7 Things You Should Know About The Next Big Benefit Change
"Reference pricing" has the blessing of the Obama administration. What is it and how might it affect your health insurance?
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Warning: Opting Out Of Your Insurance Plan’s Provider Network Is Risky
Out-of-pocket spending limits and some other safeguards in the health law may not apply.
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Pregnant Women Dumped By Covered California Into Medi-Cal, Without Notice Or Consent
The problem won’t be fixed until September, though the state’s congressional delegation calls for quick action.
By Emily Bazar -
Urban Medicare Beneficiaries May See More Drug Savings This Year
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says access to special, lower-cost pharmacies has improved for Medicare beneficiaries in urban areas.
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Ask Emily
Medi-Cal Expands To Immigrant Children. Here’s How It Works.
New law applies state's low-income health care program to children in the U.S. illegally.
By Emily Bazar -
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.
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Boston’s Heroin Users Will Soon Get A Safer Place To Be High
A nonprofit group in Boston working with homeless people will convert a conference room and provide medical supervision for people after they have taken heroin.
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Three Hospitals Hope To Spark A Reduction In Surgeries By Inexperienced Doctors
The prestigious facilities are seeking to improve patient safety by getting surgeons and hospitals to pledge to meet minimum thresholds for 10 high-risk procedures.
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Head Of California Exchange Scolds UnitedHealth For Blaming Woes On Obamacare
Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, says the giant insurer’s complaints about ACA exchanges are “total spin and unanchored in reality.”
By Chad Terhune -
Special Report: Baltimore's Other Divide
In Freddie Gray’s Neighborhood, The Best Medical Care Is Close But Elusive
Last year’s Baltimore unrest highlighted deep distrust between police and poor African-Americans. Dozens of interviews and little-seen data show a similar gap between that community and the city's renowned health system.
By Jay Hancock -
N.H., Calif. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
New Hampshire is expanding its website that lists the cost of specific medical procedures to include dental treatments and 65 prescription drugs. California is expanding its report cards on large medical groups to include cost of medical services by an average patient.
By Jordan Rau -
A Voter’s Guide To The Health Law
Candidates -- on both sides -- are bending the facts about the Affordable Care Act.
By Julie Rovner -
Short-Term Health Plans: The Pros And Cons
Columnist Emily Bazar answers a consumer's question: "You could get one of these plans, pay the uninsured tax penalty and still pay less."
By Emily Bazar -
Blue Shield Top Choice On California Exchange
Anthem sign-ups are trailing, and UnitedHealth and newcomer Oscar are playing a minor role in coverage thus far, according to unofficial reports.
By Chad Terhune -
Fueled By Health Law, ‘Concierge Medicine’ Reaches New Markets
Doctors, insurers and others are kick-starting experiments to broaden access to direct primary care, a service long associated with only wealthy Americans.
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Q&A: Options For Patients Who Get Out-Of-Network Care
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about handling an out-of-network bill from a provider the patient didn't choose.
By alley -
Health Reform Roils Downton Abbey
The hospital consolidation plot in the final season of the beloved British series is historically accurate — and has parallels in today’s U.S. health industry.
By Jenny Gold -
Obamacare Insurers Sweeten Plans With Free Doctor Visits
Some insurers are betting that lowering the barrier to seeing a doctor will encourage people to get needed care sooner. If it works, the health plans could save more than they spend on the benefit.
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Health Plans’ Coverage Of Some Drugs Can Be A Source Of Consumer Confusion
Some medicines, particularly intravenous treatments, are not listed in plans’ pharmacy benefit section and, therefore, it’s difficult to confirm coverage specifics.
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Latino Youth In California See Significant Rise In Psychiatric Hospitalizations
Some experts say the 86 percent increase in psychiatric hospitalizations since 2007 means preventive care is seriously lacking; others believe reduced stigma has led more kids to accept help.