Insurance Archives - Page 44 of 187

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

April 7, 2022

A patient hands over an insurance card to a doctor.

The End of the Covid Emergency Could Mean a Huge Loss of Health Insurance

It is a perilous time to throw low- and middle-income Americans off the insurance cliff: A new omicron subvariant is spreading, and a program that provided coronavirus testing and covid-19 treatment at no cost to the uninsured has expired.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

April 6, 2022

ACA Sign-Ups for Low-Income People Roll Out Amid Brokers’ Concerns About Losing Their Cut

The Biden administration unveiled a new special enrollment option aimed at signing up low-income Americans for Affordable Care Act coverage — even if it is outside of the usual annual open enrollment period. But insurers are cutting broker commissions at the same time.

By Julie Appleby

April 5, 2022

Stacy Whitford sits in her house on the right, facing a window. Her son sits on the floor in the corner on the left.

Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting for Medicaid Coverage Is a Sign of What’s to Come

The pandemic crisis has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, already delaying access to the insurance program in Missouri. As the public health emergency ends, low-income people nationwide could find it even harder to have coverage.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan

April 4, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Funding for the Next Pandemic

In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn’t include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid-19. Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people 50 and older yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when. Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.

March 31, 2022

Sean Deines sits at a table in his home with his wife, Rebekah, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders.

Bill of the Month

The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride

Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.

By Julie Appleby

March 25, 2022

A woman is seen holding a bill in her hands while talking on the phone with a distraught expression. The camera shows her from a birds-eye view with a notebook and pen on the table beside her.

How to Avoid Surprise Bills — And the Pitfalls in the New Law

The No Surprises Act offers protection from many surprise medical bills — but that protection may be only as good as a patient’s knowledge of the law and ability to make sure it’s enforced. Here’s what you need to know.

By Dan Weissmann

March 16, 2022

Tim Barrage stands next to Gloria Bailey outside her home in Akron, Ohio.

Medicare Advantage Plans Send Pals to Seniors’ Homes for Companionship — And Profits

Many Medicare Advantage plans send caregivers to the homes of seniors periodically to help with housework and provide companionship. But the workers may also prod seniors into activities that boost the plans’ Medicare ratings and federal reimbursements.

By Phil Galewitz

March 15, 2022

A woman is seen lying down in an operating room, a tear in her eye. A doula holds a hand to her cheek.

Want Vulnerable Californians to Have Healthier Pregnancies? Doulas Say the State Must Pay Up.

California was supposed to start paying doulas this year to help Medicaid enrollees have healthy pregnancies. But the benefit has been delayed because doulas feel lowballed by the state’s proposed reimbursement rate, which is below what most other states pay.

By Rachel Bluth

March 15, 2022

Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans

Private and public employers are increasingly using the government’s Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the “overwhelming majority” of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.

By Susan Jaffe

March 3, 2022

A bottle of Truvada, an HIV prevention drug, tips out blue pills onto a pill counting tray.

HIV Preventive Care Is Supposed to Be Free in the US. So, Why Are Some Patients Still Paying?

The Department of Labor issued rules in July clarifying that health plans need to cover the costs of prescription drugs proven to prevent HIV infection, along with related lab tests and medical appointments, at no cost to patients. More than half a year later, the erroneous billing continues.

By Sarah Varney

March 3, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom raises his right hand while talking to reporters at a press conference.

The Demise of Single-Payer in California Trips Up Efforts in Other States

The failure of single-payer health care legislation in California casts doubt on the ability of other states to pass government-run, universal health care. But activists in New York, Washington state, and elsewhere say they are taking lessons from California and changing their tactics.

By Angela Hart

Feb. 28, 2022

Sen. Rick Scott counts on his fingers while speaking during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Plan to Fix Postal Service Shifts New Retirees to Medicare — Along With Billions in Costs

After a years-long bitter partisan fight over reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s finances and service, congressional leaders say they have a compromise. The bill, which has won endorsements from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, would force future Postal Service retirees to use Medicare as their primary source of health coverage.

By Michael McAuliff

Feb. 25, 2022

A pharmacist places a customer's prescription medication into a paper bag

Changes to Medi-Cal’s Troubled Drug Program Reduce Backlog in California, but Problems Persist

After a troubled start to the new Medi-Cal prescription drug program, the state’s contractor has hired staffers to reduce wait times for medication approvals and patients seeking help. But some doctors and clinics report that patients continue to face delays.

By Samantha Young

Feb. 24, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Contemplating a Post-‘Roe’ World

In anticipation of the Supreme Court rolling back abortion rights this year, both Democrats and Republicans are arguing among themselves over how best to proceed to either protect or restrict the procedure. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance when the federal government declares an end to the current “public health emergency.” Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Jay Hancock, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a couple whose insurance company deemed their twins’ stay in intensive care not an emergency.

Feb. 24, 2022

Bill of the Month

An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills

The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family’s twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was “not medically necessary.” The family’s experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.

By Jay Hancock

Feb. 23, 2022

Other States Keep Watchful Eye on Snags in Washington’s Pioneering Public-Option Plan

Washington was the first state in the U.S. to introduce a public option for health insurance, but the rollout hasn’t been smooth. Other states with public options in the works are taking notice.

By Markian Hawryluk

Feb. 23, 2022

Missouri Takes Months to Process Medicaid Applications — Longer Than Law Allows

Missouri has more people waiting to have their Medicaid applications processed than it has approved since the expansion of the federal-state health insurance program. Although most states process Medicaid applications within a week, Missouri is taking, on average, more than two months. Patient advocates fear that means people will stay uninsured longer, leading them to postpone care or get stuck with high medical bills.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Phil Galewitz

Feb. 18, 2022