Kentucky Strategy Will Test Need For State-Run Obamacare Exchanges
Experts say Gov.-elect Matt Bevin’s plan to drop Kynect and use the federal healthcare.gov marketplace would have little impact on consumers, if it happens.
Study: Health Plan Buyers Will Save Money If They Shop
Premiums could jump 15 percent next year for millions if they keep 2015 plans, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Aid-In-Dying Advocacy Group Girds For Battles After California Victory
Compassion & Choices counts on human-interest stories to shape debate as 23 states weigh aid-in-dying bills this year.
Obamacare Recruiters Seek Uninsured At Food Fairs And Churches
Floridians without health insurance query experts and ponder options as the health law’s open enrollment season gets underway.
Kentucky’s Exchange Success Doesn’t Translate To Small Business Participation
Despite strong enrollment in Kentucky’s online health insurance marketplace, participation in its exchange for small employers also created by the Affordable Care Act has mostly been a dud.
Small Businesses Snub Obamacare’s SHOP Exchange
Software problems, better health insurance options elsewhere are said to hold enrollment well under projections after almost two years.
Exchanges Face Sign-Up Challenges As Health Law’s 3rd Open Enrollment Begins
After millions of people signed up for Obamacare over the past two years, the ones still lacking insurance may be harder to both find and persuade to enroll.
Medicaid Spending Soars — Mostly In Expansion States
New report finds the annual increase in Medicaid spending is the largest in at least two decades, spurred by the federal health law expansion.
Birth Centers Boost Deliveries While Easing Labor Pains
Staffed by midwives and bolstered by Obamacare, low-tech birth centers away from hospitals are up almost 60 percent since 2010.
Chronically Ill Pay More in Obamacare Plans Than Employer Coverage
Patients on typical silver plans pay twice as much as workers with job-based insurance for prescription drugs each year, researchers find.
GAO: More Oversight Needed Over Medicare Advantage Provider Networks
Congressional watchdog says the government checks few health plans to ensure accurate provider listings and adequate access for seniors on Medicare Advantage.
Ouch! Vaccination Rates for Older Adults Falling Short
Millions of Americans over 60 are risking illnesses by skipping their shots.
New Hope Beats For Heart Patients And Hospitals
The number of heart valve surgeries has risen more than 50 percent since 2012, demonstrating the hospital industry’s record of finding new ways to fill beds and increase revenue even as advances in health and technology shrink demand for inpatient care. Still, patient risk and cost concerns persist.
Big Push: Hospitals Turn To ‘Laborists’ For Safer Deliveries
More hospitals are hiring OB-GYNs to help handle births and obstetrical and gynecological emergencies.
5 Challenges Facing Medicaid At 50
The federal-state health care program covers nearly half of all births, one-third of children across the country and two-thirds of people in nursing homes.
Good News, Bad News In Medicare Trustees Report
Trust fund solvent until 2030, but some seniors may see a big spike in Part B premiums.
Feds Say 7.5M Paid An Average Penalty Of $200 For Not Having Health Insurance
New data also break down billions in subsidy payments.
Obama Says Health Law ‘Is Here To Stay’
The president says that “in many ways, the law is working better than we expected it to.”
‘I’m Elated … For Me And Millions Of Americans,’ Says Utahn With Subsidy
Those receiving subsidies express relief, jubilation at high court’s ruling.
Medicare Slow To Adopt Telemedicine Due To Cost Concerns
Less than 1 percent of beneficiaries use the technology because Congress has put tight restrictions on it.
