Health costs + Insurance 120220
After Kid’s Minor Bike Accident, Major Bill Sets Legal Wheels in Motion
By Julie Appleby
It was a surprise even in a family of lawyers. The process called “subrogation” began with one Nevada family’s health insurer denying their claim for an emergency room visit after 9-year-old fell off his bike.
Were You Notified About Missing Tax Forms for Your ACA Subsidy? Blame COVID.
By Michelle Andrews
Some consumers who received tax credits to purchase insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces report they’ve received letters in error from the government saying they didn’t file the IRS forms to account for how much money they made and how much funding they received from the government.
Surprise Federal Drug Rule Directs Insurers to Reveal What They Pay for Prescription Drugs
By Harris Meyer
A provision the Trump administration tucked into its final rule on health plan price transparency requires telling consumers what they will pay out-of-pocket for drugs and showing them what the plan paid.
Five Important Questions About Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine
By Arthur Allen
The drugmaker says its mRNA vaccine worked in 90% of patients in its trial, but some observers question how long immunity will last and who will benefit.
Cinco preguntas críticas sobre la vacuna contra COVID-19 de Pfizer
By Arthur Allen
La farmacéutica anunció que en una muestra pequeña se comprobó que podría prevenir la infección en nueve de cada 10 casos. Pero se necesitan más respuestas.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: How to Avoid a Big Bill for Your COVID Test
By Dan Weissmann
Tests for the coronavirus are supposed to be free. And, usually, they are. But sometimes … things happen. Here’s how to avoid getting a surprise bill for a test.
KHN on the Air This Week
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Workers Who Lost Jobs Due to COVID May Need Help Getting Coverage This Fall
By Steven Findlay
Millions of people have lost their jobs and health insurance since March, and experts say many of those looking for a plan on the ACA marketplace may not be able to get the assistance they need.
KHN on the Air This Week
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition Interrupted
Former Vice President Joe Biden is now the president-elect nearly everywhere but inside the Trump administration, where the president refuses to concede and has ordered officials not to begin a formal transition. That is a particular problem for health care as the COVID-19 pandemic surges. Meanwhile, there’s good news on the vaccine front, but it’s unlikely one will arrive by winter. And the ACA was back before the Supreme Court — again. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Shefali Luthra of the 19th News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: For Your Next Health Insurance Fight, an Exercise in Financial Self-Defense
By Dan Weissmann
Veteran self-defense teacher Lauren Taylor shares some of her top strategies and how she used them this year in her health insurance fight.