smaller plans that were initially accepted into Covered California -- \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/why-one-insurer-quit-covered-california\">Ventura County\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2013/11/4/alameda-alliance-removed-from-covered-california-insurer-list\">Alameda Alliance\u003c/a> -- ended up not participating in the exchange's first year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for at least one local insurer, there are signs of success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chinese Community Health Plan, which is offering plans in the San Francisco and San Mateo regions, had targeted 4,950 new members by the end of March 2014 open enrollment, spokesperson YoungSoo Cho told \u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em>. (The plan had a total of 15,363 members before Covered California opened for business.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, the plan signed up 216 customers through Covered California -- roughly 12 percent of all new enrollees in the two regions it serves -- using a strategy that combines raising awareness, a targeted enrollment push, and five in-person enrollment centers, Cho says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the pace is picking up; sign-ups for the Chinese Community Health Plan nearly quadrupled in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"As of this week, we have exceeded the 1,000 new members through the exchange and we are confident we will hit our goals\" by the end of the open enrollment period, Cho added.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16516 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16516",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/04/why-are-almost-all-covered-california-enrollees-in-just-four-plans/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1327,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 38
},
"modified": 1386350618,
"excerpt": "Anthem Blue Cross had 1,591 people use Covered California to get subsidies and sign up for its health plans in October.\r\n\r\nValley Health Plan had five.\r\n\r\nThat data point's taken from a Covered California release that offers some of the first insight into the makeup of early enrollees through the exchange and which plans they're picking. And while it's hardly fair to directly compare the two issuers -- Anthem has a presence in all 19 of Covered California's regions, whereas Valley is only offering plans in Santa Clara County -- the contrast is eye-catching.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Anthem Blue Cross had 1,591 people use Covered California to get subsidies and sign up for its health plans in October.\r\n\r\nValley Health Plan had five.\r\n\r\nThat data point's taken from a Covered California release that offers some of the first insight into the makeup of early enrollees through the exchange and which plans they're picking. And while it's hardly fair to directly compare the two issuers -- Anthem has a presence in all 19 of Covered California's regions, whereas Valley is only offering plans in Santa Clara County -- the contrast is eye-catching.",
"title": "Why Are Nearly All Covered California Enrollees in Just Four Plans? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Why Are Nearly All Covered California Enrollees in Just Four Plans?",
"datePublished": "2013-12-04T11:37:23-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-06T09:23:38-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "why-are-almost-all-covered-california-enrollees-in-just-four-plans",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16516/why-are-almost-all-covered-california-enrollees-in-just-four-plans",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-e1386185604738.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16531\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/450630139-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"Certified specialist helps a consumer apply to Covered California at a free enrollment fair at Pasadena City College. (David McNew/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Certified specialist helps a consumer apply to Covered California at a free enrollment fair at Pasadena City College in November. (David McNew/Getty Images) \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Dan Diamond\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/96-of-californians-picked-just-four-health-plans-through-covered-california\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthem Blue Cross had 1,591 people use Covered California to get subsidies and sign up for its health plans in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valley Health Plan had five.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That data point's taken from a \u003ca href=\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/186134938/Covered-California-enrollment-data\" target=\"_blank\">Covered California release\u003c/a> that offers some of the first insight into the makeup of early enrollees through the exchange and which plans they're picking. And while it's hardly fair to directly compare the two issuers -- Anthem has a presence in all 19 of Covered California's regions, whereas Valley is only offering plans in Santa Clara County -- the contrast is eye-catching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's also telling. The biggest players, so far, are getting enormous market share from Covered California's customers. The smaller plans are seeing a trickle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So Far, Exchange Strengthens Market Position of Large Plans\u003c!--more-->\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges were supposed to open up the market -- \"more choices, greater competition,\" trumpets a 2010 \u003ca href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal/titlei/exchange\" target=\"_blank\">White House fact sheet\u003c/a>. The exchanges were a rare Obamacare idea that have enjoyed \u003ca href=\"http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/are-republicans-really-anti-exchange/\">consistent Republican support\u003c/a>. And several experts told California Healthline in July that Valley and other small health plans were the \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/aetna-and-united-are-out-of-california-whos-moving-in\" target=\"_blank\">ones to watch\u003c/a> in California's exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what if the exchanges are leading to market consolidation, not competition? It seems premature to ask, but here's a picture of \u003cspan>the Covered California market from October:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>28 percent of customers picked Anthem plans;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>26 percent picked Kaiser Permanente plans;\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>26 percent picked Blue Shield of California plans; and\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>16 percent picked Health Net plans.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>That means that fewer than 4 percent of customers were divvied up between the other seven plans currently available on the exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It's worth repeating: Unlike smaller plans -- like Valley, Sharp and a few others that only focused on a slice of California's population -- the \"big four\" issuers chose to offer \u003ca href=\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJHH1xlks_o/Uo5xJt90JoI/AAAAAAAAAM4/Kk7MFQQGTt0/s1600/table_Page_7.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">plans across the state\u003c/a>. Their broader presence helped goose their enrollment numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that alone can't explain customers' shopping patterns, because similar proportions show up when drilling down into individual regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>In October, Valley captured about 2 percent of new Covered California customers in Santa Clara County; the other 98 percent were split between the big four.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Contra Costa Health Plan got about 4 percent of the new customers in its county; the rest went with the big four.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Western Health Advantage saw fewer than 2 percent of new customers in the North Bay and Sacramento Valley regions, while the remainder were split between Anthem, Kaiser and Blue Shield. (Health Net isn't offering plans in those regions).\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Three Drivers of Customer Behavior\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why the market dominance by the large issuers? Experts suggest a few factors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The power of name recognition\u003c/em>: The big four plans presently command more than 80 percent of the individual insurance market in California. \"One might expect [the large plans] to have an even bigger advantage early on due to their recognized brands and marketing muscle,\" Kaiser Family Foundation's Larry Levitt told \u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em> via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The power of being an ex-customer\u003c/em>: Some new plan members are very recent \u003cem>old \u003c/em>members; officials at several plans suggested that more than 10 percent of new enrollees were former customers. So while most of the sign-ups may be with the major plans like Anthem and Kaiser, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/how-many-people-are-losing-their-plans-under-obamacare-really\">most of the plan cancellations \u003c/a>have been with them, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Challenges with the website\u003c/em>: The lack of \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/10/health-plans-criticize-covered-california-for-not-posting-quality-ratings.html\" target=\"_blank\">plan quality ratings\u003c/a> and provider directories may have hindered head-to-head comparisons -- even as cautious insurers delayed their marketing campaigns -- again leading customers to stick with names that may have been familiar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, price was expected to be a lever for consumer choice -- \u003ca href=\"http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2010/10/11/the-massachusetts-connector-success-or-just-a-pr-coup/\" target=\"_blank\">that was the case\u003c/a> in Massachusetts, at least. But so far, it's unclear whether it's being weighted as heavily in California. In several regions, there didn't appear to be much correlation between plan prices and sign-ups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, it's \"way too early to read too much into the early enrollment numbers,\" Micah Weinberg of the Bay Area Council said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The October sign-ups weren't representative of Covered California's expected, and eventual, pool of customers, Weinberg pointed out. Look at the huge percentage of non-subsidized customers, who out-numbered subsidized customers by about five-to-one, he noted. Or the lack of Spanish-speaking customers, who made up just 3 percent of enrollees in October but represent 60% of the state's uninsured population, Anna Gorman \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2013/december/01/covered-california-spanish-speaking-consumers.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">reports at \u003cem>Kaiser Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The population that's enrolled to date, as far as we understand, is a population with greater health care needs,\" Weinberg added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"So they may be more likely to go with what they know, or go with the sort of well-known needs.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But we'll know a lot more later on,\" Weinberg predicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Will Small Plans Stick it Out?\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weinberg and others also raise the question of whether more plans are necessarily better for consumers. Some studies have suggested that just three-to-four insurers are enough to make a region competitive, although exchange rates \u003ca href=\"http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/chart-of-the-day-a-first-look-at-competition-in-the-exchanges/\" target=\"_blank\">significantly fall\u003c/a> as the number of competitors rises.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would the smaller plans drop out if they don't get enough customers? That's unlikely, experts and historical evidence suggest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I suspect there is a volume level at which a plan would decide it's not worth the administrative expense associated with participating,\" Kaiser's Levitt muses, \"but I imagine that's pretty low. Probably the bigger issue is in putting together a provider network ... [with] a whole-new provider network, the economics may not work at low volumes.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And exchanges can lead to disproportionate enrollment gains for their smaller plans -- eventually. In Massachusetts, Neighborhood Health Plan saw its enrollment \u003ca href=\"http://aishealth.com/archive/nhex1011-05\">nearly double\u003c/a> to about 230,000 between 2006 and 2011, largely attributable to the state's new mandate and insurance exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts -- the state's largest insurer by number of members -- saw the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mass.gov/chia/docs/r/pubs/12/2011-june-key-indicators.pdf\">biggest decline in market share\u003c/a> across that period, losing about 175,000 enrollees even as other plans added more than 500,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Overall, the Health Connector has spurred competition and created an efficient distribution model for smaller plans and new offerings,\" according to David Williams, president of the Massachusetts-based Health Business Group. \"And new plans are [still] signing up,\" he added, noting that two more issuers are joining the state's exchange in 2013 and 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Signs of Success\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has been some attrition. Two smaller plans that were initially accepted into Covered California -- \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/why-one-insurer-quit-covered-california\">Ventura County\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2013/11/4/alameda-alliance-removed-from-covered-california-insurer-list\">Alameda Alliance\u003c/a> -- ended up not participating in the exchange's first year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for at least one local insurer, there are signs of success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Chinese Community Health Plan, which is offering plans in the San Francisco and San Mateo regions, had targeted 4,950 new members by the end of March 2014 open enrollment, spokesperson YoungSoo Cho told \u003cem>California Healthline\u003c/em>. (The plan had a total of 15,363 members before Covered California opened for business.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, the plan signed up 216 customers through Covered California -- roughly 12 percent of all new enrollees in the two regions it serves -- using a strategy that combines raising awareness, a targeted enrollment push, and five in-person enrollment centers, Cho says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the pace is picking up; sign-ups for the Chinese Community Health Plan nearly quadrupled in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"As of this week, we have exceeded the 1,000 new members through the exchange and we are confident we will hit our goals\" by the end of the open enrollment period, Cho added.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16516/why-are-almost-all-covered-california-enrollees-in-just-four-plans",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_28"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16531",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16490": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16490",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16490",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1386018680000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1386018680,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Medi-Cal Enrollment Surging Via Covered California",
