More States Expected To Expand Medicaid In 2015

Phil Galewitz and Mary Agnes Carey, Senior Correspondents with Kaiser Health News
Texas and Florida, with their large uninsured populations, are not expected to offer coverage to many low-income patients. KHN's Phil Galewitz and Mary Agnes Carey discuss:
Obamacare's Racial Justice Wins, by the Numbers

ACA racial justice
The Supreme Court and John Boehner not withstanding, open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchange has resumed. And if outreach workers around the country recreate last year's enrollment success, the rates of uinsured among blacks and Latinos in particular will have been dramatically reduced.
HIV and Smoking: A Dangerous Cocktail

HIV and smoking
The CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign tells the stories of real people who experienced the challenges and rewards of quitting smoking. One of those stories is about Brian, a former smoker who has HIV. His story shows how smoking cigarettes can intensify the health risks of HIV, even for people who have their condition well controlled.
2013 Was the Deadliest Year of LGBT Intimate Partner Violence On Record

Spousal abuse
For 17 years, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has been collecting data on domestic violence in LGBT communities. They started in 1997 with a report that was the first-ever look at intimate partner violence among LGBT couples. It was an important intervention in the domestic violence movement largely defined by the ways that cisgender men physically or emotionally abused their wives.
Read more: 2013 Was the Deadliest Year of LGBT Intimate Partner Violence On Record
In This Issue

On Saturday, HealthCare.gov, the federal government's online health-insurance marketplace, opened for business. Whether you are shopping for health insurance for the first time, renewing your policy or changing you plan, you can sign up for 2015 health insurance plans by using HealthCare.gov, the national call center (1-800-318-2596), or by seeking in-person assistance. HealthCare.gov allows you to find and compare options, see if you qualify for a lower cost plan, and select the health insurance policy that best meets your needs and budget. I have been on the website; it works well and the experience is easier and more streamlined, and more plans are available last year.