News From Around the Web
> In December 2014 more than 4 in 10 uninsured adults had heard little or nothing about tax penalties for not having health insurance coverage, even after two open enrollment periods and five years after the Affordable Care Act was passed, according to the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey. Report
> Many health insurance agents in California are still waiting for commissions from the state and insurance companies for helping consumers purchase coverage, the Sacramento Bee reported. Some agents claim they are due $20,000 or more. Article
> The health plan that covers some 900 U.S. Olympic athletes, the Elite Athlete Health Insurance Program, fails to meet minimum requirements of the Affordable Care Act, leading federal health officials to grant exemptions to affected athletes, according to the Washington Post. Article
Health Finance News
> The Senate is expected today to take up several amendments to a bill that includes a provision to permanently repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate, a measure passed late last month by the House. However, a new report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adds to the chorus of reservations in recent weeks about the agreement hailed as a rare bipartisan solution. Article
> Anthem Blue Cross in Indiana has pushed hospital-based laboratories in its provider network to dramatically cuts its negotiated rates or find themselves competing against much lower-priced providers. Article
And Finally … New Zealand's hottest new photographer. Article