More Plans Setting Spending Limits For Some Medical Services
Insurers cap how much they will pay for certain routine procedures, such as knee replacements and lab tests, and if patients opt for an in-network facility that charges more, they must pick up the extra cost.
Consumers Whose Income Drops Below Poverty Get Break On Subsidy Payback
People who suffered a drop in earnings and fall below the poverty line don’t have to repay subsidies, but others who underestimated their income could be in for a surprise at tax time.
Modest Premium Hikes, Higher Consumer Costs Likely For Job-Based Plans
As many companies provide employees with their coverage details this fall, spousal surcharges and health savings accounts on the rise.
Long-Acting Contraceptives Still Often Not Free For Women
The health law called for all FDA-approved birth control methods to be completely covered by insurance, but research suggests that many women still pay for some of the costs for options such as IUDs and injectable contraceptives.
How Will Taxes Be Reconciled With Premium Subsidies?
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews examines how subsidies for health insurance can be divvied up among family members choosing separate plans and how a miscalculation of the premium will be handled on your taxes.
Calif. Law Bolsters National Effort To Give Workers Paid Sick Time
Nearly 4 in 10 private sector workers lack paid sick leave, many of them women and low-wage earners.
Medicare Open Enrollment Is Fast Approaching — Here’s What We Know So Far
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist gives readers some basic information to help them weigh their Medicare options.
DEA: Vicodin, Some Other Pain Meds Will Be Harder to Get
The regulation, slated to take effect Oct. 6, is a response to the widespread misuse of these prescription medicines.
Insurers Hesitant To Cover Many Proton Beam Therapy Treatments
Supporters of the controversial — and high-priced — therapy say more routine coverage would help propel necessary research.
For Autistic Adults, Coverage Options Are Scarce
Although efforts by the federal and state governments are forcing insurers to cover costly treatments, patients who turn 21 “fall off a cliff.”
Health Law Tempers New State Coverage Mandates
Provisions in the Affordable Care Act seek to curb individual states from setting new mandates requiring insurers to cover specific care but many local legislators are trying to work around that.
Health Law Shows Little Effect In Lowering Children’s Uninsured Rate, Study Finds
Yet many uninsured kids would be eligible for coverage under Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Can I Buy Coverage After Accident Injuries? Who Pays The Cadillac Tax?
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions.
Consumers To Hear Soon If Plans Are Canceled
Although the Obama administration has given insurers extra time to bring their plans into compliance with the health law, some may opt to drop substandard coverage this fall.
Infertility Patients Finding Creative Financing Help
Some clinics offer shared-risk programs that offer a set price and sometimes a money-back guarantee.
Beware Of Higher Charges If You Go To An Out-Of-Network Emergency Room
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from charging more for out-of-network emergency care, but your bill could be higher if you’re admitted to the hospital.
Federal Officials Order Medicaid To Cover Autism Services
Advocates applaud the move, but some states are concerned about the costs of providing such therapy.
Some Insurers Refuse To Cover Contraceptives, Despite Health Law Requirement
Most plans must cover all FDA-approved birth control methods, but consumer advocates say it is still common for women to face rejection for some forms.
HMO, PPO, EPO: How’s A Consumer To Know What Health Plan Is Best?
The alphabet soup that distinguishes different types of insurance plans is supposed to help guide consumers, but instead the choices are becoming very confusing.
Government Streamlining Medicare Coverage For Cancer Test
FDA and Medicare officials conduct a parallel review of a new screening test for colorectal cancer and that could bring the test to beneficiaries six months faster.