"title": "Medi-Cal Enrollment Surging Via Covered California",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16495\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16495\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"(David McNew/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Gorn,\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/capitol-desk/2013/12/medi-cal-a-hidden-enrollment-success\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services released enrollment numbers last week for Medi-Cal-eligible Californians who initially contacted the Covered California health benefit exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department said 143,608 people will likely receive Medi-Cal coverage as a result of contacting Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's about 40 percent of all applications completed through the exchange, said Anthony Cava, a spokesperson for DHCS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are very pleased with this surge of interest and the momentum we are seeing in consumer awareness,\" Cava said in a written statement.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new Medi-Cal beneficiaries were generated between Oct. 1 and Nov. 20. The number is likely to increase substantially in the roughly four months before the enrollment period ends Mar. 31, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medi-Cal currently covers 8.5 million Californians, about 22 percent of the state's population. State health officials estimated one million to two million newly eligible Californians will sign up for Medi-Cal under the expansion, which is federally funded in full for the first two years. About 600,000 of those newly eligible are currently enrolled in the Low Income Health Program, and will make the switch to Medi-Cal when the expansion starts in 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all Californians eligible for Medicaid sign up for Medi-Cal and that's where the increased attention and visibility from the exchange could make a big difference, Cava said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"DHCS is committed, along with its partner, Covered California to ensure that those who are uninsured and eligible can take advantage of the opportunity to gain health coverage through Medi-Cal or a Covered California health plan,\" Cava said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16490 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16490",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/12/02/medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 277,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 11
},
"modified": 1386193824,
"excerpt": "The Department of Health Care Services released enrollment numbers last week for Medi-Cal-eligible Californians who initially contacted the Covered California health benefit exchange.\r\n\r\nThe department said 143,608 people will likely receive Medi-Cal coverage as a result of contacting Covered California.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The Department of Health Care Services released enrollment numbers last week for Medi-Cal-eligible Californians who initially contacted the Covered California health benefit exchange.\r\n\r\nThe department said 143,608 people will likely receive Medi-Cal coverage as a result of contacting Covered California.",
"title": "Medi-Cal Enrollment Surging Via Covered California | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Medi-Cal Enrollment Surging Via Covered California",
"datePublished": "2013-12-02T13:11:20-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-04T13:50:24-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16490/medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16495\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-e1386018585374.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16495\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/12/RS1782_medi-cal-patient-scr-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"(David McNew/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Gorn,\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/capitol-desk/2013/12/medi-cal-a-hidden-enrollment-success\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services released enrollment numbers last week for Medi-Cal-eligible Californians who initially contacted the Covered California health benefit exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department said 143,608 people will likely receive Medi-Cal coverage as a result of contacting Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's about 40 percent of all applications completed through the exchange, said Anthony Cava, a spokesperson for DHCS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We are very pleased with this surge of interest and the momentum we are seeing in consumer awareness,\" Cava said in a written statement.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new Medi-Cal beneficiaries were generated between Oct. 1 and Nov. 20. The number is likely to increase substantially in the roughly four months before the enrollment period ends Mar. 31, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medi-Cal currently covers 8.5 million Californians, about 22 percent of the state's population. State health officials estimated one million to two million newly eligible Californians will sign up for Medi-Cal under the expansion, which is federally funded in full for the first two years. About 600,000 of those newly eligible are currently enrolled in the Low Income Health Program, and will make the switch to Medi-Cal when the expansion starts in 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all Californians eligible for Medicaid sign up for Medi-Cal and that's where the increased attention and visibility from the exchange could make a big difference, Cava said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"DHCS is committed, along with its partner, Covered California to ensure that those who are uninsured and eligible can take advantage of the opportunity to gain health coverage through Medi-Cal or a Covered California health plan,\" Cava said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16490/medi-cal-enrollment-surging-via-covered-california",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_99",
"stateofhealth_218"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16495",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16450": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16450",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16450",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1385662931000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1385662931,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Why Narrow Networks May Not Be Such A Bad Idea",
"title": "Why Narrow Networks May Not Be Such A Bad Idea",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Dan Diamond\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/when-health-plans-drop-your-doctor-are-narrow-networks-a-bad-idea\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Search Covered California's website, and you'll find a list of 33 \"frequently asked questions.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 33rd and final question -- below questions like \"Why should I buy health insurance?\" and \"I'm pregnant and do not have insurance. What health coverage is available for me?\" -- is \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/FAQs/#faq-27\" target=\"_blank\">this one\u003c/a>: \"Will patients be able to keep their same doctor when they purchase health insurance through Covered California?\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question may be last on Covered California's list, but it's top-of-mind for many consumers. About one million Californians, and \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/how-many-people-are-losing-their-plans-under-obamacare-really\">millions of other Americans\u003c/a>, are losing their health plans through the individual market and turning to Obamacare's new insurance exchanges to shop for replacement coverage. And in many cases, it's still unclear if the family doctor will be coming with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Mechanics Behind Narrow Networks\u003c!--more-->\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This issue began to emerge back in May when Covered California announced its low premiums to some fanfare -- a \"home run\" for the state, officials \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/23/californias-health-insurance-exchange-sets-plans-premiums-no-apparent-rate-shock/\" target=\"_blank\">said at the time\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some critics seized on news that participating insurers had achieved those lower costs, in part, by \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/29/why-californias-obamacare-premiums-are-lower-than-expected/\" target=\"_blank\">relying on narrow networks\u003c/a> that excluded UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- two of the state's most prominent, if expensive, hospitals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar stories followed in other states, as exchanges released their rates and participating health care providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We knew it was going to be narrow,\" one Missouri insurance broker \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2013/september/26/narrow-insurance-network-missouri-exchange-marketplace.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">told \u003cem>Kaiser Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> after one local briefing. But the actual list of participating hospitals \"was kind of eye-opening.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue plays directly to one of the biggest fears sparked by the Affordable Care Act: The law will limit patient choice. But supporters say that's not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Narrow networks may seem like a bad idea,\" David Dranove and Craig Garthwaite \u003ca href=\"http://dranove.wordpress.com/2013/10/22/broad-thinking-about-narrow-networks/\" target=\"_blank\">blogged last month\u003c/a>. The two Northwestern University professors acknowledged that excluding some providers from health plans offered through the exchanges runs the risk of disrupting care patterns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the model is \"not some cruel attempt to limit patient choice foisted upon us by the insurance industry,\" the professors added. \"Instead, these plans may provide our best opportunity for harnessing market forces to lower prices.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The simple equation: Insurers say that limiting the size of the network allows them to steer patients to high-quality facilities and doctors; participating providers, meanwhile, may agree to price cuts in exchange for new volumes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And narrow networks aren't necessarily a new idea, Darius Tahir \u003ca href=\"http://www.nationaljournal.com/innovations-in-health/narrow-network-health-plans-expected-to-proliferate-under-obamacare-20131009\" target=\"_blank\">points out\u003c/a> at \u003cem>National Journal\u003c/em>. In some ways, it's the same concept behind payers' attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to limit their network size, which\u003ca href=\"http://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/0403/0403.narrow_networks.html\" target=\"_blank\"> met with criticism\u003c/a> and helped create \"Any Willing Provider\" laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Could narrow networks be better perceived -- and received -- with better phrasing? Industry consultant Vince Kuraitis thinks so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The very term 'narrow network' creates a negative connotation and doesn't speak to potential benefits,\" \u003ca href=\"http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2013/10/22/in-defense-of-narrow-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-457059\" target=\"_blank\">Kuraitis comments\u003c/a> at The Health Care Blog. But choosing to describe \"the same networks as 'high-performance networks' or 'intelligent networks'... [t]he connotations here are much more positive.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do Providers Want In? It's Complicated.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some hospitals -- initially left out of exchange plans -- are fighting to be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Seattle Children's Hospital \u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021968776_acachildrenssuitxml.html\" target=\"_blank\">sued the\u003c/a> state insurance commissioner, which helped \u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022143835_acapremeraresponsexml.html\" target=\"_blank\">begin a battle\u003c/a>with a local insurer over whether the facility's rates are too high.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Eleven Kentucky hospitals have filed complaints; so far, the department has ordered Anthem to \u003ca href=\"http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20131124/BUSINESS/311240055/Kynect-policies-concern-eleven-Kentucky-hospitals?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1\" target=\"_blank\">accept applications\u003c/a> from three of those hospitals.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Yet many top facilities are \u003ca href=\"http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2013/10/30/top-hospitals-opt-out-of-obamacare\" target=\"_blank\">choosing to opt out\u003c/a> of exchange plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some doctors are sitting out, too, citing low reimbursement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Presented with contracts that paid up to 30 percent less than traditional rates, \"we said, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense for us,\" Richard Thorp, president of the California Medical Association \u003ca href=\"http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304607104579212450545926912\" target=\"_blank\">told the \u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why? In part, prominent providers' doubts echo the concerns of \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/29/why-californias-obamacare-premiums-are-lower-than-expected/\" target=\"_blank\">Aetna, Cigna \u003c/a>and other insurers that pulled out of the exchanges: The startup uncertainty and potential patient population aren't worth the risk in year one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hospital executives also are fearful that agreeing to price concessions to play on the exchanges will hamper their efforts to bargain in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"[O]nce you've agreed to low rates for one company, how do you ever negotiate for more with that company or any other company?