Category: Insurance

Oregon Senator Proposes Criminal Charges and Fines for Rogue Obamacare Agents

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden introduced legislation intended to curb a growing problem in which consumers, without their consent, are enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans or their coverage is switched.

Harris, Once Biden’s Voice on Abortion, Would Take an Outspoken Approach to Health

If she grabs the baton from President Joe Biden to become the new presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris would widely be expected to take an aggressive stance in support of abortion access — hitting former President Donald Trump on an issue that could undermine his chances of victory.

Biden Administration Tightens Broker Access to Healthcare.gov To Thwart Rogue Sign-Ups

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it has received more than 200,000 complaints in the first six months of the year about people being signed up for Obamacare plans or switched to new plans without their consent.

At Trump’s GOP Convention, There’s Little To Be Heard on Health Care

Republicans were once the party of Obamacare repeal and abortion opposition. They’ve said little about either issue in Milwaukee.

Misleading Ads Play Key Role in Schemes to Gin Up Unauthorized ACA Sign-Ups, Lawsuit Alleges

Misleading money-for-groceries ads helped lure people to call centers where some were enrolled in Affordable Care Act coverage — or switched from their existing plans — without their express permission, a new lawsuit alleges.

An Arm and a Leg: The Woman Who Beat an $8,000 Hospital Fee

In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann speaks with Georgann Boatright, a patient in Mississippi who was willing to drive to another state to avoid paying a steep fee to her local hospital.

Her Hearing Implant Was Preapproved. Nonetheless, She Got $139,000 Bills for Months.

Even when patients double-check that their care is covered by insurance, health providers often send them bills as they haggle with insurers over reimbursement, which can last for months. It’s stressful and annoying — but legal.

HealthSherpa and Insurers Team Up To Curb Unauthorized ACA Enrollment Schemes

The initiative targets the biggest incentive driving fraudulent sign-ups and plan switches: the commissions that rogue agents or large call centers seek.

California Health Care Pioneer Goes National, Girds for Partisan Skirmishes

Anthony Wright, a champion for Californians’ health care rights, will take the helm of Families USA in Washington, D.C., where he plans to campaign for more affordable and accessible care nationally. He leaves Health Access California, where he helped outlaw surprise medical billing, require companies to report drug price increases, and cap hospital bills for uninsured patients.

‘A Bottomless Pit’: How Out-of-Pocket TMJ Costs Drive Patients Into Debt

Millions of Americans suffer from temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, disorders. The high cost and poor insurance coverage of TMJ care can bury patients in debt even as the treatments do more harm than good.