Industry Updates

California's health exchange is leaning on insurance agents to enroll thousands of people in Obamacare coverage. Trouble is, some agents haven't been paid for months.

Obamacare customers who choose to re-enroll in insurance plans would automatically default to cheaper coverage during sign-up periods, protecting them from price increases, under rules proposed by the U.S. government.

Health plan sign-ups in the first four days of Covered California's second season outpaced the early days of last year's maiden enrollment period by nearly four times, the state's Obamacare health insurance exchange said Thursday.

The federal government shelled out billions of dollars to get health insurance marketplaces going in the 14 states that opted to run their own.

Covered California will "double-down" on its strategy to reach out to uninsured Latinos during a new enrollment period for health care under the state-run insurance exchange, the group's top executive said Monday.

Covered California officials this week are on a bus tour across the state -- stumping Thursday in La Habra and making multiple stops Friday in Los Angeles -- in preparation for Saturday's launch of the exchange's second open enrollment period.

Smooth sailing. The administration promises and outside experts expect that this year's open enrollment period on the health insurance marketplaces will be markedly less glitchy and balky than last.

Small-business enrollment on new insurance marketplaces set up under the president's health-care law has fallen well short of the administration's expectations, according to government report released Thursday.

In a twist, an influx of lower-priced health plans on HealthCare.gov could lead many Americans to pay more for coverage next year thanks to smaller insurance tax credits.

An information gap could keep the Affordable Care Act from helping those who really need the law's help.