\" Michael Green, CEO of Concord Hospital, \u003ca href=\"http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/8450204-95/my-turn-heres-why-concord-hospital-opted-out\" target=\"_blank\">wrote in an\u003c/a> op-ed explaining why his hospital wouldn't participate in New Hampshire's exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If the insurers decide to move small groups along with individual to the exchange, you could find that you've put your organization in financial peril,\" Green wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Moving Forward\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every indication is that the narrow network model will become the standard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't think there is anything about this trend that is limited to the exchange market,\" Sara Rosenbaum, a health policy professor at George Washington University, \u003ca href=\"http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130817/MAGAZINE/308179921\" target=\"_blank\">told \u003cem>Modern Healthcare\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the meantime, the provider fights -- and still-troubled websites -- mean that there's considerable confusion over which doctors and hospitals will be included in which plans next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Covered California's website, the FAQ encourages consumers to check directories available on the site to see if their doctor is listed. But one practical challenge: That provider directory \u003ca href=\"http://www.cmanet.org/news/detail/?article=covered-ca-still-working-out-kinks-in-provider\" target=\"_blank\">has been glitchy\u003c/a>. Another: Providers may end up negotiating \"right up to the Jan. 1, 2014 starting date,\" Phil Daigle of California Health Benefit Advisers \u003ca href=\"http://www.cahba.com/advice/2013/10/when_will_provider_networks_be.html\" target=\"_blank\">writes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the dust-up over Covered California's hospitals is a sign of how quickly things can change -- and perhaps the lingering resistance to narrow networks, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this summer's fuss, officials eventually ensured that Cedars-Sinai is \u003ca href=\"http://cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Insurance-Exchanges/Options-for-Purchasing-Individual-Coverage.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">now available\u003c/a> through a few plans on the state's exchange. And so is UCLA, which announced the news with a \u003ca href=\"http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=2895\" target=\"_blank\">banner ad\u003c/a>: \"Covered California now offers a choice U know.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16450 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16450",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/28/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1014,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 34
},
"modified": 1419973438,
"excerpt": "Search Covered California's website, and you'll find a list of 33 \"frequently asked questions.\"\r\n\r\nThe 33rd and final question -- below questions like \"Why should I buy health insurance?\" and \"I'm pregnant and do not have insurance. What health coverage is available for me?\" -- is this one: \"Will patients be able to keep their same doctor when they purchase health insurance through Covered California?\"\r\n\r\nThe question may be last on Covered California's list, but it's top-of-mind for many consumers. About one million Californians, and millions of other Americans, are losing their health plans through the individual market and turning to Obamacare's new insurance exchanges to shop for replacement coverage. And in many cases, it's still unclear if the family doctor will be coming with them",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Search Covered California's website, and you'll find a list of 33 "frequently asked questions."\r\n\r\nThe 33rd and final question -- below questions like "Why should I buy health insurance?" and "I'm pregnant and do not have insurance. What health coverage is available for me?" -- is this one: "Will patients be able to keep their same doctor when they purchase health insurance through Covered California?"\r\n\r\nThe question may be last on Covered California's list, but it's top-of-mind for many consumers. About one million Californians, and millions of other Americans, are losing their health plans through the individual market and turning to Obamacare's new insurance exchanges to shop for replacement coverage. And in many cases, it's still unclear if the family doctor will be coming with them",
"title": "Why Narrow Networks May Not Be Such A Bad Idea | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Why Narrow Networks May Not Be Such A Bad Idea",
"datePublished": "2013-11-28T10:22:11-08:00",
"dateModified": "2014-12-30T13:03:58-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16450/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Dan Diamond\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/when-health-plans-drop-your-doctor-are-narrow-networks-a-bad-idea\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Search Covered California's website, and you'll find a list of 33 \"frequently asked questions.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 33rd and final question -- below questions like \"Why should I buy health insurance?\" and \"I'm pregnant and do not have insurance. What health coverage is available for me?\" -- is \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/FAQs/#faq-27\" target=\"_blank\">this one\u003c/a>: \"Will patients be able to keep their same doctor when they purchase health insurance through Covered California?\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question may be last on Covered California's list, but it's top-of-mind for many consumers. About one million Californians, and \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/how-many-people-are-losing-their-plans-under-obamacare-really\">millions of other Americans\u003c/a>, are losing their health plans through the individual market and turning to Obamacare's new insurance exchanges to shop for replacement coverage. And in many cases, it's still unclear if the family doctor will be coming with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Mechanics Behind Narrow Networks\u003c!--more-->\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This issue began to emerge back in May when Covered California announced its low premiums to some fanfare -- a \"home run\" for the state, officials \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/23/californias-health-insurance-exchange-sets-plans-premiums-no-apparent-rate-shock/\" target=\"_blank\">said at the time\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some critics seized on news that participating insurers had achieved those lower costs, in part, by \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/29/why-californias-obamacare-premiums-are-lower-than-expected/\" target=\"_blank\">relying on narrow networks\u003c/a> that excluded UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- two of the state's most prominent, if expensive, hospitals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Similar stories followed in other states, as exchanges released their rates and participating health care providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We knew it was going to be narrow,\" one Missouri insurance broker \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2013/september/26/narrow-insurance-network-missouri-exchange-marketplace.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">told \u003cem>Kaiser Health News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> after one local briefing. But the actual list of participating hospitals \"was kind of eye-opening.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue plays directly to one of the biggest fears sparked by the Affordable Care Act: The law will limit patient choice. But supporters say that's not the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Narrow networks may seem like a bad idea,\" David Dranove and Craig Garthwaite \u003ca href=\"http://dranove.wordpress.com/2013/10/22/broad-thinking-about-narrow-networks/\" target=\"_blank\">blogged last month\u003c/a>. The two Northwestern University professors acknowledged that excluding some providers from health plans offered through the exchanges runs the risk of disrupting care patterns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the model is \"not some cruel attempt to limit patient choice foisted upon us by the insurance industry,\" the professors added. \"Instead, these plans may provide our best opportunity for harnessing market forces to lower prices.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The simple equation: Insurers say that limiting the size of the network allows them to steer patients to high-quality facilities and doctors; participating providers, meanwhile, may agree to price cuts in exchange for new volumes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And narrow networks aren't necessarily a new idea, Darius Tahir \u003ca href=\"http://www.nationaljournal.com/innovations-in-health/narrow-network-health-plans-expected-to-proliferate-under-obamacare-20131009\" target=\"_blank\">points out\u003c/a> at \u003cem>National Journal\u003c/em>. In some ways, it's the same concept behind payers' attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to limit their network size, which\u003ca href=\"http://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/0403/0403.narrow_networks.html\" target=\"_blank\"> met with criticism\u003c/a> and helped create \"Any Willing Provider\" laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Could narrow networks be better perceived -- and received -- with better phrasing? Industry consultant Vince Kuraitis thinks so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The very term 'narrow network' creates a negative connotation and doesn't speak to potential benefits,\" \u003ca href=\"http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2013/10/22/in-defense-of-narrow-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-457059\" target=\"_blank\">Kuraitis comments\u003c/a> at The Health Care Blog. But choosing to describe \"the same networks as 'high-performance networks' or 'intelligent networks'... [t]he connotations here are much more positive.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do Providers Want In? It's Complicated.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some hospitals -- initially left out of exchange plans -- are fighting to be included.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Seattle Children's Hospital \u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021968776_acachildrenssuitxml.html\" target=\"_blank\">sued the\u003c/a> state insurance commissioner, which helped \u003ca href=\"http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022143835_acapremeraresponsexml.html\" target=\"_blank\">begin a battle\u003c/a>with a local insurer over whether the facility's rates are too high.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Eleven Kentucky hospitals have filed complaints; so far, the department has ordered Anthem to \u003ca href=\"http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20131124/BUSINESS/311240055/Kynect-policies-concern-eleven-Kentucky-hospitals?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1\" target=\"_blank\">accept applications\u003c/a> from three of those hospitals.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Yet many top facilities are \u003ca href=\"http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2013/10/30/top-hospitals-opt-out-of-obamacare\" target=\"_blank\">choosing to opt out\u003c/a> of exchange plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some doctors are sitting out, too, citing low reimbursement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Presented with contracts that paid up to 30 percent less than traditional rates, \"we said, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense for us,\" Richard Thorp, president of the California Medical Association \u003ca href=\"http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304607104579212450545926912\" target=\"_blank\">told the \u003cem>Wall Street Journal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why? In part, prominent providers' doubts echo the concerns of \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/29/why-californias-obamacare-premiums-are-lower-than-expected/\" target=\"_blank\">Aetna, Cigna \u003c/a>and other insurers that pulled out of the exchanges: The startup uncertainty and potential patient population aren't worth the risk in year one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But hospital executives also are fearful that agreeing to price concessions to play on the exchanges will hamper their efforts to bargain in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"[O]nce you've agreed to low rates for one company, how do you ever negotiate for more with that company or any other company?\" Michael Green, CEO of Concord Hospital, \u003ca href=\"http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/8450204-95/my-turn-heres-why-concord-hospital-opted-out\" target=\"_blank\">wrote in an\u003c/a> op-ed explaining why his hospital wouldn't participate in New Hampshire's exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If the insurers decide to move small groups along with individual to the exchange, you could find that you've put your organization in financial peril,\" Green wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Moving Forward\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every indication is that the narrow network model will become the standard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I don't think there is anything about this trend that is limited to the exchange market,\" Sara Rosenbaum, a health policy professor at George Washington University, \u003ca href=\"http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130817/MAGAZINE/308179921\" target=\"_blank\">told \u003cem>Modern Healthcare\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the meantime, the provider fights -- and still-troubled websites -- mean that there's considerable confusion over which doctors and hospitals will be included in which plans next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Covered California's website, the FAQ encourages consumers to check directories available on the site to see if their doctor is listed. But one practical challenge: That provider directory \u003ca href=\"http://www.cmanet.org/news/detail/?article=covered-ca-still-working-out-kinks-in-provider\" target=\"_blank\">has been glitchy\u003c/a>. Another: Providers may end up negotiating \"right up to the Jan. 1, 2014 starting date,\" Phil Daigle of California Health Benefit Advisers \u003ca href=\"http://www.cahba.com/advice/2013/10/when_will_provider_networks_be.html\" target=\"_blank\">writes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, the dust-up over Covered California's hospitals is a sign of how quickly things can change -- and perhaps the lingering resistance to narrow networks, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this summer's fuss, officials eventually ensured that Cedars-Sinai is \u003ca href=\"http://cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Insurance-Exchanges/Options-for-Purchasing-Individual-Coverage.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">now available\u003c/a> through a few plans on the state's exchange. And so is UCLA, which announced the news with a \u003ca href=\"http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=2895\" target=\"_blank\">banner ad\u003c/a>: \"Covered California now offers a choice U know.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16450/why-narrow-networks-may-not-be-such-a-bad-idea",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_542"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_14038",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16420": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16420",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16420",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1385492104000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1385492104,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Some With Canceled Insurance Happy About New Plans, Price",
