Health Reform News and Research

RSS

Stopping the churn: Why some states want to guarantee Medicaid coverage from birth to age 6

Before the covid-19 public health emergency began in 2020, millions of children churned on and off Medicaid each year — an indication that many were losing coverage because of administrative problems, rather than because their family's income had increased and made them ineligible.

10 Nov 2022

Open enrollment for marketplace health plans is soon. Here’s what you need to know.

It's fall again, meaning shorter days, cooler temperatures, and open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance — sign-ups begin this week for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2023.

31 Oct 2022

Court ruling may spur competitive health plans to bring back copays for preventive services

Tom and Mary Jo York are a health-conscious couple, going in for annual physicals and periodic colorectal cancer screening tests. Mary Jo, whose mother and aunts had breast cancer, also gets regular mammography tests.

15 Sep 2022

Medical bills can shatter lives. North Carolina may act to ‘de-weaponize’ that debt.

When Erin Williams-Reavis faced a $3,500 surgery bill, the hospital offered to let her pay in $300 monthly installments.

21 Jun 2022

ACA sign-ups for low-income people roll out amid brokers’ concerns about losing their cut

Insurance agent Cindy Holtzman was a little surprised by the notice from Bright HealthCare, one of the insurers that offer Affordable Care Act coverage in her area.

5 Apr 2022

Fact check: Biden sets high bar in 1st State of the Union speech

President Joe Biden argued forcefully for the power of democracy while calling out Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a March 1 State of the Union address that soon turned to the domestic concerns of the economy, inflation, and covid-19.

2 Mar 2022

Biden’s blanket statement — ‘no more surprise billing’ — doesn’t quite cover it

During a Feb. 10 speech about lowering health care costs, President Joe Biden made a sweeping declaration that Americans would no longer need to worry about surprise medical bills.

1 Mar 2022

An $80,000 tab for newborns lays out a loophole in the new law to curb surprise bills

When Greg and Sugar Bull were ready to start a family, health challenges necessitated that they work with a gestational surrogate. The woman who carried and gave birth to their twins lived two states away.

23 Feb 2022

HHS proposal for marketplace plans carries a hefty dose of consumer caution

Some insurance brokers are enrolling people into Affordable Care Act health plans without their consent, perhaps for the commissions, a move that could put consumers in danger of owing back the subsidies connected with the coverage. The damage could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

19 Jan 2022

Record number of Americans sign up for ACA health insurance

A record 13.6 million Americans have signed up for health coverage for 2022 on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, with nearly a month remaining to enroll in most states, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

23 Dec 2021

A tale of two Medicaid expansions: Oklahoma jumps in, while Missouri lags

Temp worker James Dickerson applied for Medicaid because it will be cheaper than his current health plan. Home health aide Sharon Coleman looks forward to having coverage that will cover a hospital stay. Incoming medical student Danielle Gaddis no longer worries a trip to the doctor will leave her in debt.

3 Dec 2021

Women say California insurer makes it too hard to get drug for postpartum depression

When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled. But within three days of giving birth to their son, in September 2019, everything shifted.

28 Jul 2021

Researchers device action plan to address musculoskeletal health issues

An international research team has found that despite being the world's leading cause of pain, disability, and healthcare expenditure, the prevention and management of musculoskeletal health, including conditions such as low back pain, fractures, arthritis, and osteoporosis, is globally under-prioritized and have devised an action plan to address this gap.

8 Jul 2021

Endocrine Society praises U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ACA

The Endocrine Society today praised the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, which makes health care accessible to millions of individuals nationwide, including those with hormone health conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid conditions, and breast and prostate cancer.

17 Jun 2021

Many new moms get kicked off Medicaid 2 months after giving birth. Illinois will change that.

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in which the maternal death rate has been rising. Each year, about 700 deaths are due to pregnancy, childbirth or subsequent complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3 Jun 2021

Time to say goodbye to some insurers’ waivers for Covid treatment fees

Just as other industries are rolling back some consumer-friendly changes made early in the pandemic — think empty middle seats on airplanes — so, too, are health insurers.

26 Apr 2021

Analysis: The Trump health care policies that deserve to stick around

President Joe Biden's goal of providing health care for more Americans advanced this week with his signing of an economic stimulus package that includes subsidies for health insurance premiums and new incentives for states to expand Medicaid, as well as the potential confirmation of Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services.

16 Mar 2021

Pandemic aid package includes relief from high premiums

As President Joe Biden's pandemic relief package steams through Congress, Democrats have hitched a ride for a top health care priority: strengthening the Affordable Care Act with some of the most significant changes to insurance affordability in more than a decade.

9 Mar 2021

Material hardship linked to poor mental and physical health in young adults

As the United States approaches the one-year anniversary of the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, a new study by researchers from Syracuse University and the University of Texas at San Antonio shows that material hardship - difficulty paying for food, bills and healthcare - is taking a toll on the mental and physical health of young adults.

22 Feb 2021

The ACA marketplace is open again for insurance sign-ups. Here’s what you need to know.

For people who've been without health insurance during the pandemic, relief is in sight.

16 Feb 2021