Aug 24, 2017

There are no more counties with zero ACA insurers

Andrew Harnik / AP

The Ohio Department of Insurance said Thursday that regional health insurer CareSource will sell Affordable Care Act plans in Paulding County in 2018. Every county in Ohio now has at least one ACA insurer after Anthem pulled out in June.

Why it matters: People in every U.S. county who buy coverage on the ACA exchanges will have at least one health insurance option for next year (assuming all insurers finalize their commitments). State insurance departments have been working all summer to fill the so-called bare ACA counties following many insurer exits.

Key quote: "Making sure coverage is available has been our goal through this process, but this is a temporary solution and one that only applies to 2018." — Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment

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Kendall Baker

MLB's Rob Manfred is latest villain in Astros' cheating scandal

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to grant Astros players immunity in exchange for confessions about their sign-stealing scheme has undermined his reputation — and he only made himself look worse on Sunday.

The interview: In a 45-minute conversation with ESPN, Manfred asserted that public shame was punishment enough for the Astros. He also called the World Series trophy "just a piece of metal" and said that taking a title away from Houston "seems like a futile act."

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Dion Rabouin

Economists warn coronavirus risk far worse than realized

Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Worries are growing that the economic impact from the novel coronavirus outbreak will be worse than expected and that markets are being too complacent in factoring it in as a risk.

What's happening: The number of confirmed cases has already far outpaced expectations and even those reports are being viewed through a lens of suspicion that the Chinese government is underreporting the figures.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Sara Fischer

National newspapers thrive while local outlets struggle to survive

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

While big national newspapers grow stronger, local newspaper chains that have for decades kept the vast majority of the country informed are combusting.

Why it matters: The inequity between giants like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and their local counterparts represents a growing problem in America as local communities no longer have the power to set the agenda for the news that most affects them.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Economy & Business