"title": "Some With Canceled Insurance Happy About New Plans, Price",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16425\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16425\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-640x479.jpg\" alt=\"Jane Bradford and her family will save more than $400 a month on premiums, she says. (Photo Courtesy of Bradford Family)\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jane Bradford and her family will save more than $400 a month on premiums, she says. (Photo Courtesy of Bradford Family)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Stephanie O'Neill,\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/November/26/california-insurance-cancellations-upside.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"> KPCC and Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barbara Neff of Santa Monica is one of the roughly 1 million Californians who recently got word that their health insurance coverage would be expiring soon. The canceled plans sparked a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/10/29/new-aca-fracas-did-the-white-house-know-people-would-face-insurance-cancellations-obama/\" target=\"_blank\">political firestorm\u003c/a> as people realized President Barack Obama’s promise – “If you like your plan, you can keep it” -- didn’t apply to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Neff, a 46-year-old self-employed writer, isn’t outraged. She’s relieved. Even though she makes too much money to receive a subsidy to buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the policy cancellation was good news for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neff says she's been stuck in a bad plan because treatment for a back problem years ago red-flagged her with a preexisting condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The deductible has ranged anywhere from $3,000 to as high as $5,000, which means I have to spend that much each year before the insurance even kicks in,” she says. “I was rejected [from a more affordable policy] because I'd had a bout of sciatica five years previously that has never returned.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 1, the federal health law prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging more for such preexisting problems. That's opened an array of options for Neff, who has enrolled in a new plan through the Covered California marketplace. Last Thursday, the exchange board \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> that it would not extend canceled policies, rejecting the president’s proposed fix for the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neff’s new policy has a $2,000 deductible and her premium will go up by $24 a month. Under the federal law, she’ll no longer have to pay for preventive care, and she figures that alone will more than make up for the additional premium costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I've been paying for my mammograms out of pocket and that's $400 to $450 per year,” says Neff. “That type of care is 100 percent covered under this new policy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huge deductibles have been the norm for Tim Wilsbach, a 40-year-old TV editor who lives in Culver City with his family. Like Neff, Wilsbach also makes too much to qualify for federal subsidies, so when he received his cancellation notice a few weeks ago, he was worried his premium would go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilsbach has had two plans for his family. The one being canceled is a bare bones policy with an $11,000 deductible that he has for himself and his four-year-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was not a great policy,” he says, “which is essentially why we had a second plan for my wife which we paid a little more for.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilsbach and his wife are planning to have a second baby, so they had bought a policy for her with better coverage and a $5,000 deductible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After getting the cancellation notice, Wilsbach checked out plans on the Covered California website, and he was pleasantly surprised. He found a plan for the whole family that offers broader coverage, a much lower $4,000 deductible and a more affordable monthly premium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our premium went down, not quite 100 bucks, and just looking through what the plan covers versus what used to be covered, yeah, I'm quite happy about it,” Wilsbach says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jane Bradford, 52, is a stay-at-home mom in Pasadena. She’s losing the HMO insurance she has for herself and her three kids, who are 16, 21 and 23. While that policy offers low co-pays for doctor visits and a relatively low $3,000 family deductible, she'll shed no tears to see it go. Bradford says that's because she's found several plans that will cost hundreds less in monthly premiums -- even though her husband's income is too high for the family to qualify for a federal subsidy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan>“Saving possibly $400 or more a month is awesome, so I'm not sad at all,” Bradford says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of this comes as a surprise to Micah Weinberg, a senior researcher at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the anecdotes about people having policies canceled and gigantic increases are real but not representative of what's happening more broadly in the marketplace,” Weinberg says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weinberg predicts many people who are losing their policies will come out ahead -- even if their premiums go up -- because of lower deductibles, full coverage of preventive care and no penalties for preexisting conditions. What’s more, he says, health insurance will almost certainly be cheaper for those who qualify for subsidies -- in California, that's an estimated \u003ca href=\"http://kff.org/report-section/state-by-state-estimates-of-the-number-of-people-eligible-for-premium-tax-credits-under-the-affordable-care-act-table-1/\" target=\"_blank\">1.9 million people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of a partnership that includes \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/news/\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.scpr.org/news/\">\u003cem>Southern California Public Radio\u003c/em>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and Kaiser Health News.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16420 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16420",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/26/some-with-canceled-health-insurance-happy-about-new-plans-price-no-subsidies/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 842,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1385504296,
"excerpt": "Barbara Neff of Santa Monica is one of the roughly 1 million Californians who recently got word that their health insurance coverage would be expiring soon. The canceled plans sparked a political firestorm as people realized President Barack Obama’s promise – “If you like your plan, you can keep it” -- didn’t apply to everyone.\r\n\r\nBut Neff, a 46-year-old self-employed writer, isn’t outraged. She’s relieved. Even though she makes too much money to receive a subsidy to buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the policy cancellation was good news for her.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Barbara Neff of Santa Monica is one of the roughly 1 million Californians who recently got word that their health insurance coverage would be expiring soon. The canceled plans sparked a political firestorm as people realized President Barack Obama’s promise – “If you like your plan, you can keep it” -- didn’t apply to everyone.\r\n\r\nBut Neff, a 46-year-old self-employed writer, isn’t outraged. She’s relieved. Even though she makes too much money to receive a subsidy to buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the policy cancellation was good news for her.",
"title": "Some With Canceled Insurance Happy About New Plans, Price | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Some With Canceled Insurance Happy About New Plans, Price",
"datePublished": "2013-11-26T10:55:04-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-11-26T14:18:16-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "some-with-canceled-health-insurance-happy-about-new-plans-price-no-subsidies",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16420/some-with-canceled-health-insurance-happy-about-new-plans-price-no-subsidies",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16425\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-e1385491811473.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16425\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/family-640x479.jpg\" alt=\"Jane Bradford and her family will save more than $400 a month on premiums, she says. (Photo Courtesy of Bradford Family)\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jane Bradford and her family will save more than $400 a month on premiums, she says. (Photo Courtesy of Bradford Family)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Stephanie O'Neill,\u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/November/26/california-insurance-cancellations-upside.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"> KPCC and Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barbara Neff of Santa Monica is one of the roughly 1 million Californians who recently got word that their health insurance coverage would be expiring soon. The canceled plans sparked a \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/10/29/new-aca-fracas-did-the-white-house-know-people-would-face-insurance-cancellations-obama/\" target=\"_blank\">political firestorm\u003c/a> as people realized President Barack Obama’s promise – “If you like your plan, you can keep it” -- didn’t apply to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Neff, a 46-year-old self-employed writer, isn’t outraged. She’s relieved. Even though she makes too much money to receive a subsidy to buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the policy cancellation was good news for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neff says she's been stuck in a bad plan because treatment for a back problem years ago red-flagged her with a preexisting condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The deductible has ranged anywhere from $3,000 to as high as $5,000, which means I have to spend that much each year before the insurance even kicks in,” she says. “I was rejected [from a more affordable policy] because I'd had a bout of sciatica five years previously that has never returned.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 1, the federal health law prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging more for such preexisting problems. That's opened an array of options for Neff, who has enrolled in a new plan through the Covered California marketplace. Last Thursday, the exchange board \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> that it would not extend canceled policies, rejecting the president’s proposed fix for the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neff’s new policy has a $2,000 deductible and her premium will go up by $24 a month. Under the federal law, she’ll no longer have to pay for preventive care, and she figures that alone will more than make up for the additional premium costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I've been paying for my mammograms out of pocket and that's $400 to $450 per year,” says Neff. “That type of care is 100 percent covered under this new policy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huge deductibles have been the norm for Tim Wilsbach, a 40-year-old TV editor who lives in Culver City with his family. Like Neff, Wilsbach also makes too much to qualify for federal subsidies, so when he received his cancellation notice a few weeks ago, he was worried his premium would go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilsbach has had two plans for his family. The one being canceled is a bare bones policy with an $11,000 deductible that he has for himself and his four-year-old son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was not a great policy,” he says, “which is essentially why we had a second plan for my wife which we paid a little more for.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilsbach and his wife are planning to have a second baby, so they had bought a policy for her with better coverage and a $5,000 deductible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After getting the cancellation notice, Wilsbach checked out plans on the Covered California website, and he was pleasantly surprised. He found a plan for the whole family that offers broader coverage, a much lower $4,000 deductible and a more affordable monthly premium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our premium went down, not quite 100 bucks, and just looking through what the plan covers versus what used to be covered, yeah, I'm quite happy about it,” Wilsbach says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jane Bradford, 52, is a stay-at-home mom in Pasadena. She’s losing the HMO insurance she has for herself and her three kids, who are 16, 21 and 23. While that policy offers low co-pays for doctor visits and a relatively low $3,000 family deductible, she'll shed no tears to see it go. Bradford says that's because she's found several plans that will cost hundreds less in monthly premiums -- even though her husband's income is too high for the family to qualify for a federal subsidy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan>“Saving possibly $400 or more a month is awesome, so I'm not sad at all,” Bradford says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of this comes as a surprise to Micah Weinberg, a senior researcher at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the anecdotes about people having policies canceled and gigantic increases are real but not representative of what's happening more broadly in the marketplace,” Weinberg says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Weinberg predicts many people who are losing their policies will come out ahead -- even if their premiums go up -- because of lower deductibles, full coverage of preventive care and no penalties for preexisting conditions. What’s more, he says, health insurance will almost certainly be cheaper for those who qualify for subsidies -- in California, that's an estimated \u003ca href=\"http://kff.org/report-section/state-by-state-estimates-of-the-number-of-people-eligible-for-premium-tax-credits-under-the-affordable-care-act-table-1/\" target=\"_blank\">1.9 million people\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of a partnership that includes \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/news/\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>, \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.scpr.org/news/\">\u003cem>Southern California Public Radio\u003c/em>\u003cem>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and Kaiser Health News.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16420/some-with-canceled-health-insurance-happy-about-new-plans-price-no-subsidies",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_659"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16425",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16361": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16361",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16361",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1385160972000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1385160972,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Canceled Insurance? Pre-ACA Plans Still Available, Could Save You Money",
