Insurance

Latest KFF Health News Stories

A Rules Change Would Open the ACA to ‘Dreamers’

KFF Health News Original

It’s that time of year again: open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance — a period that runs from tomorrow to Jan. 15 in most states, a bit longer in some, and shorter in Idaho. One of the biggest changes this time around: a new rule from the Biden administration that opens enrollment to Deferred […]

For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes

KFF Health News Original

Medications such as methadone can cut the risk of a fatal opioid overdose in half. Medicaid covers the medication. But as state Medicaid programs reevaluated coverage of each enrollee following a pause in disenrollments during the covid-19 pandemic, some patients lost a crucial pillar of their sobriety.

‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll in ACA Plans This Year — But a Court Challenge Could Get in the Way

KFF Health News Original

Nineteen states are seeking to stall a Biden administration rule that would allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in ACA coverage and qualify for subsidies. DACA provides work authorization and temporary deportation protection to people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork.

Presidential Election Puts Affordable Care Act Back in the Bull’s-Eye

KFF Health News Original

The outcome of the upcoming presidential election could affect the number of insured Americans, the fate of premium-reducing subsidies, the shape of Medicaid, and the cost of coverage for tens of millions of people.

PBM Math: Big Chains Are Paid $23.55 To Fill a Blood Pressure Rx. Small Drugstores? $1.51.

KFF Health News Original

Criticism of prescription drug middlemen has intensified recently in the wake of a federal agency’s actions and legislative reform attempts. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, though, vetoed a related bill that would have helped independent pharmacies, citing the unfunded cost of the move.

Beneficiarios de Medicare gastarán menos en medicamentos en 2025

KFF Health News Original

El período de inscripción anual para que los beneficiarios de Medicare renueven o cambien su cobertura de medicamentos, o elijan un plan Medicare Advantage, comenzó el 15 de octubre y se extiende hasta el 7 de diciembre.

California Continues Progressive Policies, With Restraint, in Divisive Election Year

KFF Health News Original

This legislative cycle, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills affirming reproductive rights and mandating insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization, but the Democrat was reluctant to impose new regulations and frequently cited costs for vetoing bills.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': LIVE From KFF: Health Care and the 2024 Election

Podcast

The Affordable Care Act has not been a major issue in the 2024 campaign, but abortion and reproductive rights have been front and center. Those are just two of the dozens of health issues that could be profoundly affected by who is elected president and which party controls Congress in 2025. In this special live episode, Tamara Keith of NPR, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Cynthia Cox and Ashley Kirzinger of KFF join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss how health policy has affected the campaign and how the election results might affect health policy. Plus, the panel answers questions from the live audience.

Harris apoya la reducción de la deuda médica. Los “conceptos” de Trump preocupan a defensores.

KFF Health News Original

La administración Biden ha ampliado las protecciones financieras para los pacientes, incluyendo una propuesta histórica de la Oficina de Protección Financiera del Consumidor (CFPB) para eliminar la deuda médica de los informes de crédito de los consumidores.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Yet Another Promise for Long-Term Care Coverage

Podcast

As part of her presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris has rolled out a plan for Medicare to provide in-home long-term care services. The proposal would fill a longtime need for families trying to simultaneously care for young children and older parents, but its enormous price tag makes it a promise unlikely to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, a growing number of Republican candidates up and down the ballot facing voter backlash over their support for abortion restrictions are trying to reinvent their positions. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, excerpts from a KFF lunch with “Shark Tank” panelist and generic drug discounter Mark Cuban, who has been consulting with the Harris campaign about health care issues.

Montana Looks To Fast-Track Medicaid Access for Older Applicants

KFF Health News Original

As Montana’s population ages, providers serving low-income seniors say more people aren’t getting the care they need as they wait to get on Medicaid. Montana lawmakers are considering creating a shortcut to that care.

Employers Haven’t a Clue How Their Drug Benefits Are Managed

KFF Health News Original

The Big Three pharmacy benefit managers say they return nearly all the rebates they get from drugmakers to the employers and insurers who hire them. But most employers seem to doubt that.