Insurance Archives - Page 10 of 191

RFK Jr.’s Very Bad Week

Episode 437

March 12, 2026

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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Don Gaetz claps during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol.

Florida Hasn’t Expanded Medicaid. Lawmakers Want To Add Work Requirements Anyway.

Florida is not mandated to add work requirements for Medicaid, because the state has not expanded eligibility to more low-income adults. But lawmakers have proposed requiring some adults in the state’s program to work anyway, a policy that could leave many uninsured.

By Daniel Chang

March 9, 2026

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Explain a Spat Over Sugary Coffee and How Measles Fools Doctors

KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 7, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

40 Years of Health Policy

Episode 436

March 5, 2026

This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two longtime sources to discuss what has — and has not — changed since 1986.

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A photo of health insurance paperwork with a stethoscope and calculator resting on top.

Listen: What To Do When Health Insurance Slips Out of Reach

2026 has been a challenging year to buy health insurance. Contributing factors include changes to the Medicaid program and hikes to the cost of Obamacare plans. But doctors and researchers say there are ways people without insurance can find affordable care.

By Sam Whitehead

March 5, 2026

A man and woman seated at a table with papers, bills, receipts, and a calculator in front of them

Bill of the Month

Even Patients Are Shocked by the Prices Their Insurers Will Pay — And It Costs All of Us

Health care prices are on the rise, and patients are flummoxed that even insurance companies aren’t doing more to control costs.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

March 3, 2026

An older male dentist performs a cleaning on a young boy patient. A female hygienist is seen blurred in the foreground.

Medicaid Is Paying for More Dental Care. GOP Cuts Threaten To Reverse the Trend.

More than three dozen states cover dental services for low-income and disabled individuals on Medicaid, in recognition of such care’s importance to overall health. But with about $900 billion in funding cuts expected to hit states over the next decade, many programs could roll back dental coverage.

By Phil Galewitz

March 2, 2026

A South Asian man sits by the window at a table. He rests his elbow on the table with his hand on his chin. He looks contemplative.

Bill of the Month

He Needs an Expensive Drug. A Copay Card Helped — Until It Didn’t.

Diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, a California man was prescribed a drug that costs thousands of dollars a month. He said he was reassured that the drugmaker’s copay card would cover his share, but after two months, the card was empty.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Feb. 27, 2026

A husband sits in a chair conversing with his wife, who is in a wheelchair.

Priced Out

‘Kind of Morbid’: Health Premiums Threaten Their Nest Egg. A Terminal Diagnosis May Spare It.

Chaz and Jean Franklin were facing a sevenfold increase in their health premium payments with the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans at the end of 2025. Then Jean received a crushing diagnosis that will claim her life but save the couple money.

By Christine Mai-Duc

Feb. 26, 2026

Photo of the exterior of a stone building with a sign that says "Internal Revenue Service" along with a traffic light next to it

Priced Out

When It Comes to Health Insurance, Federal Dollars Support More Than ACA Plans

Questions of fairness came up in last year’s congressional debate about extending Obamacare’s enhanced subsidies. Critics wondered why the federal government should underwrite coverage costs for people with ACA coverage. In truth, though, almost all health insurance in the U.S. comes with some federal help.

By Julie Appleby

Feb. 20, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Turnarounds and Shake-Ups

Episode 434

Feb. 19, 2026

The twists and turns continue at the nation’s health agency, where this week’s announcements included notice that the FDA will review Moderna’s new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms — and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.

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Aerial view of buildings in a city with foothills and mountains in the background

Priced Out

Nevada Debuts Public Option Amid Tumultuous Federal Changes to Health Care

The state recently became the third to offer a public option health plan through its Affordable Care Act marketplace. But researchers said it’s unlikely to fill the gaps left by sweeping changes at the federal level.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Feb. 19, 2026

An illustration of various multi-color squares with dots and lines.

Deadly Denials

Red and Blue States Alike Want To Limit AI in Insurance. Trump Wants To Limit the States.

A revolt is afoot in both red and blue states against the use of artificial intelligence in health insurance determinations — and against efforts led by President Donald Trump to tie states’ hands.

By Darius Tahir and Lauren Sausser

Feb. 18, 2026

HealthCare Helpline

Listen: Why Do I Need Prior Authorization?

When the doctor says you need a prescription or treatment, sometimes you need approval from your health insurance first. Without it, they won’t pay. Health reporter Sarah Boden joins “Life Kit” host Marielle Segarra to discuss prior authorization.

By Sarah Boden

Feb. 17, 2026

A vector illustration of a "$" symbol between two hands.

Trump Required Hospitals To Post Their Prices for Patients. Mostly It’s the Industry Using the Data.

Politicians have pushed for price transparency in health care. But instead of patients shopping for services, it’s mostly health systems and insurers that are using the information, as fodder for negotiations over pay.

By Darius Tahir

Feb. 17, 2026

The Week in Brief

ACA Subsidies Expired. Open Enrollment Ended. But It Will Still Take Awhile To Register the Results.

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Julie Appleby

Feb. 13, 2026

A photo of a White House event: President Trump sits at a table. To the right of him is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Mehmet Oz sits to Kennedy's right. All three men have microphones across from them.

Trump Team’s Planned ACA Rule Offers Its Answer to Rising Premium Costs: Catastrophic Coverage

Sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year have been proposed by the Trump administration that focus on making more insurance plans available with higher annual out-of-pocket costs but lower premiums.

By Julie Appleby

Feb. 13, 2026

A hand drawn cartoon of a person sitting amongst heart-shaped pillows. They've opened a letter from a hospital, which includes an upcoded bill for "#truluv" and an X-ray showing a heart that isn't full.

Health Care Heartaches: Your Winning Health Policy Valentines

KFF Health News shares our favorite reader-submitted health policy valentines. One struck us in the heart and inspired an original cartoon.

By KFF Health News Staff

Feb. 13, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks

Episode 433

Feb. 12, 2026

It’s been a busy week at the FDA, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application for a new flu vaccine. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Republicans on Capitol Hill complain the agency is dragging its feet on reviewing the abortion pill mifepristone. Jackie Fortiér of KFF Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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New Medicaid Work Rules Likely To Hit Middle-Aged Adults Hard

Republicans have said new rules requiring many Medicaid participants to work 80 hours a month will pinpoint unemployed young people who should have jobs. Policy researchers say the rules are more likely to disrupt coverage for middle-aged adults, harming their physical and financial health.

By Samantha Liss and Sam Whitehead

Feb. 11, 2026

Trump 2.0

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