"title": "Canceled Insurance? Pre-ACA Plans Still Available, Could Save You Money",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16366\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/161827239-e1385160827791.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16366\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/161827239-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some Californians whose policies have been canceled are finding relief in a surprising place: from insurance companies that aren't offering plans on the Covered California marketplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Aetna announced it would bow out of the state's individual market — effective Dec. 31. Cigna is staying, but is not offering any products on the exchange. Right now, both companies are accepting new customers into pre-ACA plans. Aetna plans are \u003ca href=\"https://www51.aetna.com/iqs/costco/aimquote.do\" target=\"_blank\">available to Costco members only\u003c/a> until Dec. 15; Cigna is offering pre-ACA plans through Dec. 23.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anne Gonzales, a Covered California spokeswoman, confirmed that a carrier not offering plans on Covered California \"could offer a non-compliant plan through 12/31/2013 but it would need to become compliant when it renews next year.\" So, consumers can enroll now, but when the policy comes up for renewal in 12 months, the plans would need to come into compliance with the ACA -- and premiums would almost certainly go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason Andrew, CEO of \u003ca href=\"http://www.smbinsure.com\" target=\"_blank\">Stone Meadow Benefits\u003c/a> in Redwood City, says he has \"tons of letters on my desk\" from clients who have received notice that their policies were canceled. The policies they have been offered are \"all more expensive and not as good of coverage,\" he says.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Andrew's clients is Mary McEvoy Carroll of Menlo Park. Carroll, 61, had been paying $375 per month for a Health Net plan, with a $4,000 deductible, which is now being canceled. Her new ACA-compliant options ranged from $625 to $761 per month for a bronze plan. Andrew helped Carroll sign up for a Cigna plan, and her new premium is $553 per month, with a $4,900 deductible. Andrew says this plan covers \"annual wellness and preventive at 100 percent just like ACA compliant plans\" and has \"no less coverage overall.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carroll says she had supported the ACA, and tries \"to be a good person, but 'this is for the greater good philosophy' is hard to swallow when it has a large personal impact.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But buyer beware -- Andrew says that Cigna will likely have a rate increase in early 2014. In California, no regulatory agency has\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2012/02/27/proposed-ballot-measure-seeks-tougher-health-insurance-rate-regulation/\" target=\"_blank\"> the authority to reject rate increases.\u003c/a> ACA-compliant plans can only change rates once a year. For consumers buying plans now on Covered California, their rates are guaranteed for all of 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">[\u003cstrong>Related:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED's Guide to the ACA -- Just for Californians\u003c/a>]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, pre-ACA plans are all subject to medical underwriting, a practice no longer permitted under the Affordable Care Act, starting Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carroll called the underwriting process \"irritating and time consuming.\" She said she needed to dig up all her health records from the last 10 years, \"then you get a phone call and you are asked ridiculous questions. I use a prescription cream for reduction of facial hair. It's not covered by insurance, but you have to admit to it.\" The nurse who had called Carroll asked if she'd every had psychiatric counseling for the condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Can you imagine? 'Doctor, doctor, my facial hair is worrying me?\" Carroll said with an astonished laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Check If You Are Eligible for Subsidy First\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 900,000 Californians have had their policies canceled because they do not comply with the health benefits required by the ACA. On Thursday, the Covered California board \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> that the cancellations will stand, no extensions will be permitted, as President \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/insurance-canceled-obama-now-says-companies-can-offer-renewals-obamacare-aca/\" target=\"_blank\">Obama had requested\u003c/a> last week. Canceled policies will terminate on Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of those 900,000 people, about one-third of them are eligible for subsidies. People can determine if they are eligible for a subsidy in seconds using \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/shopandcompare/#calculator\" target=\"_blank\">a calculator\u003c/a> on the Covered California website. \"If you're subsidy-eligible,\" said Andrew, \"you're really going to benefit by enrolling in the exchange.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, about half of the remaining 600,000 people have so-called \"skinny\" coverage and would likely benefit by enrolling in an ACA-compliant plan. Leesa Tori, senior advisor to Covered California, told the board on Thursday the story of a frustrated consumer whose premiums were doubling. It turned out that his coverage was so limited he \"was not really insured against the financial strain\" of an accident of a serious diagnosis. After crunching the numbers, the consumer will actually pay about the same in premiums as he is paying now in total costs and get better coverage, Tori said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you're in the ACA 1 percent — that's how many Californians have had their policies canceled and will pay more for comparable coverage — you might want to investigate these other options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>This post has been updated: While Cigna is not participating in the Covered California marketplace, the carrier is remaining in the California individual market after Dec. 31, 2013.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16361 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16361",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/canceled-insurance-some-pre-aca-plans-still-available-in-california-possibly-saving-you-money/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 806,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 18
},
"modified": 1386115655,
"excerpt": "Some Californians whose policies have been canceled are finding relief in a surprising place: from insurance companies that are leaving California.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, Cigna and Aetna both announced they would bow out of the state -- effective Dec. 31. But right now, both companies are writing new policies, with the caveat that Aetna plans are available to Costco members only.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Some Californians whose policies have been canceled are finding relief in a surprising place: from insurance companies that are leaving California.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, Cigna and Aetna both announced they would bow out of the state -- effective Dec. 31. But right now, both companies are writing new policies, with the caveat that Aetna plans are available to Costco members only.",
"title": "Canceled Insurance? Pre-ACA Plans Still Available, Could Save You Money | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Canceled Insurance? Pre-ACA Plans Still Available, Could Save You Money",
"datePublished": "2013-11-22T14:56:12-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-12-03T16:07:35-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "canceled-insurance-some-pre-aca-plans-still-available-in-california-possibly-saving-you-money",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16361/canceled-insurance-some-pre-aca-plans-still-available-in-california-possibly-saving-you-money",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16366\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/161827239-e1385160827791.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16366\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/161827239-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some Californians whose policies have been canceled are finding relief in a surprising place: from insurance companies that aren't offering plans on the Covered California marketplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, Aetna announced it would bow out of the state's individual market — effective Dec. 31. Cigna is staying, but is not offering any products on the exchange. Right now, both companies are accepting new customers into pre-ACA plans. Aetna plans are \u003ca href=\"https://www51.aetna.com/iqs/costco/aimquote.do\" target=\"_blank\">available to Costco members only\u003c/a> until Dec. 15; Cigna is offering pre-ACA plans through Dec. 23.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anne Gonzales, a Covered California spokeswoman, confirmed that a carrier not offering plans on Covered California \"could offer a non-compliant plan through 12/31/2013 but it would need to become compliant when it renews next year.\" So, consumers can enroll now, but when the policy comes up for renewal in 12 months, the plans would need to come into compliance with the ACA -- and premiums would almost certainly go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jason Andrew, CEO of \u003ca href=\"http://www.smbinsure.com\" target=\"_blank\">Stone Meadow Benefits\u003c/a> in Redwood City, says he has \"tons of letters on my desk\" from clients who have received notice that their policies were canceled. The policies they have been offered are \"all more expensive and not as good of coverage,\" he says.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Andrew's clients is Mary McEvoy Carroll of Menlo Park. Carroll, 61, had been paying $375 per month for a Health Net plan, with a $4,000 deductible, which is now being canceled. Her new ACA-compliant options ranged from $625 to $761 per month for a bronze plan. Andrew helped Carroll sign up for a Cigna plan, and her new premium is $553 per month, with a $4,900 deductible. Andrew says this plan covers \"annual wellness and preventive at 100 percent just like ACA compliant plans\" and has \"no less coverage overall.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carroll says she had supported the ACA, and tries \"to be a good person, but 'this is for the greater good philosophy' is hard to swallow when it has a large personal impact.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But buyer beware -- Andrew says that Cigna will likely have a rate increase in early 2014. In California, no regulatory agency has\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2012/02/27/proposed-ballot-measure-seeks-tougher-health-insurance-rate-regulation/\" target=\"_blank\"> the authority to reject rate increases.\u003c/a> ACA-compliant plans can only change rates once a year. For consumers buying plans now on Covered California, their rates are guaranteed for all of 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">[\u003cstrong>Related:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" target=\"_blank\">KQED's Guide to the ACA -- Just for Californians\u003c/a>]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, pre-ACA plans are all subject to medical underwriting, a practice no longer permitted under the Affordable Care Act, starting Jan. 1.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carroll called the underwriting process \"irritating and time consuming.\" She said she needed to dig up all her health records from the last 10 years, \"then you get a phone call and you are asked ridiculous questions. I use a prescription cream for reduction of facial hair. It's not covered by insurance, but you have to admit to it.\" The nurse who had called Carroll asked if she'd every had psychiatric counseling for the condition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Can you imagine? 'Doctor, doctor, my facial hair is worrying me?\" Carroll said with an astonished laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Check If You Are Eligible for Subsidy First\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 900,000 Californians have had their policies canceled because they do not comply with the health benefits required by the ACA. On Thursday, the Covered California board \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/\" target=\"_blank\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> that the cancellations will stand, no extensions will be permitted, as President \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/insurance-canceled-obama-now-says-companies-can-offer-renewals-obamacare-aca/\" target=\"_blank\">Obama had requested\u003c/a> last week. Canceled policies will terminate on Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of those 900,000 people, about one-third of them are eligible for subsidies. People can determine if they are eligible for a subsidy in seconds using \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/shopandcompare/#calculator\" target=\"_blank\">a calculator\u003c/a> on the Covered California website. \"If you're subsidy-eligible,\" said Andrew, \"you're really going to benefit by enrolling in the exchange.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, about half of the remaining 600,000 people have so-called \"skinny\" coverage and would likely benefit by enrolling in an ACA-compliant plan. Leesa Tori, senior advisor to Covered California, told the board on Thursday the story of a frustrated consumer whose premiums were doubling. It turned out that his coverage was so limited he \"was not really insured against the financial strain\" of an accident of a serious diagnosis. After crunching the numbers, the consumer will actually pay about the same in premiums as he is paying now in total costs and get better coverage, Tori said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you're in the ACA 1 percent — that's how many Californians have had their policies canceled and will pay more for comparable coverage — you might want to investigate these other options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>This post has been updated: While Cigna is not participating in the Covered California marketplace, the carrier is remaining in the California individual market after Dec. 31, 2013.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16361/canceled-insurance-some-pre-aca-plans-still-available-in-california-possibly-saving-you-money",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_659"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_14103",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16349": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16349",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16349",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1385142413000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1385142413,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Both Young and Old Signing Up for Covered California",
