Insurance, Cost & Coverage
Brokers Are Reluctant Players In A Most Challenging ACA Open-Enrollment Season
By Julie Appleby
With federal support slashed for organizations that provided consumers help in making their health plan choices, insurance brokers have to pick up the slack.
Obamacare Shopping Is Trickier Than Ever. Here’s A Cheat Sheet.
By Jay Hancock
This year, more than ever, it is important to know your options.
Insurer Tries A Soft Touch — Puppies! — For This Year’s Hard Sell Of Obamacare Plans
By Gisele Grayson, NPR
Open enrollment for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchanges started last week. Across the country, municipalities, insurers and grass-roots groups are working hard to help folks navigate the hoops.
Big Premium Hike? Blame It On The Kids
By Courtney Perkes
Premiums are rising for many reasons next year, and one is that insurers are charging a lot more for teenagers.
Health Companies Race To Catch UnitedHealth As Amazon Laces Up
By Chad Terhune
UnitedHealth, a health industry goliath, has its hand in doctors’ offices, surgery centers, technology services and prescription drugs. It is the industry model, and CVS and Aetna, says one expert, are ‘wannabes.’
Rising Health Insurance Costs Frighten Some Early Retirees
By Steven Findlay
Higher premiums loom for Americans in their late 50s and early 60s who are still too young for Medicare and don’t qualify for subsidies under Obamacare.
Past-Due Premiums, Missing Tax Forms May Hamstring Marketplace Customers
By Michelle Andrews
People hoping to get federal subsidized marketplace coverage may need to make sure their 2017 premiums are paid and that they filed all the correct documents with their 2016 taxes.
Rural Areas — Already Short On Health Resources — Face Enrollment Hitches
By Virginia Anderson
Affordable Care Act supporters in Georgia say they are facing a daunting task in getting people signed up for health insurance.
Big Gains In Latino Health Coverage Poised To Slip During Chaotic Enrollment Season
By Paula Andalo
Efforts in past years have cut uninsured rates among Hispanics from 43 to 25 percent, but navigators say they anticipate a challenging sign-up period.
Want An IUD? Take Note Of Trump’s New Birth Control Policy.
By Michelle Andrews
Some employers may opt to claim a religious or moral exemption and women could have to pick up some of the cost of this expensive contraception option.
Anthem Eases Up On Premium Hikes After State Scrutiny
By Chad Terhune
After regulators questioned Anthem’s forecast for medical costs, the company agreed to reduce rate hikes on its individual and small-business health plans next year, saving customers an estimated $114 million.
Long-Term Disability Insurance Gets Little Attention But Can Pay Off Big Time
By Michelle Andrews
People who become disabled because of accident, injury or illness can turn to long-term disability insurance to pay a portion of their income.
Out-Of-Pocket Costs Often Keep Pricey New Cholesterol Drugs Out Of Reach, Study Finds
By Michelle Andrews
Research published this week by JAMA Cardiology analyzed pharmacy claims data related to a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Need An MRI? Anthem Directs Most Outpatients To Independent Centers
By Michelle Andrews
The insurer says hospital-based imaging services are too expensive and the independent facilities provide high-quality care.
High On Drugs? Anthem Cites Soaring Drug Costs To Justify 35% Rate Hike in California
By Chad Terhune
The company’s drug spending prediction, far above other insurers in the individual market, has experts scratching their heads. Anthem cites market volatility.
Narrow Networks Get Even Tighter When Shopping For Mental Health Specialists
By Michelle Andrews
The average provider network includes only 11 percent of all the mental health care providers in a given market, according to a study this month in the journal Health Affairs.