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Feds urge states to encourage cheaper plans off the exchanges

For those who make too much money to qualify for health insurance subsidies on the individual market, there may be no Goldilocks moment when shopping for a plan. No choice is just right.

14 Aug 2018

Medicaid expansion making diabetes meds more accessible to poor, study shows

Low-income people with diabetes are better able to afford their medications and manage their disease in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a new study suggests.

6 Aug 2018

States attacking ACA would hurt most if shield on preexisting conditions were axed

If the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting medical conditions are struck down in court, residents of the Republican-led states that are challenging the law have the most to lose.

17 Jul 2018

Judge blocks Kentucky Medicaid work requirement

A federal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration decision allowing states to force low-income adults to work to qualify for Medicaid.

29 Jun 2018

Administration challenges ACA’s preexisting conditions protection in court

The Trump administration is refusing to defend key parts of the Affordable Care Act, essentially arguing that federal courts should find the health law's protection for people with preexisting conditions unconstitutional.

11 Jun 2018

A hospital ER charges an ‘after-hours’ fee. Who has to pay it?

This week, I responded to readers who were unhappy with their health plan's decision not to pay an emergency department surcharge for after-hours care and concerned about difficulties getting Medicare to cover claims unrelated to a workers' compensation injury.

5 Jun 2018

Health care simmers on back burner in California heartland’s hot house races

About a dozen mostly retired locals took over a corner of a busy intersection on a recent Saturday afternoon in this San Joaquin Valley city, toting signs that read "Dump Denham 2018."

4 Jun 2018

Americans have mixed feelings about the ACA’s future — but like their plans

Most Americans are happy with the insurance they buy on the individual market, yet those same people think the markets are collapsing before their eyes.

3 Apr 2018

ACA’s popularity grows, even as GOP lauds change to requirement to have coverage

Despite President Donald Trump’s boasting that "we have essentially repealed Obamacare," a new poll shows the Affordable Care Act is more popular than ever. In fact, many people don't know Congress repealed the ACA's penalty for not having insurance.

1 Mar 2018

In battleground races, health care lags as hot-button issue, poll finds

As the midterm elections approach, health care ranks as the top issue, mentioned more frequently among voters nationwide than among those living in areas with competitive races, a new poll finds.

27 Jan 2018

Trump administration clears way to require work for some Medicaid enrollees

The Trump administration early Thursday initiated a pivotal change in the Medicaid program, announcing that for the first time the federal government will allow states to test work requirements as a condition for coverage.

11 Jan 2018

Sign-up deadline is Friday, but some people may get extra time

Open enrollment on the federal health law's marketplace ends Friday, and most people who want a plan for next year need to meet the deadline.

12 Dec 2017

About a third of Americans unaware of Obamacare open enrollment

While the Affordable Care Act's fifth open enrollment season is off to a surprisingly good start, many uninsured people said they weren't even aware of it, according to a survey released Friday.

17 Nov 2017

Despite ACA cost protections, most adolescents skip regular checkups

As children move through adolescence, some face health hurdles like obesity, sexually transmitted infections, depression and drug abuse. Regular checkups could help families address such problems, and the Affordable Care Act paved the way by requiring insurers to fully cover well-child visits, at no charge to patients.

17 Nov 2017

Funding for ACA sign-up campaigns varies widely from state to state

If you buy insurance on your own and have been paying attention to the Affordable Care Act, you’ve probably heard that open enrollment for 2018 plans has just started and the government is spending a lot less money this year to get the word out.

1 Nov 2017

Rising health insurance costs frighten some early retirees

Don and Debra Clark of Springfield, Mo., are glad they have health insurance. Don is 56 and Debra is 58. The Clarks say they know the risk of an unexpected illness or medical event is rising as they age and they must have coverage.

1 Nov 2017

Enrollment news to bank on: Obamacare is still here so it’s time for coverage checkup

The open enrollment period begins in one week for 2018 marketplace coverage, but many consumers are confused about what to expect. No wonder!

24 Oct 2017

Trump acting solo: What you need to know about changes to the health law

Apparently frustrated by Congress' inability to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump this week decided to take matters into his own hands.

13 Oct 2017

While Trump moves to dismantle health law, public favors repair

President Donald Trump has collided with a wave of public disagreement by moving to strip the Affordable Care Act of provisions intended to keep insurance prices stable.

13 Oct 2017

AGS continues to offer support to bipartisan collaboration for better health system

Presidential action to alter current law risks undermining progress made by Congress, the American people, and a cadre of healthcare stakeholders to improve care access, care quality, and care costs for us all as we age, so say experts at the American Geriatrics Society evaluating recent orders by the Trump Administration.

13 Oct 2017