Latest 蘑菇影院 Health News Stories
If You鈥檙e Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out of Reach
For low-income people who are on Medicaid or whose employer health plan is skimpy, help for infertility seems unattainable.
Opposition to Medicaid Expansion Thaws in an Unexpected Place: The Deep South
For more than a decade, some Southern states have resisted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, even though data suggest it could help their residents. Today, the large majority of uninsured Americans who would gain coverage under Medicaid expansion 鈥 and who would benefit from affordable access to care 鈥 live in non-expansion states […]
In California, Faceoff Between Major Insurer and Health System Shows Hazards of Consolidation
Even as Anthem Blue Cross and University of California Health announced a contract agreement this month, analysts say patients are increasingly at risk of being affected by such disputes.
Patients See First Savings From Biden鈥檚 Drug Price Push, as Pharma Lines Up Its Lawyers
A restructuring of the Medicare drug benefit has wiped out big drug bills for people who need expensive medicines. But the legal battle over drug negotiations means uncertainty over long-term savings.
Southern Lawmakers Rethink Long-Standing Opposition to Medicaid Expansion
While many Republican state lawmakers remain firmly against Medicaid expansion, some key leaders in holdout states are showing a willingness to reconsider. Public opinion, financial incentives, and widening health care needs make resistance harder.
States Get in on the Prior Authorization Crackdown
Last month, my colleague Lauren Sausser told you about the Biden administration鈥檚 crackdown on insurance plans鈥 prior authorization policies, with new rules for certain health plans participating in federal programs such as Medicare Advantage or the Affordable Care Act marketplace. States are getting in on the action, too. Prior authorization, sometimes called pre-certification, requires patients […]
The No Surprises Act Comes With Some Surprises
The No Surprises Act, the landmark law intended to protect patients from surprise out-of-network medical bills, has come with, well, some surprises. A little more than two years after it took effect, there鈥檚 good and bad news about how it鈥檚 working. First, it鈥檚 important to note that the law has successfully protected millions of patients […]
For the Love of Health Care and Health Policy
蘑菇影院 Health News shares the cr猫me de la cr猫me of reader-submitted health policy valentines. Two of our favorites melted our hearts and inspired original illustrations.
In Fight Over Medicare Payments, the Hospital Lobby Shows Its Strength
Medicare pays hospitals about double what it pays other providers for the same services. The hospital lobby is fighting hard to make sure a switch to “site-neutral payments鈥 doesn’t become law.
驴Ofrecer vivienda gratis es atenci贸n m茅dica? Programas de Medicaid dicen que s铆
Estados est谩n invirtiendo miles de millones de d贸lares en un experimento de atenci贸n m茅dica de alto riesgo: utilizar fondos ya escasos de seguros de salud p煤blicos para proporcionar vivienda a los estadounidenses m谩s pobres y enfermos.
States Target Health Insurers鈥 鈥楶rior Authorization鈥 Red Tape
Doctors, patients, and hospitals have railed for years about the prior authorization processes that health insurers use to decide whether they鈥檒l pay for patients鈥 drugs or medical procedures. The Biden administration announced a crackdown in January, but some state lawmakers are looking to go further.
Cerca de 10 millones ya perdieron Medicaid, y todav铆a faltan meses de purga
Medicaid y el Programa de Seguro de Salud Infantil crecieron hasta alcanzar un r茅cord de 94 millones de inscritos durante la pandemia.
Halfway Through 鈥楿nwinding,鈥 Medicaid Enrollment Is Down About 10 Million
While more Medicaid beneficiaries have been purged in the span of a year than ever before, enrollment is on track to settle at pre-pandemic levels.
Halfway Through 鈥楿nwinding,鈥 Medicaid Enrollment Is Down About 10 Million
We鈥檙e halfway through the Medicaid 鈥渦nwinding,鈥 in which states are dropping people from the government health insurance program for the first time since the pandemic began. Millions of people have been dumped from the rolls since April, often for procedural issues like failing to respond to notices or return paperwork. But at the same time, […]
Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say 鈥榊es鈥
States are using their Medicaid programs to offer poor and sick people housing services, such as paying six months鈥 rent or helping hunt for apartments. The trend comes in response to a growing homelessness epidemic, but experts caution this may not be the best use of limited health care money.
An Arm and a Leg: Self-Defense 101: Keeping Your Cool While You Fight
On this episode of 鈥淎n Arm and a Leg,鈥 host Dan Weissmann seeks advice for fighting unfair medical bills from an unexpected source: an expert in self-defense.
Readers Weigh Downsides of Medicare Advantage and Stick Up for Mary Lou Retton
蘑菇影院 Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
With Trump Front of Mind, New Hampshire Voters Cite Abortion and Obamacare as Concerns
New Hampshire鈥檚 primary election was dominated by voters鈥 feelings about Donald Trump. But health care remains a concern 鈥 and for Democrats, preserving abortion access is a priority.
Medicare Advantage Is Popular, but Some Beneficiaries Feel Buyer鈥檚 Remorse
Medicare Advantage plans are booming 鈥 30.8 million of the 60 million Americans with Medicare are now enrolled in the private plans rather than the traditional government-run program. But a little-known fact: Once you鈥檙e in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may not be able to get out. Traditional Medicare usually requires beneficiaries to pay 20 […]
Watch: Older Americans Say They Feel Stuck in Medicare Advantage Plans
You鈥檝e probably seen advertising about Medicare Advantage plans. 蘑菇影院 Health News’ Sarah Jane Tribble explains the pros and cons of this insurance option as enrollment in these plans increases.
