health care

Health Care Policy Expert On GOP Bill: Will Allow Equality And Better Decision-Making Among States

9:22pm September 23, 2017

It's a toss-up if Republicans have enough votes to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate is set to consider a bill that shifts federal health funding to the states. Lanhee Chen, health care policy expert and research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about why he thinks this is a good idea.

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Protesters rally against Medicaid cuts in front of the U.S. Capitol in June. Medicaid is the nation's largest health insurance program, covering 74 million people — more than 1 in 5 Americans.

Meet Your Friends Who Get Medicaid

5:54pm September 23, 2017

by Phil Galewitz

Those relying on the federal government's safety net are grandmothers, the kid next door, your supermarket cashier — maybe even you.

Charlene Yurgaitis gets health insurance through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. It covers the counseling and medication she and her doctors say she needs to recover from her opioid addiction.

5 Americans Talk About How A Health Law Overhaul Would Affect Them

5:50pm September 23, 2017

by Gisele Grayson

All year, NPR member station reporters around the country have asked people how they would be affected by proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Here are five of those stories.

Entrepreneur Stinson Dean (left) and his wife Stephanie play with their three children in their yard in Independence, Mo. He says the Affordable Care Act made it possible for him to start his own business.

Uncertainty Over Health Care Law's Future Hobbles Entrepreneurs

4:05pm September 23, 2017

by Alex Smith

Obamacare made it easier for people to leave jobs to start their own ventures and entice others to join, knowing they could buy insurance independently. Some entrepreneurs worry that could change.

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Democratic Sen. Carper On Health Care

8:11am September 23, 2017

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat, about his opposition to the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Sen. John McCain Says He Wants A Bipartisan Effort To Overhaul Health Care

8:34pm September 22, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

After Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he will vote no on the Graham-Cassidy bill, NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with NPR Health Policy Correspondent Alison Kodjak about where things stand.

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All eyes are on Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (third from left), and his Republican colleagues as they pitch yet another Obamacare repeal-and-replace plan.

If Republicans Revive Health Care Again, This Is What It Could Mean For Your State

5:57pm September 22, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The block grants under Graham-Cassidy would give states less money than Obamacare. We asked experts about states' best options for spending that money.

Sen. Maggie Hassan Talks On The Future Of Health Care

5:23pm September 22, 2017

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., about what's next in the health care debate after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he will not support the Graham-Cassidy proposal.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., seen on Capitol Hill on Monday, has announced his opposition to the latest GOP health care proposal.

McCain Announces Opposition To Obamacare Repeal Bill, Possibly Dooming It

4:58pm September 22, 2017

by Susan Davis

Arizona Sen. John McCain is the second Republican to oppose the legislation, after Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul came out against it last week. If one more GOP senator is against the bill, it cannot pass.

Some people seeking Medicare penalty waivers have experienced delays at their local Social Security Administration offices.

Advocates Say Seniors With Obamacare Need More Time To Switch To Medicare

12:49pm September 22, 2017

by Susan Jaffe

Although the government temporarily waived penalties for certain late enrollees to Medicare, the deal ends Sept. 30, which may not be enough time for many to comply.