Uninsured Rate Falls To Record Low Of 8.8%
Census Bureau reports that 28.1 million people in the country were without insurance in 2016, down from 29 million the year before.
Insurance
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If You’re Blindsided By Health Plan Changes, Learn The Root Causes — And Your Rights
Insurers can reduce benefits or change cost sharing, but they are generally supposed to tell enrollees about the change beforehand. And although plans must tell patients when they are denied coverage, sometimes treatment is affected for other reasons.
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Quiz: How Well Are You Paying Attention?
To strengthen your core knowledge of health care policy, it helps to be a regular reader of Kaiser Health News. Here's a pop quiz to gauge what you have learned.
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Guess Who Pays The Price When Hospital Giants Hire Your Private Practitioner?
Gobbling up doctors’ independent practices is lucrative for hospital systems — but not necessarily a good deal for the physicians or consumers, critics say. Northern California is a case in point.
By Jenny Gold -
5 Governors Press Congress For Fast Bucks To Secure Obamacare Market In 2018
State leaders tell senators that federal dollars are needed this fall to keep insurers participating in Obamacare next year and prevent big hikes in premiums.
By Julie Rovner and Rachel Bluth -
Repeal & Replace Watch
Lawmakers Debate How Much Wiggle Room To Give States In Health Care
The federal health law includes a provision that allows states to alter some of its rules if they can think of a better way to provide health care to their residents, but it’s not clear how far outside the box states can go.
By Julie Rovner -
Congress’ Tight Timetable Complicates Renewal Of Children’s Health Plan
The Senate Finance Committee begins hearings Thursday on the program, which provides coverage to more than 9 million children and is up for renewal on Sept. 30.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
Insurance Commissioners Say Help Offered By Congress Is Not Enough To Save Market
Making needed fixes to Obamacare before next year may be more difficult — and expensive — than Senate leaders think, state insurance commissioners suggested at a Senate hearing Wednesday.
By Julie Rovner and Rachel Bluth -
Move To End DACA Leaves Some Young Immigrants Fearing For Their Health
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program made it possible for young adults who came into the country illegally as children to get jobs with insurance and, in some states including California, Medicaid. Now that coverage is in peril.
By Barbara Feder Ostrov and Anna Gorman -
Repeal & Replace Watch
Vital Health Officials You’ve Never Heard Of: Insurance Commissioners In The Hot Seat
The fate of the Affordable Care Act’s individual insurance marketplaces remains in play as state insurance commissioners take a central role in the debate.
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California, Other States To Extend Obamacare Sign-Up Beyond Federal Limit
Several state-based exchanges and the District of Columbia will allow people more than the 45 days set by the Trump administration.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
Trump Administration Whacks Millions From Budget Used To Push Obamacare
The federal government plans to spend millions of dollars less this year on advertising and outreach efforts to support the health law’s open enrollment period, which starts Nov. 1.
By Rachel Bluth and Phil Galewitz -
Repeal & Replace Watch
5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market
As lawmakers look for ways to stabilize the health law marketplaces, a number of ideas — such as expanding who can “buy in” to Medicare and Medicaid or pushing young adults off their parents’ plans into the marketplaces — might come into play.
By Julie Rovner -
Mayo Pain Expert: Holistic Approach Helps Patients Ditch Opioids
Painkillers were never designed to be used over the long term, says the head of the Mayo Clinic’s pain rehabilitation center. Instead, patients should try other approaches, including relaxation therapies. But getting insurers to cover them might take coaxing.
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What Happens If You’re Forced To Switch Health Plans When You’re Sick?
State lawmakers in California have an answer: legislation that would require your new insurer to keep paying for your current doctors even if they’re not in the network.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Back To Health Crunch Come September
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the continuing efforts in Congress to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, upcoming open enrollment for individual insurance and Congress’ long health care to-do list for September.
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Oregon, Texas Are Latest States To Put Down Markers On Abortion Coverage
The governors of both states signed abortion legislation last week. Texas will restrict insurance coverage while Oregon will require that it be covered.
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Too Few Patients Follow The Adage: You Better Shop Around
Three-quarters of participants in a newly released study said they did not know of resources for comparing health care costs, while half said that if a website were available to provide such information, they would use it.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
Often Missing In The Health Care Debate: Women’s Voices
When leaders in Washington discuss the future of American health care, women are not always in the room. Here, nine women share their personal stories, fears and hopes.
By Anna Gorman and Jenny Gold -
CBO: Killing Cost-Sharing Subsidies Would Hike Silver Plan Premiums And Deficit
The change would not be expected to have much long-term effect on the number of uninsured people. But it could cause a shift in which plans are popular with marketplace customers.