Seven Remaining Obamacare Co-Ops Prepare Survival Strategies
Two-thirds of the federally funded co-ops created by the health law to sell health insurance to individuals and small employers have folded and those that remain are diversifying to stay alive.
Most Americans Want More Federal Money To Stop Zika: Poll
Almost two-thirds say federal funds should help women in Zika-affected areas get access to abortion, family planning and contraception services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds.
HHS Targets Young Adults In 2017 Obamacare Enrollment Plan
The Obama administration’s strategy to attract young under-insured adults includes targeted direct mailings and discounted Lyft rides to open enrollment events this fall.
Office Chatter: Your Doctor Will See You In This Telemedicine Kiosk
Employers and insurers are installing sophisticated kiosks in more workplaces so that workers can quickly consult a doctor offsite when they take ill at work.
Florida’s Mosquito Control Forces Mobilize Against Zika Threat
Local mosquito control authorities prepare spray-and-trap offensive to halt Zika-carrying mosquitos in damp breeding grounds.
Study Projects Sharper Increases In Obamacare Premiums For 2017
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis forecasts rates could jump 10 percent next year in 14 major metro markets.
Florida Stores Help Consumers Buy Imported Drugs Despite Federal Ban
Thousands of Floridians patronize storefront businesses that help them buy cheaper drugs online from Canada and other countries, but the Food and Drug Administration calls the practice illegal and risky.
FAQ: How The FDA’s New Tobacco Rule Affects Consumers
The FDA expands its purview over all tobacco products — including e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco — but the new regulatory process could permit many products sold in the U.S. to remain so for up to three years.
Smokers’ Ranks Look Conspicuously Sparse In Obamacare
Federal data suggest that many smokers aren’t confessing to their tobacco habit to avoid paying higher health care premiums, thwarting insurers.
United’s Departure From Marketplaces Could Impact Consumers’ Costs, Access
Florida and Oklahoma counties are among the hardest hit by UnitedHealthcare’s pullout from health law exchanges.
UnitedHealthcare To Exit All But ‘Handful’ Of Obamacare Markets In 2017
UnitedHealthcare said Tuesday it will leave most of the 34 states in which it offers health insurance under Obamacare, but Nevada and Virginia are two markets it will retain a presence.
Study: Medicaid Expansion Encourages More Poor Adults To Get Health Care
Doctor visits and hospital stays were more likely for low-income adults in states after they expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine Monday.
Competition Suffers Most If UnitedHealth Exits Obamacare In 2017: Analysis
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis released Monday, a day ahead of UnitedHealth’s expected announcement, finds 1.1 million consumers would have no choice in health insurance plans if the giant insurer drops out of Obamacare marketplaces as threatened.
IRS Could Help Find Many Uninsured People, But Doesn’t
Many low-income households that claim earned income tax credit lack health insurance, Urban Institute finds.
UnitedHealth Tries Boutique-Style Health Plan
Harken Health, a new UnitedHealthcare subsidiary, offers members free unlimited doctor visits and health coaches at 10 clinics in Chicago and Atlanta.
In Conservative Indiana, Medicaid Expansion Makes Poorest Pay
The novel expansion model is testing how far a state can go under Obamacare in making poor people share responsibility for the cost of health care.
Doctors Ponder Delicate Talks As Medicare Pays For End-Of-Life Counsel
Physicians can now bill Medicare $86 for up to 30 minutes of counseling given to patients about end-of-life planning, but many doctors may need training to have those talks.
Cigna Profits As Medicare Softens Penalty Policy
A new policy preserves Cigna’s access to bonuses while the insurer fixes “widespread” failures in its Medicare plans.
Medicare Plans Score Higher Ratings And Millions In Bonuses
The share of Medicare Advantage members enrolled in plans with high star ratings has almost doubled since 2013, earning bonuses for private insurers who offer them.
Alabama Puts Hospitals At Forefront Of Medicaid Managed Care
As officials seek to take control of costs in the health coverage for low-income residents, they are relying on hospitals, not private insurance companies, to run the program.
