Category: obamacare plans

Lawsuit Alleges Obamacare Plan-Switching Scheme Targeted Low-Income Consumers

The lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that large call centers were used to enroll people into Affordable Care Act plans or to switch their coverage, all without their permission.

When Rogue Brokers Switch People’s ACA Policies, Tax Surprises Can Follow

Some tax filers’ returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act coverage they didn’t even know they had.

After Public Push, CMS Curbs Health Insurance Agents’ Access to Consumer SSNs

Days after publication of a KFF Health News article about Obamacare enrollees being switched to different plans without their knowledge or consent, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services took steps to tighten insurance agents’ access to private consumer information on the federal marketplace.

Rising Complaints of Unauthorized Obamacare Plan-Switching and Sign-Ups Trigger Concern

Federal and state regulators are mulling what they can do to thwart this growing problem.

Ouch. That ‘Free’ Annual Checkup Might Cost You. Here’s Why.

The designers of the Affordable Care Act might have assumed that they spelled out with sufficient clarity that millions of Americans would no longer have to pay for certain types of preventive care. But they didn’t reckon with America’s ever-creative medical billing juggernaut.

With Trump Front of Mind, New Hampshire Voters Cite Abortion and Obamacare as Concerns

New Hampshire’s primary election was dominated by voters’ feelings about Donald Trump. But health care remains a concern — and for Democrats, preserving abortion access is a priority.

What Would a Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?

Health policy during Donald Trump’s tenure was dominated by covid-19 and a failed effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. His appointments to the Supreme Court led to the end of national abortion rights, and he took steps to increase hospital price transparency and improve care for veterans.

Mary Lou Retton’s Explanation of Health Insurance Takes Some Somersaults

The gold-medal gymnast’s explanation of why she remained uninsured has health policy experts doing mental gymnastics — because it makes little sense.

What Would a Nikki Haley Presidency Look Like for Health Care?

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s tenure in the Palmetto State — which overlapped with several tumultuous years of health care reform — and her recent comments offer clues to how her presidency might affect national health care policy.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Democrats See Opportunity in GOP Threats to Repeal Health Law 

Sensing that Republicans are walking into a political minefield by threatening once again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Biden administration is looking to capitalize by rolling out a series of initiatives aimed at high drug prices and other consequences of “corporate greed in health care.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court hears a case that could determine when and how much victims of the opioid crisis can collect from Purdue Pharma, the drug company that lied about how addictive its drug, OxyContin, really was. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann of KFF Health News’ sister podcast, “An Arm and a Leg,” about his investigation into hospitals suing their patients over unpaid bills.