Back to News Media Contacts
News In the News Events Media Contacts
WTOPNews

DC leaders, medical experts urge communities of color to get COVID-19 vaccine

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

A group of D.C. government leaders and medical experts took part in an online forum to further encourage people of color to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to dispel any myths about its safety. The event, hosted by DC Health Link in partnership with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health, featured several panelists who also answered questions that were submitted ahead of time.

The overall message during the discussion was clear. “Please get vaccinated,” D.C. Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said during his opening remarks. “It will literally save your life.” While acknowledging the lack of trust among the Black community based on past encounters with unethical government medical experiments, Turnage explained that the current COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will not lead to sickness. Read more here

WASHINGTON INFORMER

DC Has Nation’s Second-Lowest Uninsured Rate: Census Bureau

Friday, September 13, 2019
The Census Bureau released this week its annual report on health insurance coverage, showing that while nearly 2 million people nationwide are losing coverage and the nation's uninsured rate climbed to nearly 9 percent, the District saw gains. The District reduced its uninsured rate from 3.8 percent in 2017 to 3.2 percent in 2018. According to the bureau, the District has the second-lowest uninsured rate in the nation, only behind Massachusetts for the second consecutive year. "The District's success demonstrates what is possible by fully embracing, and building on, the ACA," said Mila Kofman, DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority's executive director. "It also shows that states cannot do this alone and strong national standards and financial commitment through federal premium tax credits and Medicaid expansion is necessary."
BCBS

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Statement on the Texas et al. v. United States et al. Ruling

Saturday, December 15, 2018
Washington – Blue Cross Blue Shield Association President and CEO Scott Serota issued the following statement today in regard to the U.S. District Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies' core principle is that all Americans, including those with pre-existing medical conditions, have access to quality health coverage no matter who they are or where they live.
HEALTH AFFAIRS

The District of Columbia Is Trying To Preserve Health Insurance Coverage; Congress Is Trying To Interfere

Monday, July 23, 2018
In June, the District of Columbia’s City Council approved legislation creating a District-level individual responsibility requirement (individual mandate) to replace the federal mandate, which was cancelled as part of federal tax legislation enacted in December 2017. Last week, on July 19, the House of Representatives approved amendments, as riders to an appropriations bill, to override DC’s new policy.
HEALTH AFFAIRS

Mandate Round-Up: Texas v. U.S., House Moves to Prevent DC Mandate, And New Report On Impact Of State Mandates

Monday, July 23, 2018
In June 2018, the District of Columbia City Council adopted a budget bill for fiscal year 2019 that included a District-level individual mandate. Mayor Muriel Bowser has yet to sign the budget bill but that has not stopped Congress from taking steps to prevent it from going into effect in the District. Although DC has a budget autonomy law, Congress can—and repeatedly has—meddled with DC’s budget. Read More here

The District’s budget does not require congressional approval, but members of Congress can amend the budget through appropriations riders. Any changes must be approved by both the House and Senate to go into effect.
NASHP

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)

Monday, May 1, 2017
First-in-the-nation partnership between the Massachusetts Health Connector and the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX), which operates DC Health Link. Read more here.

For more information regarding the DC-Massachusetts partnership,
WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL

What repeal? D.C.'s health exchange plows forward with plans for 2018

Thursday, February 9, 2017
Article covers announcement by DCHBX Board to require participating health insurance companies on the individual market to offer HSA-compatible bronze plans in 2018, showing that DC Health Link is moving forward despite recent talk on Capitol Hill.
AIS Health

Some SBEs Report Double-Digit Enrollment Gains for 2017

Friday, February 3, 2017
With the Jan. 31 conclusion of the open-enrollment period (OEP), state-based exchanges (SBEs) say sign-ups are up markedly from a year ago, with a large boost coming during the final two days for some states.
Washington Business Journal

The Affordable Care Act's (possibly final) enrollment figures are in for D.C., Maryland

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

By Tina Reed - 2/1/2017, 6:29pm EST  

The numbers for Affordable Care Act enrollment for 2017 are in for marketplaces in the District and Maryland.

Enrollment season ended Jan. 31. Despite uncertainty about the future of the ACA, the fourth and potentially final enrollment period under former President Barack Obama's signature health reform law remained strong, officials said Wednesday.

On the District's marketplace, D.C. Health Link, officials reported individual signups for private health plans reached 23,632 for the 2017 season. Enrollment was up 3 percent over 2016, which had a total of 22,912 signups. Of D.C.'s total enrollments, 7,179 people — or 30 percent — were new customers, officials said.

Clear Choices

2017 Health Insurance Exchanges: Lessons for the Online Health Insurance Marketplace: DC Heath Link Ranks #1

Monday, January 30, 2017

Today, the last day of the Affordable Care Act's 2017 open enrollment period, the Clear Choices Campaign issued its second annual report card for the 12 state-based health insurance exchange websites and HealthCare.gov. A multi-stakeholder advocacy campaign, representing patients, providers, insurers, employers, and life science companies, Clear Choices is dedicated to improving health care transparency. DC Health Link topped the list scoring 92 out of 100. The average exchange website scored 66 out of a possible 100. Read more 

About Clear Choices - Founded in 2015 by the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, the Clear Choices Campaign is a multi-stakeholder advocacy campaign designed to promote health care transparency and offer better comparison shopping tools for consumers. Members include AARP, Aetna, HealthCare.com, Novo Nordisk, and the National Consumers League. 

The Washington Post

The Rush to Get Millennials Health Insurance Before the Possible Repeal of Obamacare

Monday, January 23, 2017

The outreach workers joined the line at a Michael “Air” Jordan shoe launch. They went to Denny’s after the District’s clubs had closed. They hung out at happy hours with $4 drinks and $7 bar food, laundromats, gyms, and Sunday brunches. This month, as Republicans in Congress moved to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and President Trump signed an executive order weakening its provisions, D.C. health insurance exchange officials were rushing to sign up millennials before the open enrollment period ends Jan. 31. Read more

Politico

HHS Secretary Burwell will sign up for Obamacare

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell will be signing up for Obamacare.

Burwell, who has led implementation of the Affordable Care Act for more than two years, plans to sign up for coverage on DC’s health insurance exchange when her federal employee plan ends — even as Republicans wrestle with how to repeal the law.

“I’m going onto the DC marketplace,” she told reporters on Tuesday, adding that her husband has a pre-existing condition that could have prevented them from getting coverage before the health law was passed. Read more .