Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby discusses what changes could be in store for insurers.
Feds Face Challenges In Launching U.S. Health Exchange
Technical, political and financial obstacles loom as clock ticks toward 2014 deadline for operations.
Coverage Of Bariatric Surgery Is Spotty For Obese Kids
Experts in pediatric obesity say that caution is warranted, but some physicians see the operations as offering a safe chance to take off significant weight and avoid harmful disease.
My ER Doctor Is Billing Me For What Insurance Didn’t Pay, What Can I Do?
KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question about what to do when you’re billed by an out-of-network doctor for an in-network hospital visit.
Minnesota Health Exchange Demonstrations Online For Public Review
Until now, an insurance exchange in Minnesota, which will allow consumers to buy health insurance online and is part of the health overhaul, has been just an abstract idea. But now, prototypes for public review are now available online.
Some Companies Base Premiums On Employee’s Salary
Although few employers have used this strategy, consultants say it could help many in 2014 meet new requirements in the health law.
Study: Big Employers Could Dump Sickest Employees On To Exchanges
A loophole in the health law could allow employers to game the system by dumping their sicker employees onto health insurance exchanges.
Q&A: Is It Legal For Insurers To Deny Coverage Because Of A Pregnancy?
KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about whether or not insurers are required to cover maternity care on the individual market.
Both Patients And Physicians Can Suffer When Test Results Aren’t Reported
The push for better coordination of patient care, including the adoption of electronic medical records, should help improve the delivery of test results to patients from doctors and to doctors from those who perform the tests.
Q&A: My Daughter Is No Longer A Full-Time Student, Is She Still Covered?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother about a provision in the health law about extending coverage to children under the age of 26.
Despite Deep Opposition To Health Law, Ga. Contemplates Exchange
Georgia is not alone. A number of Republican states, including some in the South, are hedging their bets and planning health insurance marketplaces to avoid a version designed by Washington.
What To Remember During Health Insurance Open Enrollment Season
Our “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews has advice on how to pick a plan for next year, including: Don’t assume your plan will be the same next year.
South Carolina’s Waiting Game On Health Insurance Exchange
The state is likely to decide against creating its own exchange, opting instead to let the federal government build the marketplace, one of the central features of the health law.
Analysis: Keys To The Supreme Court’s Health Law Review
In this analysis, Stuart Taylor writes that the case is “especially momentous” because it will determine the future of the health law — President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The ruling also will likely occur during the midst of the 2012 presidential election season.
FAQ On HSAs: The Basics Of Health Savings Accounts
Health Savings Accounts are increasingly among the options that consumers can consider when making their health insurance choices. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages they offer.
The Accidental (Medical) Tourist
Michelle Andrews shares with Jackie Judd about the health care system ordeal she went through after a bike accident in Canada landed her in the hospital there and about the follow-up care she got in the U.S.
Minnesota GOP Wrestles With Health Exchange Questions
The state could end up with an exchange run by the federal government, and some lawmakers think that’s a risk worth taking.
In Kansas, Republicans Can’t Agree On Insurance Exchanges
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback sent back a $31.5 million federal grant and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger worries it’s not sound policy.
$6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On 12 Unnecessary Tests And Treatments
The conclusion comes from a study that looked at procedures and prescriptions ordered by primary care doctors frequently.
Big Insurer Fights Back In Court Against Regulation Of Profit Margin
The case brought by Anthem Health Plans of Maine could have regulatory repercussions around the country.
