The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
The health law’s new online insurance marketplaces will create new opportunities for people who lose their jobs and their employer-based health coverage, but consumer advocates worry they may not realize this and lock themselves into pricier coverage than they need.
These marketplaces open Oct. 1 and will allow individuals and small businesses to compare insurance coverage.
Individuals purchasing a policy outside the exchange won’t qualify for subsidies, however.
Texas has strict new regulations on abortion facilities and the doctors performing them. But a Texas Tribune review of state inspection records turned up little evidence to suggest the facilities were putting patients in danger.
Older people will pay more than the young, and smokers could face a surcharge.
The broad framework of Gov. Corbett’s proposal is similar to plans advanced by Arkansas and Iowa, neither of which has been approved by the federal government.
Officials won’t use “nuclear option” for fear of disrupting services to patients.
The group tackles wide-ranging list of concerns, but the lack of a financing plan raises strong objections from some members.
Nobody has a bigger financial stake in the success of Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges than hospitals. And few may work harder to sign up consumers than hospitals themselves.
Some enrollees will have to pay more for coverage in new exchanges, while others may lose out in states that do not expand Medicaid.
The administration ramps up its message that seniors with Medicare coverage do not need plans from the exchanges.
These include prescription drugs, emergency and hospital care and mental health services, among others.
The alternate Web pages may be created by interest groups, private insurance companies and sometimes scammers.
The health law created 24 nonprofit, insurance company startups that will compete with long established companies starting next month.
Lower-income buyers may get help paying the premium and help on covering expenses such as deductibles and co-payments.
A road in King Cove, Alaska would give 1,000 residents better access to emergency health care, but it would slice through a wildlife refuge. The decision rests with new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who toured the town in late August.
