Uninsured Archives - Page 2 of 31

Here Come the ACA Premium Hikes

Episode 407

July 24, 2025

Medicaid may have monopolized Washington’s attention lately, but big changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act as well. Meanwhile, Americans are learning more about what’s in Trump’s big budget law, and polls suggest many don’t like what they see. Julie Appleby of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews historian Jonathan Oberlander to mark Medicare’s 60th anniversary.

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A group of protesters stand holding signs. One large sign reads, "Death by a trillion cuts: Medicaid cuts kill." Others hold signs shaped like tombstones that read, "Here lies America's future," and "R.I.P. Sacrificed for the rich."

Too Sick To Work, Some Americans Worry Trump’s Bill Will Strip Their Health Insurance

Republicans claim 4.8 million Americans on Medicaid who could work choose not to. The GOP’s work-requirement legislation could sweep up disabled people who say they’re unable to hold jobs.

By Phil Galewitz and Stephanie Armour

June 27, 2025

Two men walk through an underground tunnel made of concrete. They face the photographer and shine a flashlight in front of them as they walk.

Postcard From Las Vegas

Caseworkers Coax Homeless People out of Las Vegas’ Tunnels for Treatment

Street medicine providers and homeless outreach workers who travel into Las Vegas’ drainage tunnels have noticed an uptick in the number of people living underground, and it can be difficult to persuade them to come aboveground for medicine and treatment.

By Angela Hart

Dec. 23, 2024

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (left) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma (right) sit at a table facing the camera while they sign papers. Nine other individuals in business attire stand in a row behind them. Everyone is wearing face masks.

Georgia’s Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps

Georgia’s ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s “Pathways” Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.

By Andy Miller, Renuka Rayasam, and Sam Whitehead

Dec. 5, 2024

A photo of a man checking a maple tree outside.

In Vermont, Where Almost Everyone Has Insurance, Many Can’t Find or Afford Care

Vermont has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the U.S., even though its residents pay some of the highest health insurance costs. Still, most of its hospitals are losing money and patients often face long waits for care.

By Phil Galewitz

Nov. 6, 2024

A photo of a piece of paper with the words "insured" and "uninsured" on it. "Uninsured" is circled with a red colored pencil.

US Uninsured Rate Was Stable in 2023, Even as States’ Medicaid Purge Began

About 8% of Americans lacked health insurance in 2023, the Census Bureau announced. But its report doesn’t capture the effect of states winnowing their Medicaid rolls by millions of people since the pandemic emergency ended.

By Phil Galewitz

Sept. 10, 2024

A photo illustration showing Arizona colored bright green and Florida colored in bright yellow. They are on separate ends of the canvas with small grid designs behind them.

A Tale of Two States: Arizona and Florida Diverge on How To Expand Kids’ Health Insurance

Both Florida and Arizona want to expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but their approaches to charging low-income families premiums for the coverage showcase the nation’s ideological divide on helping the disadvantaged.

By Daniel Chang

June 20, 2024

A nurse holds the hand of a patient in a home setting.

Funding Instability Plagues Program That Brings Docs to Underserved Areas

A medical residency program designed to train future primary care physicians in outpatient rather than hospital settings has proved an effective means to bring doctors to rural and underserved areas. But it hinges on unpredictable congressional funding.

By Michelle Andrews

June 13, 2024

A man with brown hair and bear stands outside by a tree and looks at the camera.

Bill of the Month

He Fell Ill on a Cruise. Before He Boarded the Rescue Boat, They Handed Him the Bill.

A man from Michigan was evacuated from a cruise ship after having seizures. First, he drained his bank account to pay his medical bills.

By Bram Sable-Smith

May 22, 2024

A photo of a health insurance form with a spotlight on "Medicaid."

Nearly 1 in 4 Adults Dumped From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured, Survey Finds

A first-of-its-kind survey of Medicaid enrollees found that nearly a quarter who were dropped from the program in the last year’s unwinding say they’re uninsured.

By Phil Galewitz

April 12, 2024

Pediatrician Patricia Braun (left) and Valerie Cuzella (right) sit side by side in a dental exam room.

Doctors Take On Dental Duties to Reach Low-Income and Uninsured Patients

More doctors are integrating oral health care into their practices, filling a need in America’s dental deserts.

By Kate Ruder

April 10, 2024

A portrait of Antonio Abundis. He stands in front of a colorful mural on a sunny day.

California’s Expanded Health Coverage for Immigrants Collides With Medicaid Reviews

A state policy to extend Medi-Cal to qualified Californians without legal residency is running up against a federal requirement to resume eligibility checks. The redetermination process is causing many Latinos, who make up a majority of Medi-Cal beneficiaries, to be disenrolled.

By Jasmine Aguilera, El Tímpano

March 22, 2024

A woman with short blonde hair stands in a park outdoors. She is wearing a striped t-shirt, jeans, a black cardigan and a silver cross around her neck

In California, Faceoff Between Major Insurer and Health System Shows Hazards of Consolidation

Even as Anthem Blue Cross and University of California Health announced a contract agreement this month, analysts say patients are increasingly at risk of being affected by such disputes.

By Annie Sciacca

Feb. 19, 2024

A photo of a doctor holding a clipboard in front of a patient labeled, "Health insurance claim form."

Halfway Through ‘Unwinding,’ Medicaid Enrollment Is Down About 10 Million

While more Medicaid beneficiaries have been purged in the span of a year than ever before, enrollment is on track to settle at pre-pandemic levels.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 7, 2024

The Health 202

Halfway Through ‘Unwinding,’ Medicaid Enrollment Is Down About 10 Million

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 6, 2024

A photo of Mary Lou Retton posing for a photo outside of SiriusXM's studios.

Mary Lou Retton’s Explanation of Health Insurance Takes Some Somersaults

The gold-medal gymnast’s explanation of why she remained uninsured has health policy experts doing mental gymnastics — because it makes little sense.

By Julie Appleby

Jan. 12, 2024

A patient handing a slip of paper to a doctor.

Most People Dropped in Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Never Tried to Renew Coverage, Utah Finds

Medicaid officials in Utah conducted a survey to answer a burning question in health policy: What happened to people dropped from the program in the post-pandemic “unwinding”?

By Phil Galewitz

Jan. 4, 2024

The Health 202

Utah Survey Shows Why So Many People Were Dumped From Medicaid

By Phil Galewitz

Jan. 3, 2024

A close up photograph of an unrecognizable female nurse measuring blood pressure of a woman.

States Expand Health Coverage for Immigrants as GOP Hits Biden Over Border Crossings

More than 1 million immigrants, most lacking permanent legal status, are covered by state health programs. Several states, including GOP-led Utah, will soon add or expand such coverage.

By Phil Galewitz

Dec. 28, 2023

A photo of a doctor taking a patient's blood pressure.

Asking Never Hurts

Bold Changes Are in Store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but Will Patients Benefit?

California’s Medicaid program is undergoing major changes that could improve health care for residents with low incomes. But they are happening at the same time as several other initiatives that could compete for staff attention and confuse enrollees.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Dec. 22, 2023

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