"title": "Both Young and Old Signing Up for Covered California",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16356\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/187909355-e1385142271347.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16356\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/187909355-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said he is pleased with the number of young people who have enrolled so far. (Max Whitaker/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said he is pleased with the number of young people who have enrolled so far. (Max Whitaker/Getty Images) \u003ccite>(Max Whitaker/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Sarah Varney and Anna Gorman\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/November/22/analysis-covered-california-enrollment-demographics.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a state considered crucial to the success of Obamacare, older people have enrolled in California’s new health insurance marketplace in large numbers as expected, but younger people also have showed up in force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 56 percent of Californians who signed up for coverage in October are over 45 and nearly 23 percent of the enrollees are between 18 and 34 years old, according to data released Thursday at the Covered California board meeting in Sacramento. The older enrollees make up a higher percentage than in the state’s total population, while the proportion of younger consumers more or less matches their makeup statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Policymakers and health officials around the nation are closely watching California, which has nearly 7 million uninsured and the highest number of people enrolled in new coverage of any state. In the first month of the law, California consumers made up about one-third of enrollees nationwide. As of Nov. 19, nearly 80,000 people had signed up. California runs its own health insurance exchange and website and is not part of the troubled federal site.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Executive Director Peter Lee said he was pleased that young people were already enrolling because that bodes well for premiums in 2015. “Our sustainability in the long term is about having a good risk mix,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps even more important than age, however, will be how healthy or unhealthy the enrollees are. Those who are sick are more motivated to sign up early because they may have imminent health needs and may have been locked out of the insurance market, researchers said. They are willing to put up with application problems -- online and in person -- months before they will see any actual benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a whole group of people who would like to get into health insurance who have been held at bay,” said Deborah Chollet, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research. “It has been an unfriendly market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Affordable Care Act does not allow insurers to reject people with preexisting conditions. The health status of the state's new enrollees won’t become clear until insurance companies start seeing claims next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jesse Crall, 23, has been uninsured since he graduated from UCLA last year. Though he is otherwise healthy, Crall has depression and attention deficit disorder. Each month, he pays $760 for therapy and $300 for medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went online to sign up immediately, though he had to send additional paperwork before his application could be processed. “I want this to go into effect as soon as possible,” said Crall, who lives in Hollywood. “I need a plan that cuts these costs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Meeting The Latino Need\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data released Thursday highlighted one steep challenge for California officials: It showed a poor turnout among Spanish-speaking consumers. Just 3 percent of those signed up in October spoke primarily Spanish, compared to about 29 percent in the state's population. That is expected to increase over time, Lee said, because more than half of the enrollment counselors speak Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advertisements for the marketplace are also running in Spanish, there is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/espanol/\" target=\"_blank\">Spanish-language version\u003c/a> of the marketplace website and several advocacy groups are doing outreach and education in Latino communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Latinos, who make up about 60 percent of the uninsured in the state, may be slower to apply because of the delay in getting enough Spanish-speaking enrollment counselors certified or because of a lack of education about the law, advocates said. Maria Lemus, executive director of Vision y Compromiso, an organization of Latino community health workers, agreed with Lee that more Latinos will enroll over time. But many of them still don’t know what options are available, and they often need one-on-one help signing up for insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can educate and inform and get them to the door or to the website, but moving them through the system is a different process,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marian Mulkey, who leads health reform research at the California HealthCare Foundation, said California officials should, however, be concerned. Latinos, she said, are a “pretty big part of the target population”.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pent-Up Demand For Coverage\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Horn, a 60-year-old self-employed graphic artist in Orange County, is among the more expected sort of enrollees: an older person with health problems. Horn and others like him represent the pent-up demand in the market of people who have been shut out of buying health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has a long list of health issues, including acid reflux, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and high blood pressure. He takes about 18 pills each day, and many of his prescriptions will run out in January. He has been denied coverage in the past but now pays about $500 a month for insurance through a special program for people with preexisting illnesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Horn, 60, went onto the website on Oct. 1 but got an error message when he tried to enroll. He spent weeks trying to sign up online and over the phone before the application finally went through this week. His new plan under Covered California will cost $74 a month – a dramatic savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am definitely eager and anxious,” he said. Horn said he can’t afford to pay his last two months of premiums and has already made medical appointments for January, when his new coverage begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health advocates said they plan to use the demographics data as a guidepost to see where outreach is working and where more is needed. They also urged against drawing too many conclusions from the numbers, saying that Californians still have more than four months left to sign up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The first inning of a baseball game rarely tells you what the final score is going to be,\" said Anthony Wright, executive director of the consumer group Health Access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is too soon to know whether the state will have the right mix of young and old, healthy and unhealthy to make the marketplace financially viable, researchers said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s still really the early days,” Mulkey said of the California HealthCare Foundation. “There is a long time before this is all done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news organization covering health care policy and politics. It is an editorially independent program of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kff.org/\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Kaiser Family Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16349 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16349",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/22/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1120,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 28
},
"modified": 1385148405,
"excerpt": "In a state considered crucial to the success of Obamacare, older people have enrolled in California’s new health insurance marketplace in large numbers as expected, but younger people also have showed up in force.\r\n\r\nAbout 56 percent of Californians who signed up for coverage in October are over 45 and nearly 23 percent of the enrollees are between 18 and 34 years old, according to data released Thursday at the Covered California board meeting in Sacramento. The older enrollees make up a higher percentage than in the state’s total population, while the proportion of younger consumers more or less matches their makeup statewide.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "In a state considered crucial to the success of Obamacare, older people have enrolled in California’s new health insurance marketplace in large numbers as expected, but younger people also have showed up in force.\r\n\r\nAbout 56 percent of Californians who signed up for coverage in October are over 45 and nearly 23 percent of the enrollees are between 18 and 34 years old, according to data released Thursday at the Covered California board meeting in Sacramento. The older enrollees make up a higher percentage than in the state’s total population, while the proportion of younger consumers more or less matches their makeup statewide.",
"title": "Both Young and Old Signing Up for Covered California | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Both Young and Old Signing Up for Covered California",
"datePublished": "2013-11-22T09:46:53-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-11-22T11:26:45-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16349/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_16356\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/187909355-e1385142271347.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-16356\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/11/187909355-640x426.jpg\" alt=\"Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said he is pleased with the number of young people who have enrolled so far. (Max Whitaker/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said he is pleased with the number of young people who have enrolled so far. (Max Whitaker/Getty Images) \u003ccite>(Max Whitaker/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Sarah Varney and Anna Gorman\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/November/22/analysis-covered-california-enrollment-demographics.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Kaiser Health News\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a state considered crucial to the success of Obamacare, older people have enrolled in California’s new health insurance marketplace in large numbers as expected, but younger people also have showed up in force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 56 percent of Californians who signed up for coverage in October are over 45 and nearly 23 percent of the enrollees are between 18 and 34 years old, according to data released Thursday at the Covered California board meeting in Sacramento. The older enrollees make up a higher percentage than in the state’s total population, while the proportion of younger consumers more or less matches their makeup statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Policymakers and health officials around the nation are closely watching California, which has nearly 7 million uninsured and the highest number of people enrolled in new coverage of any state. In the first month of the law, California consumers made up about one-third of enrollees nationwide. As of Nov. 19, nearly 80,000 people had signed up. California runs its own health insurance exchange and website and is not part of the troubled federal site.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Executive Director Peter Lee said he was pleased that young people were already enrolling because that bodes well for premiums in 2015. “Our sustainability in the long term is about having a good risk mix,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps even more important than age, however, will be how healthy or unhealthy the enrollees are. Those who are sick are more motivated to sign up early because they may have imminent health needs and may have been locked out of the insurance market, researchers said. They are willing to put up with application problems -- online and in person -- months before they will see any actual benefit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a whole group of people who would like to get into health insurance who have been held at bay,” said Deborah Chollet, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research. “It has been an unfriendly market.