Congressional Bills Would Mandate Equal Coverage For Pills And IV Cancer Therapy
The legislation would require insurance companies to cover oral cancer meds as favorably as they do intravenous chemotherapy.
Even As Obamacare Seeks To Expand Women’s Coverage, Some Still Face Key Gap
Coverage for labor and delivery for young women who are on their parents’ health plan is not guaranteed under key health laws.
Medicare Drug Plans Favor Generic Opioids Over Those Designed To Avoid Abuse, Study Finds
The Part D plans have cut back coverage of a newer version of OxyContin that has been formulated to make it tougher for people to snort or inject it. That new version is 20 times more expensive than the generic.
Consumers In Grandfathered Plans Can Face Higher Costs For Preventive Benefits
The plans, which were in existence when the health law was enacted in 2010 and have not changed significantly, cover about a quarter of insured workers.
New Preventive Health Services Approved For No-Cost Coverage
Two new procedures have been added to the list of what should be covered by insurance without charge to consumers under provisions of the health law.
When Your Doctor Leaves Your Health Plan, You Likely Can’t Follow
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about options when physicians leave an insurer’s network, the lack of coverage for hearing aids and penalties linked to insurance subsidies.
Medicare Pays For Spouses To Get Grief Counseling Through Hospice
But a new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospice services had little impact on depression suffered by individuals after the death of their spouses.
Second Opinions Often Sought But Value Is Not Yet Proven
Medical reviews are recommended for patients facing serious illnesses and some individuals glean important advice, but researchers do not have much data showing whether they lead to better outcomes.
Medicaid Expansion Helps Cut Rate Of Older, Uninsured Adults From 12 To 8 Percent
A study finds that in states that did not expand the health program for low-income residents, the rate of uninsurance among 50- to 64-year-olds is twice that of other states.
Telemedicine Under Attack As Abortion Rights Supporters Seek More Options For Women
Only two states offer telemed abortions, in which a woman confers with a doctor through an Internet video connection before being prescribed drugs to terminate a pregnancy. Supporters say the practice improves early access to abortion, thus cutting down expenses and complications, but opponents say it is dangerous.
Feds Say That In Screening Colonoscopies, Anesthesia Comes With No Charge
In an announcement this week, federal officials made clear that insurers should not charge patients for the anesthesia used in a screening colonoscopy, but some other routine charges are still in dispute.
Home Visits By Nurses For First-Time Mothers Help Reduce Government Costs
The Nurse-Family Partnership is one of more than a dozen programs that are eligible for funding under the federal health law. Congress renewed the spending this year.
Study: Cataract Surgery Fast And Safe, But Many On Medicare Get Costly Pre-Testing
Having blood work and other tests before cataract surgery isn’t usually recommended, but a study finds that more than half of Medicare beneficiaries get them.
Running Out Of Money Is More Than Just A Worry For Many Seniors, Study Finds
About 12 percent of people 85 and older who died had no assets left and 20 percent had only their homes, according to the research. But even people who die much younger can face similar financial problems.
How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about cost and coverage.
Thousands May Have Been Shorted On Insurance Subsidies After Calculation Error
Some families likely received lower subsidies than they were entitled to or were denied Medicaid coverage because of faulty calculations related to children who receive Social Security income.
Advocates Push For Paid Medical, Family Leave
Two decades after passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Democrats and workers’ advocates seek paid leaves so more people can afford to take them.
There May Still Be Time To Save On Health Law’s Tax Penalties
Some consumers who face a 2014 tax bill can make adjustments to improve their liability.
EEOC Proposal On Wellness Program Earns Business Praise, Consumer Concerns
The announcement is an effort to give employers more guidance on how to implement the programs promoted by the federal health law without overstepping the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Patient Safety Advocate Sees ‘Hope And Hype’ In Digital Revolution
Dr. Robert Wachter says medicine’s move to a computer age can improve care but patients still face serious challenges in adapting to the new technology and the prospect of overcoming a fragmented health system.
