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Health providers and patients in Brownsville make do with one of the nation’s highest uninsured rates. With billions in federal funding on the line, Texas counties along the border with Mexico plead their case to Gov. Rick Perry.
Under these plans, if a policyholder’s health costs don’t exceed the deductible, that deductible is trimmed the following year. But consumer advocates warn this may discriminate against sick people and run afoul of the health law.
One in five households in the United States has only a tenuous relationship with a traditional bank, and many of these people are also uninsured. It’s still an open question how the unbanked will buy insurance on the exchanges.
An increasing number of consumers have these plans with lower premiums, but they must cover the first $1,000, $5,000 or even $10,000 of care before insurance kicks in, providing an incentive to haggle with doctors and hospitals.
States will have the option to use data from food stamps, other programs, to enroll adults in Medicaid. Officials say the changes are geared to states that are expanding the program next year, but they may also be adopted by others.
As Republicans raise new questions about the IRS’ responsibilities in implementing and enforcing the health law, KHN’S Mary Agnes Carey talks to Joanna Kerpen, a partner at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery, about the job ahead for the agency.
Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about having to repay an insurer that says it reimbursed too much after the patient received care from an out-of-network provider.
A new law passed this year says Oklahoma patients who are disabled, elderly or terminally ill cannot be denied life-preserving treatments if they or their health proxies want it.
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico Pro about the Senate’s confirmation Wednesday of Marilyn Tavenner to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the challenges she faces.
In places where medical care is scare, medical schools — like Florida International University — are connecting students with people who need to see a doctor, and making it a major part of their curriculum.
Physicians are experimenting with new business models and practice techniques in response to financial and lifestyle pressures.