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Affordable Care Act does not allow insurers to reject people with preexisting conditions. The health status of the state's new enrollees won’t become clear until insurance companies start seeing claims next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jesse Crall, 23, has been uninsured since he graduated from UCLA last year. Though he is otherwise healthy, Crall has depression and attention deficit disorder. Each month, he pays $760 for therapy and $300 for medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went online to sign up immediately, though he had to send additional paperwork before his application could be processed. “I want this to go into effect as soon as possible,” said Crall, who lives in Hollywood. “I need a plan that cuts these costs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Meeting The Latino Need\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data released Thursday highlighted one steep challenge for California officials: It showed a poor turnout among Spanish-speaking consumers. Just 3 percent of those signed up in October spoke primarily Spanish, compared to about 29 percent in the state's population. That is expected to increase over time, Lee said, because more than half of the enrollment counselors speak Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advertisements for the marketplace are also running in Spanish, there is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/espanol/\" target=\"_blank\">Spanish-language version\u003c/a> of the marketplace website and several advocacy groups are doing outreach and education in Latino communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Latinos, who make up about 60 percent of the uninsured in the state, may be slower to apply because of the delay in getting enough Spanish-speaking enrollment counselors certified or because of a lack of education about the law, advocates said. Maria Lemus, executive director of Vision y Compromiso, an organization of Latino community health workers, agreed with Lee that more Latinos will enroll over time. But many of them still don’t know what options are available, and they often need one-on-one help signing up for insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can educate and inform and get them to the door or to the website, but moving them through the system is a different process,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marian Mulkey, who leads health reform research at the California HealthCare Foundation, said California officials should, however, be concerned. Latinos, she said, are a “pretty big part of the target population”.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pent-Up Demand For Coverage\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Horn, a 60-year-old self-employed graphic artist in Orange County, is among the more expected sort of enrollees: an older person with health problems. Horn and others like him represent the pent-up demand in the market of people who have been shut out of buying health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has a long list of health issues, including acid reflux, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and high blood pressure. He takes about 18 pills each day, and many of his prescriptions will run out in January. He has been denied coverage in the past but now pays about $500 a month for insurance through a special program for people with preexisting illnesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Horn, 60, went onto the website on Oct. 1 but got an error message when he tried to enroll. He spent weeks trying to sign up online and over the phone before the application finally went through this week. His new plan under Covered California will cost $74 a month – a dramatic savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am definitely eager and anxious,” he said. Horn said he can’t afford to pay his last two months of premiums and has already made medical appointments for January, when his new coverage begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health advocates said they plan to use the demographics data as a guidepost to see where outreach is working and where more is needed. They also urged against drawing too many conclusions from the numbers, saying that Californians still have more than four months left to sign up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The first inning of a baseball game rarely tells you what the final score is going to be,\" said Anthony Wright, executive director of the consumer group Health Access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is too soon to know whether the state will have the right mix of young and old, healthy and unhealthy to make the marketplace financially viable, researchers said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s still really the early days,” Mulkey said of the California HealthCare Foundation. “There is a long time before this is all done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news organization covering health care policy and politics. It is an editorially independent program of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kff.org/\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Kaiser Family Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16349/both-young-and-old-signing-up-for-covered-california",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_368"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_16359",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_16332": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_16332",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16332",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1385073648000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1385073648,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Californians With Canceled Policies Cannot Renew",
"title": "Californians With Canceled Policies Cannot Renew",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_15508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-15508\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot from CoveredCA.com, the website of Covered California.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from CoveredCA.com, the website of Covered California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After long discussion, the board of Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace, voted unanimously Thursday to stay the course and phase out plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act by Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board's decision comes a week after \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/insurance-canceled-obama-now-says-companies-can-offer-renewals-obamacare-aca/\" target=\"_blank\">President Obama said\u003c/a> states should consider allowing consumers whose plans were canceled to renew them through 2014. Dave Jones, California's insurance commissioner, said \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/can-you-renew-your-health-insurance-policy-nobody-knows-yet-obamacare-covered-california/#more-16232\">he agreed\u003c/a> with the president's request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But ultimately the authority to permit renewals rested with the board –- because of the contracts insurers have with Covered California. The board weighed whether to release carriers from the provision requiring them to phase out plans that do not have the benefits required by the ACA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board had three options before it: permit no renewals; permit consumers to renew through Mar. 31, 2014; or permit renewals through Dec. 31, 2014. In a \u003ca href=\"http://www.healthexchange.ca.gov/BoardMeetings/Documents/November%2021,%202013/PPT%20-%20CCIIO%20Transition%20Policy.pdf\">detailed analysis\u003c/a> (definitely worth a read), Leesa Tori, senior advisor to Covered California laid out the pros and cons of each, but there was no clear best option. “If we (allow extensions), are we making more of a mess or are we actually helping?” she said.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numerous consumer advocates and a representative from the California Association of Health Plans spoke in favor of sticking with the original Dec. 31 deadline. While acknowledging that many consumers face dramatic premium increases, many people who addressed the board said that they worried more about adding confusion to an already tumultuous change in the individual health insurance marketplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even Diana Dooley, secretary of California Health and Human Services and member of the board, said she came into the meeting believing she would vote for the three-month extension, out of concern for people whose premiums were going up. \"They are Americans, too, and they are Californians, too, and we have an obligation to smooth the edges and lengthen the runway to make smoother landings.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But ultimately she said she was \"persuaded by testimony and the staff's analysis.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That analysis included the first estimates of how many Californians whose policies were cancelled are seeing rate increases. To walk through the numbers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>38 million people live in California\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>5.5 million people are uninsured\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2 million people are insured on the individual market -- that's about 6 percent of Californians\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About 900,000 people have had their policies canceled because they do not comply with the ACA\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Of those people with canceled policies, 590,000 are not eligible for subsidies\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About half of those -- 295,000 -- have \"thin\" insurance and, even though they're paying more, will receive more comprehensive coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Leaving another 295,000 -- or less than 1 percent of Californians -- paying more, sometimes much more, for roughly comparable coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In addition, of those with canceled policies 300,000 of them are eligible for subsidies. One of the drawbacks of allowing renewals was a concern that these people might miss out on the financial help. Even if people could renew, they would likely see a rate increase on their existing policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roughly 5.5 million Californians are uninsured and stand to gain access to health insurance through Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Darcel Lee, executive director of the California Black Health Network was satisfied the board made the best decision it could. “The board negotiated rates with the plans, all of the details of the plans, months ago,” she said. “To now stop and go backwards, I don’t think that’s what the consumers were looking for. We want to go forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Insurance Commissioner Jones, a longtime supporter of the ACA, said he was “disappointed” in the board’s decision. “Allowing existing policyholders to keep their health insurance for the duration of 2014 will not undermine the implementation of the ACA, but rather will give consumers more time to figure out what makes sense for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Enrollment Surging\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consideration of extending policies came against a backdrop of surging enrollment in the Covered California marketplace. As of Nov. 19, nearly 80,000 Californians had completed applications and selected a health plan – the agency’s marker for being formally enrolled. In addition, more than 10,000 Californians per day are now completing applications – although they have not yet selected a health plan. These applications include many people who are eligible for Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Consumer Help\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California staff asked the board to approve several items aimed at helping consumers whose policies were cancelled and are now facing rate increases. These measures include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A slightly later enrollment deadline, Dec. 23 and a later deadline to make the first premium payment, Jan. 5, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A dedicated hotline for people who are seeing premium increases to help them understand all their options\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An additional mailing explaining people’s insurance options on the Covered California marketplace.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Advocates have been worried that some people were receiving mailed notices of cancellation and, in the same mailing, information about the new plan their carrier would enroll them in. Covered California wants to be sure people are aware of all their options. “That special customer service line” can help people compare apples to apples, Tori said. “We want people to understand that value proposition and understand what they’re getting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 14px\">Original Post:\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SACRAMENTO (AP) -- The board overseeing California's health insurance exchange has voted to stick with its current approach of phasing out by year's end health insurance policies that do not meet current benefit requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Covered California Board of Directors voted 5-0 Thursday to hold steady on its current approach, defying President Barack Obama's recent flip on one crucial aspect of the Affordable Care Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state insurance commissioner had said that 1.1 million Californians are receiving notices that their current individual health insurance policies will be discontinued in 2014 because they do not meet the benefit requirements of the federal health care overhaul.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That has angered some policy holders, many of whom will see their monthly premiums and deductibles rise sharply with the new plans being offered. It also flies in the face of promises Obama made repeatedly when he said people who liked their current health insurance policies could keep them under his health insurance reforms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The president has since backtracked and has asked states to allow insurance companies to extend those older policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many insurance companies oppose that, saying doing so would undermine the new markets being set up under Obama's law. They also said they did not have enough time to rebuild policies they already had discontinued.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "16332 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=16332",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/21/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1128,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 26
},
"modified": 1385250986,
"excerpt": "The board overseeing California's health insurance exchange has voted to stick with its current approach of phasing out by year's end health insurance policies that do not meet current benefit requirements.\r\n\r\nThe Covered California Board of Directors voted 5-0 Thursday to hold steady on its current approach, defying President Barack Obama's recent flip on one crucial aspect of the Affordable Care Act.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The board overseeing California's health insurance exchange has voted to stick with its current approach of phasing out by year's end health insurance policies that do not meet current benefit requirements.\r\n\r\nThe Covered California Board of Directors voted 5-0 Thursday to hold steady on its current approach, defying President Barack Obama's recent flip on one crucial aspect of the Affordable Care Act.",
"title": "Californians With Canceled Policies Cannot Renew | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Californians With Canceled Policies Cannot Renew",
"datePublished": "2013-11-21T14:40:48-08:00",
