Elana Gordon, WHYY

@elana_gordon

Pre-Obamacare, Preexisting Conditions Long Vexed States And Insurers

KFF Health News Original

Before the federal health law guarantee that consumers cannot be turned down because of their medical history, it was difficult to balance insurers’ needs to make a profit and individuals’ needs for coverage.

Children Exposed To Hepatitis C May Be Missing Out On Treatment

KFF Health News Original

Hepatitis C can be passed from mothers to babies, but it often is not diagnosed until much later in a person’s life. Specialists are debating new screening practices to catch the disease earlier.

Patients Want To Price-Shop For Care, But Online Tools Unreliable

KFF Health News Original

A tough diagnosis and a high-deductible insurance plan motivated one couple to shop carefully for care. But they hit a snag — inaccurate prices on online calculators. Who can comparison shop if the price tags are wrong?

The Hospital Is In Network, But Not The Doctor: N.Y. Tries New Balance Billing Law

KFF Health News Original

Consumers in New York are getting new protections against “balance billing,” where insurers bill patients for the difference between what insurers pay and what providers want, and states considering similar laws are watching closely.

Pa., Del. Move To Maintain Health Insurance Subsidy Access

KFF Health News Original

A soon-to-be-announced Supreme Court ruling could threaten health insurance subsidies for millions of people in about three dozen states. But many state officials aren’t sharing contingency plans lest they be seen as supporting Obamacare.

FDA Heads Into Uncharted Territory Of ‘Biosimiliar’ Drugs

KFF Health News Original

Under a new process set out by the health law, the FDA approved the first so-called biosimilar drug for sale in the U.S. It’s a copy of the cancer medicine Neupogen that will be sold under the brand name Zarxio.

Primary Care Shortage? Not For The Insured, Study Shows

KFF Health News Original

Researchers posing as nonelderly adult patients made nearly 13,000 calls to primary care practices across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and eight other states between fall 2012 and spring of last year. What they found may provide some comfort amid growing concerns of doctor shortages, especially as more people gain coverage through the Affordable Care Act, potentially […]

What’s Next For Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Expansion?

KFF Health News Original

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has backed away from a controversial work search requirement in his Medicaid overhaul proposal that’s now under federal review. Even so, experts say it’s unclear whether that move will be enough for the plan to gain final approval. At stake are billions of dollars in federal funding for Pennsylvania and new […]