Julie Appleby

Visit kff.org to read Julie's bio.

jappleby@kff.org
@Julie_appleby

Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.

KFF Health News Original

The Affordable Care Act put in place a package of benefits that health insurance plans must cover. Critics contend this mandate has jacked up premiums. Evidence supporting that claim is mixed.

When It Comes to Health Insurance, Federal Dollars Support More Than ACA Plans

KFF Health News Original

Questions of fairness came up in last year’s congressional debate about extending Obamacare’s enhanced subsidies. Critics wondered why the federal government should underwrite coverage costs for people with ACA coverage. In truth, though, almost all health insurance in the U.S. comes with some federal help.

Trump Team’s Planned ACA Rule Offers Its Answer to Rising Premium Costs: Catastrophic Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year have been proposed by the Trump administration that focus on making more insurance plans available with higher annual out-of-pocket costs but lower premiums.

Obamacare: el impacto de los costos en las inscripciones no se conocerá hasta dentro de varios meses

KFF Health News Original

Los subsidios mejorados, que redujeron el porcentaje del ingreso familiar que se debía pagar por la atención médica y eliminaron el límite de ingresos para calificar, expiraron a fines del año pasado.

Obamacare Sign-Ups Drop, but the Extent Won’t Be Clear for Months

KFF Health News Original

Experts say Affordable Care Act sign-up data won’t be clear until people who were enrolled have paid — or haven’t paid — their new, often much higher, premiums.

Worried About Health Insurance Costs? There May Be Cheaper Options — But With Trade-Offs

KFF Health News Original

As the clock ticks down on the 2026 Obamacare open enrollment season, frustrated consumers may have to make sacrifices on coverage to get a price they can stomach. But cheaper alternatives come with risks.

Sticker Shock: Obamacare Customers Confront Premium Spikes as Congress Dithers

KFF Health News Original

With subsidies that give consumers extra help paying their health insurance premiums set to expire, lawmakers are again debating the Affordable Care Act. The difference this time: It’s happening in the middle of ACA open enrollment.

Health Care Consolidation and Rising Costs Happen, but Obamacare Is Not the Key Culprit

KFF Health News Original

The debate over expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits has given Republicans room to resurface old criticisms — such as blaming the ACA for mergers and consolidation within the health care industry.

Plan-Switching, Sign-Up Impersonations: Obamacare Enrollment Fraud Persists

KFF Health News Original

Investigators from the Government Accountability Office were able to register nearly 20 fake ACA enrollments in a probe of healthcare.gov. The federal government paid subsidies to insurers for some of the fake customers.

Doctor Tripped Up by $64K Bill for Ankle Surgery and Hospital Stay

KFF Health News Original

A doctor in Colorado became the patient after an accident totaled her car and sent her to the operating room. The hospital kept her overnight, but her insurer stopped paying after she left the emergency room.

A Ticking Clock: How States Are Preparing for a Last-Minute Obamacare Deal

KFF Health News Original

Even if Congress strikes a deal soon to extend more generous Affordable Care Act subsidies, the prices and types of ACA plans available could change dramatically. Unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval could cloud this year’s open enrollment season, which begins in most states on Saturday.

Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.

Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs

KFF Health News Original

Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs — and plan accordingly.