Latest KFF Health News Stories
Texas Has High Stakes in Lawsuit Over Health Law
Nearly 1 million Texans who signed up for health insurance through healthcare.gov would be affected if the court invalidates subsidies in federal exchange states – and not just the ones getting subsidies.
Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role
Despite an uneasy relationship with the health law, insurance brokers are touting their expertise and helping Texans sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance.
5 Tips For Procrastinators Who Need To Buy Health Insurance
The deadline for enrolling in coverage for 2015 is Sunday. Officials say people still have time to get through the process, but they should move quickly.
UnitedHealthcare’s Efforts To Join California Marketplace Meet Resistance
The request ran afoul of the official policy against allowing most insurers to join the statewide exchange for three years that didn’t choose to sell there when it opened in 2014. But officials last month also made some exceptions for insurers that want to operate in poorly served areas.
Beyond ‘Repeal And Replace,’ Ideas Emerge To Improve, Simplify Health Law
Health policy experts present a list of possible fixes to the health law, including changing how subsidies are calculated and eliminating the individual mandate.
Despite Efforts, Latino ACA Enrollment Lags
Still, since October 2013, 2.6 million Latinos gained insurance through the health law, according to HHS. As of last June, the percentage of Latinos without health insurance dropped from 36 percent to 23 percent, but Latinos still face extra paperwork and language barriers.
Obamacare Enrollment Falling Short In Washington State
While enrollment in the state’s Medicaid program has surged, the number of residents signing up for private plans is less than expected as the Feb. 15 deadline looms.
Despite Health Law Rules, Some Contraceptives May Require Co-Payments
The health overhaul mandated that insurers cover all costs for FDA-approved methods of birth control, but advocates and consumers say some plans have placed certain generic birth control pills among classes of drugs that require cost sharing.
GOP Chairmen Offer Alternative To Health Law
Sens. Orrin Hatch and Richard Burr join with Rep. Fred Upton to renew a proposal to repeal the health law but preserve some tax credits for insurance and cuts to some Medicare providers.
Medical Debt Still a Problem Under Health Law — Despite Protections
The health law was supposed to keep people from going broke, but despite limits on how much people will have to pay in the face of a medical catastrophe, many are still struggling to pay their health care bills.
Why Florida Is No. 1 In Obamacare Enrollment Despite GOP Opposition
More Floridians have signed up for private health exchange plans than in any other state thanks to online mapping tools, coordinated outreach efforts and insurers’ involvement — and in spite of Republican opposition.
Insurance Choices Dwindle In Rural California As Blue Shield Pulls Back
Blue Shield of California stopped selling individual plans on the state health insurance exchange in about 250 zip codes, leaving nearly 30,000 residents with only one insurer to choose from on the exchange.
IRS Eases Repayment Rules For Excess Health Premium Subsidies
Health insurance marketplace customers who received too much in tax credits in 2014 won’t face a late penalty if they don’t pay back the money by April 15, but they still face interest charges.
Mixed Results For Obamacare Tests In Primary-Care Innovation
Early reports show two major medical-home experiments run by the health law’s Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation reduced hospitalizations in some cases but are still working to cut overall costs.
Some Seeking Insurance Told They Didn’t Qualify, Others Balked At Cost, Poll Finds
Confusion about federal assistance stymied many from getting insurance in the first year of the health law marketplaces.
Indiana Medicaid Expansion May Tempt Other GOP-Led States
A three-year agreement between Indiana and the federal government imposes cost-sharing on poor adults and uses a cigarette tax and a fee on hospitals to pay the state’s costs of expanding Medicaid — and could lead to other GOP-led states following suit.
If Supreme Court Rules Against Insurance Subsidies, Most Want Them Restored
A new poll shows that most Americans favor governmental action to restore subsidies if the Supreme Court limits their availability.
One South Florida ZIP Code Leads The Nation In Obamacare Enrollment
Saturation advertising in one Hispanic-heavy city in South Florida has led to unusually high rates of health plan sign-ups through the federal insurance exchange — and they lead the nation in health law insurance enrollment.
‘Orthopedic Capital Of The World’ Is Still Hiring Despite Health Law Tax
The medical device industry hopes a GOP Congress will repeal what they say is a job-killing tax, but critics say companies exaggerate its impact.
Do I Have To Repay Premium Tax Credits If The Marketplace Miscalculated Them?
KHN’s consumer columnist answers questions from readers about premiums, the health law’s tax credits and penalties.
