What We Read Today 17 October 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• UnitedHealth still optimistic about PPACA exchanges (Allison Bell, Life Health Pro) One of the nation’s largest insurers expects to see strong growth at the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) public exchange system in 2015. UnitedHealthGroup (NYSE:UHC) will sell qualified health plans in nearly two dozen states in 2015 after selling in only four this year. Another thing noted by UHC is the persistence of small group health plans. They see little erosion in that traditional insurance market.

• How will the U.S. pay for the Ebola response? (Allison Bell, Life Health Pro) This will first on our list of ridiculous questions for 2014. And a candidate for top of the list for the decade.

• Articles about conflicts and disease around the world

Ebola

In battling Ebola, fighting panic is as critical as containing virus (Al Jazeera)

Health Officials on Congressional Hot Seat Over Ebola (The New York Times)

Just How Contagious Is Ebola? (LinkedIn)

CDC sees low Ebola risk in passengers pulled from Dubai flight (Reuters)

U.N.’s New Ebola Trust Fund Running Out of Money (The New York Times)

Quarantines among legal tools available if Ebola outbreak widens (Personal Liberty)

Syria

Kurdish official appeals for weapons for Kobani (Associated Press, MSN News)

US: Hundreds of ISIL fighters dead in Kobane: Pentagon says air strikes killed several hundred ISIL fighters, but says Syrian town could still fall to rebel group. (Al Jazeera)

Iraq

Training day for Peshmerga fighters. (Reuters, MSN) Video

Ukraine

Nuclear Fusion Won’t Save Ukraine (Bloomberg)

Russia

Putin Threatens EU Gas Squeeze Raising Stakes for Ukraine (Bloomberg)

Putin’s Reaction To Sanctions Is Destroying The Economy And China Won’t Help (Forbes)

Putin Leaves Private Businesses in the Cold (Bloomberg)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Protests Swell After Video Shows Police Beating (Bloomberg)

Mexico

Mexico universities call strike in solidarity with missing students (Al Jazeera)

There are 12 articles discussed today ‘behind the wall’.

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