Insurance Archives - Page 30 of 188

Maybe It’s a Health Care Election After All

Episode 338

March 14, 2024

Health care wasn’t expected to be a major theme for this year’s elections. But as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump secured their respective party nominations this week, the future of both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act appears to be up for debate. Meanwhile, the cyberattack of the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare continues to do damage to the companies’ finances with no quick end in sight. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Kelly Henning of Bloomberg Philanthropies about a new, four-part documentary series on the history of public health, “The Invisible Shield.” Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

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A photo of a mother sitting at a table with her young son.

A New $16,000 Postpartum Depression Drug Is Here. How Will Insurers Handle It?

A pill form of an effective drug for postpartum depression hit the market in December, but most insurers do not yet have a policy on when or whether they will pay for it. The hurdles to obtain its predecessor medication have advocates worried.

By April Dembosky, KQED

March 12, 2024

An Arm and a Leg

The Medicare Episode

Season 11, Episode 3

March 11, 2024

On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann breaks down the complicated and expensive world of Medicare with practical tips to pick the right plan and avoid penalties.

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A photo of President Biden speaking at a podium to a crowd seated before him.

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Biden Said State of the Union Is Strong and Made Clear His Campaign Is Off and Running

President Joe Biden used his roughly 68-minute address to Congress to counter lackluster public approval ratings and draw clear contrasts between his administration’s policies and those of Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans. Abortion and health care were in the spotlight.

By KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs

March 8, 2024

Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack

The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.

By Darius Tahir, Bernard J. Wolfson, and Daniel Chang

March 8, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The State of the Union Is … Busy

Episode 337

March 7, 2024

At last, Congress is getting half of its annual spending bills across the finish line, albeit five months after the start of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address, an over-the-counter birth control pill is (finally) available, and controversy erupts over new public health guidelines for covid-19 isolation. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser, about Biden’s health agenda. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

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A photo of a woman seen from behind working in a medical setting on a laptop.

Whistleblower Accuses Aledade, Largest US Independent Primary Care Network, of Medicare Fraud

A recently unsealed lawsuit alleges Aledade Inc. developed billing software that boosted revenues by making patients appear sicker than they were.

By Fred Schulte

March 5, 2024

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Examine Medicaid Unwinding, Farmworkers’ Mental Health, and the Big Opioid Payback

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 2, 2024

Letters to the Editor

Readers Call on Congress to Bolster Medicare and Fix Loopholes in Health Policy

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Feb. 29, 2024

Hacking at UnitedHealth Unit Cripples a Swath of the US Health System: What to Know

Change Healthcare, a firm recently bought by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The company processes 14 billion transactions annually, including payments and requests for insurance authorizations.

By Darius Tahir

Feb. 29, 2024

Close-up of senior woman holding a hearing aid.

Navigating Aging

Say That Again: Using Hearing Aids Can Be Frustrating for Older Adults, but Necessary

Hearing loss is more than a nuisance. It also raises the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, falls, depression, and social isolation.

By Judith Graham

Feb. 28, 2024

A photo of a woman holding a picture of her mother indoors.

Bill of the Month

Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight

Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.

By Tony Leys

Feb. 27, 2024

A positive pregnancy test rests on top of multiple $100 bills.

If You’re Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out of Reach

For low-income people who are on Medicaid or whose employer health plan is skimpy, help for infertility seems unattainable.

By Michelle Andrews

Feb. 26, 2024

The Health 202

Opposition to Medicaid Expansion Thaws in an Unexpected Place: The Deep South

By Daniel Chang and Andy Miller

Feb. 23, 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

Patients See First Savings From Biden’s Drug Price Push, as Pharma Lines Up Its Lawyers

A restructuring of the Medicare drug benefit has wiped out big drug bills for people who need expensive medicines. But the legal battle over drug negotiations means uncertainty over long-term savings.

By Arthur Allen

Feb. 16, 2024

Patrick Dunnagan stands outside his North Carolina home on a sunny day. He wears a plaid shirt and glasses.

Southern Lawmakers Rethink Long-Standing Opposition to Medicaid Expansion

While many Republican state lawmakers remain firmly against Medicaid expansion, some key leaders in holdout states are showing a willingness to reconsider. Public opinion, financial incentives, and widening health care needs make resistance harder.

By Daniel Chang and Andy Miller

Feb. 16, 2024

The Health 202

States Get in on the Prior Authorization Crackdown

By Bram Sable-Smith

Feb. 15, 2024

The Health 202

The No Surprises Act Comes With Some Surprises

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Feb. 14, 2024

A colorful cartoon drawing shows a hand holding a postcard. The postcard image is of a banner reading “LOW-COST LAND” and being held by two cherry-red Cupids. Below the Cupids are prescription bottles and a shopping bag decorated with hearts. Gold coins with wings decorate the background. Two U.S. passports are visible tucked behind the postcard.

For the Love of Health Care and Health Policy

KFF Health News shares the crème de la crème of reader-submitted health policy valentines. Two of our favorites melted our hearts and inspired original illustrations.

Feb. 14, 2024

Trump 2.0

Public Health

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