"dateModified": "2013-11-23T15:56:26-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/16332/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_15508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-15508\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot from CoveredCA.com, the website of Covered California.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-400x225.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/10/coveredca-320x180.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot from CoveredCA.com, the website of Covered California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After long discussion, the board of Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace, voted unanimously Thursday to stay the course and phase out plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act by Dec. 31.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board's decision comes a week after \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/insurance-canceled-obama-now-says-companies-can-offer-renewals-obamacare-aca/\" target=\"_blank\">President Obama said\u003c/a> states should consider allowing consumers whose plans were canceled to renew them through 2014. Dave Jones, California's insurance commissioner, said \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/11/14/can-you-renew-your-health-insurance-policy-nobody-knows-yet-obamacare-covered-california/#more-16232\">he agreed\u003c/a> with the president's request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But ultimately the authority to permit renewals rested with the board –- because of the contracts insurers have with Covered California. The board weighed whether to release carriers from the provision requiring them to phase out plans that do not have the benefits required by the ACA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board had three options before it: permit no renewals; permit consumers to renew through Mar. 31, 2014; or permit renewals through Dec. 31, 2014. In a \u003ca href=\"http://www.healthexchange.ca.gov/BoardMeetings/Documents/November%2021,%202013/PPT%20-%20CCIIO%20Transition%20Policy.pdf\">detailed analysis\u003c/a> (definitely worth a read), Leesa Tori, senior advisor to Covered California laid out the pros and cons of each, but there was no clear best option. “If we (allow extensions), are we making more of a mess or are we actually helping?” she said.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numerous consumer advocates and a representative from the California Association of Health Plans spoke in favor of sticking with the original Dec. 31 deadline. While acknowledging that many consumers face dramatic premium increases, many people who addressed the board said that they worried more about adding confusion to an already tumultuous change in the individual health insurance marketplace.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even Diana Dooley, secretary of California Health and Human Services and member of the board, said she came into the meeting believing she would vote for the three-month extension, out of concern for people whose premiums were going up. \"They are Americans, too, and they are Californians, too, and we have an obligation to smooth the edges and lengthen the runway to make smoother landings.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But ultimately she said she was \"persuaded by testimony and the staff's analysis.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That analysis included the first estimates of how many Californians whose policies were cancelled are seeing rate increases. To walk through the numbers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>38 million people live in California\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>5.5 million people are uninsured\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2 million people are insured on the individual market -- that's about 6 percent of Californians\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About 900,000 people have had their policies canceled because they do not comply with the ACA\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Of those people with canceled policies, 590,000 are not eligible for subsidies\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>About half of those -- 295,000 -- have \"thin\" insurance and, even though they're paying more, will receive more comprehensive coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Leaving another 295,000 -- or less than 1 percent of Californians -- paying more, sometimes much more, for roughly comparable coverage\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In addition, of those with canceled policies 300,000 of them are eligible for subsidies. One of the drawbacks of allowing renewals was a concern that these people might miss out on the financial help. Even if people could renew, they would likely see a rate increase on their existing policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roughly 5.5 million Californians are uninsured and stand to gain access to health insurance through Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Darcel Lee, executive director of the California Black Health Network was satisfied the board made the best decision it could. “The board negotiated rates with the plans, all of the details of the plans, months ago,” she said. “To now stop and go backwards, I don’t think that’s what the consumers were looking for. We want to go forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Insurance Commissioner Jones, a longtime supporter of the ACA, said he was “disappointed” in the board’s decision. “Allowing existing policyholders to keep their health insurance for the duration of 2014 will not undermine the implementation of the ACA, but rather will give consumers more time to figure out what makes sense for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Enrollment Surging\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consideration of extending policies came against a backdrop of surging enrollment in the Covered California marketplace. As of Nov. 19, nearly 80,000 Californians had completed applications and selected a health plan – the agency’s marker for being formally enrolled. In addition, more than 10,000 Californians per day are now completing applications – although they have not yet selected a health plan. These applications include many people who are eligible for Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>New Consumer Help\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California staff asked the board to approve several items aimed at helping consumers whose policies were cancelled and are now facing rate increases. These measures include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A slightly later enrollment deadline, Dec. 23 and a later deadline to make the first premium payment, Jan. 5, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A dedicated hotline for people who are seeing premium increases to help them understand all their options\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>An additional mailing explaining people’s insurance options on the Covered California marketplace.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Advocates have been worried that some people were receiving mailed notices of cancellation and, in the same mailing, information about the new plan their carrier would enroll them in. Covered California wants to be sure people are aware of all their options. “That special customer service line” can help people compare apples to apples, Tori said. “We want people to understand that value proposition and understand what they’re getting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 14px\">Original Post:\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SACRAMENTO (AP) -- The board overseeing California's health insurance exchange has voted to stick with its current approach of phasing out by year's end health insurance policies that do not meet current benefit requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Covered California Board of Directors voted 5-0 Thursday to hold steady on its current approach, defying President Barack Obama's recent flip on one crucial aspect of the Affordable Care Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state insurance commissioner had said that 1.1 million Californians are receiving notices that their current individual health insurance policies will be discontinued in 2014 because they do not meet the benefit requirements of the federal health care overhaul.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That has angered some policy holders, many of whom will see their monthly premiums and deductibles rise sharply with the new plans being offered. It also flies in the face of promises Obama made repeatedly when he said people who liked their current health insurance policies could keep them under his health insurance reforms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The president has since backtracked and has asked states to allow insurance companies to extend those older policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many insurance companies oppose that, saying doing so would undermine the new markets being set up under Obama's law. They also said they did not have enough time to rebuild policies they already had discontinued.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/16332/californians-with-canceled-policies-cannot-renew-says-covered-california-board",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_15"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_38",
"stateofhealth_368",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_15508",
"label": "stateofhealth"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"racesGeneralEl2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/stateofhealth?category=reform": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 240,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 450,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"stateofhealth_16615",
"stateofhealth_16598",
"stateofhealth_16578",
"stateofhealth_16564",
"stateofhealth_16553",
"stateofhealth_16516",
"stateofhealth_16490",
"stateofhealth_16450",
"stateofhealth_16420",
"stateofhealth_16361",
"stateofhealth_16349",
"stateofhealth_16332"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth_category_reform": {
"isLoading": true
},
"stateofhealth_15": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_15",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "15",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Obamacare",
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President? \r\n",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President?",
"title": "Obamacare Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 15,
"slug": "reform",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/reform"
},
"stateofhealth_261": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_261",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "261",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health Insurance Premiums",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Insurance Premiums Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 261,
"slug": "health-insurance-premiums",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-insurance-premiums"
},
"stateofhealth_294": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_294",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "294",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "ACA",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "ACA Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 295,
"slug": "aca",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/aca"
},
"stateofhealth_368": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_368",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "368",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Covered California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Covered California Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 369,
"slug": "covered-california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/covered-california"
},
"stateofhealth_674": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_674",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "674",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Obamacare FAQ",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Obamacare FAQ Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 675,
"slug": "obamacare-faq",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/obamacare-faq"
},
"stateofhealth_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Affordable Care Act",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Affordable Care Act Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 38,
"slug": "affordable-care-act",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/affordable-care-act"
},
"stateofhealth_28": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_28",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "28",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "health insurance",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "health insurance Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28,
"slug": "health-insurance",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-insurance"
},
"stateofhealth_99": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_99",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "99",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Medi-Cal",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Medi-Cal Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 99,
"slug": "medi-cal",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/medi-cal"
},
"stateofhealth_218": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_218",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "218",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Medicaid",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Medicaid Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 218,
"slug": "medicaid",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/medicaid"
},
"stateofhealth_542": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_542",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "542",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health Insurance Cost",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Insurance Cost Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 543,
"slug": "health-insurance-cost",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-insurance-cost"
},
"stateofhealth_659": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_659",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "659",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health Insurance Cancellations",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Insurance Cancellations Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 660,
"slug": "health-insurance-cancellations",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-insurance-cancellations"
},
"stateofhealth_461": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_461",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "461",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 462,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/science"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
"notFound": []
},
"navPromosReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": true,
"promos": {
"news": {
"name": "2026 Voter Guide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"imageURL": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Nav-News-Nov2026ElectionCoverage@2x-7bd4aad4.png",
"description": "Get informed in minutes with our Voter Guide for California’s November 3 election."
},
"podcasts-radio": {},
"video-tv": {},
"events": {},
"support": {}
}
}
}
