Affordable Care Act

A sign in support of Oregon's Measure 101 is displayed by a homeowner along a roadside in Lake Oswego, Ore. Tuesday's special election puts decisions over how the state funds Medicaid in voters' hands.

Part Of Oregon's Funding Plan For Medicaid Goes Before Voters

6:05pm January 23, 2018

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Last summer, the Oregon Legislature passed a package of state taxes to cover Medicaid's expanding rolls. But Oregon voters Tuesday could throw a wrench in that plan by refusing some of the taxes.

Queue Listen Now

Demonstrators protest at Sen. Dean Heller's, R-Nev., office in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), programs on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Politics & Government

No Closer To DACA Deal, Republicans Push Plan B To Keep Government Open

3:07am January 17, 2018

by Scott Neuman

GOP lawmakers want a compromise to prevent a shutdown for at least another month. But many Democrats have promised a no-vote unless protections for "Dreamers" are part of the bargain.

Up to one half of rural residents are covered by Medicaid, says Michelle Mills, CEO of Colorado Rural Health Center. And they're typically older, poorer and sicker than city dwellers.

Hospitals In States That Expanded Medicaid Less Likely To Close

5:39pm January 08, 2018

by John Daley

Hundreds of thousands of people gained health insurance in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In those states, hospitals were less likely to close.

The CHIP program provides health coverage to 9 million children from lower-income households that make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. The $2.85 billion Congress allocated in December was supposed to fund CHIP programs in all states through March

CHIP Funding Could Run Out On Jan. 19 For Some States

6:37pm January 05, 2018

by Phil Galewitz

A fiscal patch that Congress approved last month isn't big enough to keep the Children's Health Insurance Program afloat, according to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

Each year, hundreds of hospitals lose 1 percent of their Medicare payments through the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program. The penalties — now in their fourth year — were created by the Affordable Care Act to drive hospitals to improve the

Hospitals Nationally Hit Hard By Medicare's Safety Penalties

8:18am January 05, 2018

by Jordan Rau

Seven states saw a third or more of their hospitals punished under the federal health law's campaign against hospital-acquired conditions. Critics accuse some unscathed hospitals of gaming the system.

Robust Health Insurance Sign-Ups Surprise Supporters And Opponents

4:07pm December 22, 2017

by Julie Rovner

Despite an enrollment period that was half as long, nearly 9 million people have signed up for Affordable Care Act insurance for 2018 so far, about the same as last year.

Some Republicans see HSAs as a great way of helping consumers deal with mounting medical costs. It's still possible a change to the rules governing who can have an HSA and what they are allowed to cover could be added to another bill, some analysts say.

GOP Tax Bill Leaves Health Savings Accounts Untouched

10:47am December 19, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

Republicans tried last summer to expand the use of these tax-advantaged accounts that are linked to high-deductible health plans. But their expansion proposal didn't make it into the tax bill.

Consumers Hunting For Health Insurance Find High Prices — And Some Great Deals

9:30am December 14, 2017

Shop around. That's the advice of health insurance navigators for people seeking health policies on the Affordable Care Act's state and federal exchanges. Premiums have climbed but so have subsidies.

Queue Listen Now

Isabel Diaz Tinoco and Jose Luis Tinoco had some questions for the Miami insurance agent who helped guide them in signing up for a HealthCare.gov policy at the Mall of the Americas in November.

HealthCare.gov Enrollment Ends Friday. Sign-ups Likely to Trail Last Year's

4:57pm December 13, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

A shorter enrollment period and big cuts in the federal budget for outreach are taking a toll, say those helping with health insurance sign-ups. Deadlines for most state exchanges are a little later.

Queue Listen Now

Opposition to Obamacare has been strong from the beginning. Demonstrators made their dissatisfaction clear in front of the Supreme Court in 2015.

Health & Safety

Why Do So Many People Hate Obamacare So Much?

4:52pm December 13, 2017

by Julie Rovner

Some knocks on the Affordable Care Act are ideological. Others are misunderstandings. People who make too much to qualify for subsidies to defray their mandated insurance purchases have suffered.