Category: Insurance

In Health Insurance Wastelands, Rosier Options Crop Up For 2019

Premiums are lower as choices increase in many parts of the country. But the financial relief is not enough to erase the price hikes that have been imposed in recent years.

Attention, Marketplace Shoppers: Don’t Delay On 2019 Enrollment

Plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for 2019 are on sale now. Consumers should check them out soon, because in many states most sales end on Dec. 15.

Buyers Of Short-Term Health Plans: Wise Or Shortsighted?

Policyholders reason that their health is good — for now — and they don’t see the need for costly comprehensive coverage. Detractors say the plans undermine the Affordable Care Act, and agents advise reading the fine print. “You basically have to be in perfect health,” says one.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.

Trumpeted New Medicare Advantage Benefits Will Be Hard For Seniors To Find

Federal officials are hailing the introduction of services such as transportation to medical appointments, home-delivered meals and installation of wheelchair ramps as a way to keep beneficiaries healthy and avoid costly hospitalizations. But not many plans are offering the services in 2019.

Midterm Election Boosts Medicaid Expansion, But Challenges Remain

Following the vote, nearly 500,000 uninsured adults in five states are poised to gain Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, say advocates. But many conservatives remain opposed to the expansion.

Midterm Results Show Health Is Important To Voters But No Magic Bullet

Even though they are taking control of the House, Democrats will be unlikely to advance many initiatives on health that don’t meet Republican approval since the GOP controls the Senate and the White House. But they can block any efforts to weaken the Affordable Care Act or change Medicaid or Medicare.

California Dreamin’? With Newsom’s Win, Single-Payer Unlikely To Follow Anytime Soon

Even though Democrat Gavin Newsom campaigned for single-payer, it’s unlikely that he and other lawmakers will completely overhaul the state’s health care system right away. Instead, they will likely propose incremental steps to provide more Californians with health insurance.

Quick: What’s The Difference Between Medicare-For-All and Single-Payer?

As politicians across the country toss about such health care catchphrases, sometimes interchangeably, many voters say they’re “just confused.”

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Open Enrollment And A Midterm Preview

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss the start of open enrollment for individual health insurance plans for 2019 and preview what next week’s midterm elections might mean for health policy. Plus, Barbara Feder Ostrov of KHN and California Healthline talks to Julie about the latest NPR-KHN “Bill of the Month” feature.