In its advertising, Covered California often played up the benefits of Obamacare, such as guaranteed coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions and access to checkups and mammograms.
A five-state study of Obamacare health insurance exchanges finds California’s to be the “most successful” of the group. Researchers say the state’s experience may provide valuable lessons to lawmakers in Congress seeking to “repeal and replace” the federal health reform law.
California’s exchange, Covered California, has succeeded in large part because of its ability to retain a “relatively large” number of insurers compared with other states, according to the study, sponsored by The Brookings Institution.
Officials also boosted the fortunes of the exchange by aggressively negotiating premiums with insurers and imposing conditions on their participation. And Covered California helped facilitate the enrollment of low-income consumers, the study notes.
Research teams conducting The Brookings study took a deep-dive look at California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas to determine what has worked, what hasn’t and why.
Covered California is the only place where you can use new tax credits to help pay insurance premiums.
read more at californiahealthline.org