Health Insurance

A Change To Out-Of-Pocket Health Insurance Limits Irks Employers

4:51pm August 17, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

In 2016, the out-of-pocket spending limit for anyone in an insured family would be set at $6,850. Employers say that would be a costly change for plans that set caps based on total family spending.

Cris and Valerie Fiore hold one of their favorite pictures of their sons Anthony (with the dark hair) and Nick. Anthony died from a heroin overdose in May 2014 at the age of 24. Cris Fiore's eulogy described his son's death as a shock, but "not a surprise

When Rehab Might Help An Addict — But Insurance Won't Cover It

9:34am August 16, 2015

by Ben Allen

Federal law requires insurance firms to cover treatment for addiction as they do treatment for other diseases. But some families say many drug users aren't getting the inpatient care they need.

Queue Listen Now

Whistleblower Says Medicare Advantage Plans Padded Charges In Home Visits

1:15pm August 12, 2015

by Fred Schulte

Medicare Advantage health plans are privately run, but reimbursed by Medicare. A Texas lawsuit claims that, to inflate charges, 30 Advantage plans in 15 states exaggerated how sick patients were.

Brenda Hummel and her 7-year-old daughter Andrea in their home near Des Moines, Iowa. Andrea was born with severe epilepsy and gets her health care through Medicaid.

Patients In Iowa Worry About Private Management Of Medicaid

5:37pm August 07, 2015

by Clay Masters

The way one fifth of Iowa's residents get health care is about to change. The governor is putting Medicaid in the hands of private insurance companies, and 11 firms are vying for that business.

Queue Listen Now

Untangling The Many Deductibles Of Health Insurance

12:57pm August 05, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Some people wind up having to pay hospital deductibles on top of other medical deductibles. But those do not apply to outpatient procedures.

Enrollment counselor Vue Yang (left) reviews health insurance options for Laura San Nicolas (center), accompanied by her daughter, Geena, 17, at Sacramento Covered in Sacramento, Calif., in February.

Health & Safety

More Previously Uninsured Californians Got Coverage Under Obamacare

10:06am July 31, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

More than two-thirds of Californians who didn't have health insurance before the Affordable Care Act took full effect in 2014 have it now. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey documents the changes.

A Yale University study analyzed the experience of 60 million Americans covered by traditional Medicare between 1999 and 2013, and found "jaw-dropping improvements in almost every area," the lead author says.

Happy 50th Birthday, Medicare. Your Patients Are Getting Healthier

8:49am July 30, 2015

by Richard Harris

The past 15 years have seen a drop in deaths and hospitalizations among Medicare patients — people 65 and older. Teasing out why is tricky, but it seems a good trend for the 50-year-old program.

Queue Listen Now

Putting some work in ahead of cancer therapy can help speed up recovery afterward.

Health & Safety

Rehab Before Cancer Treatment Can Help Patients Bounce Back

1:09pm July 29, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Cancer patients who get what some people are calling prehabilitation can recover more quickly, early research suggests. Getting insurance to cover it can be tricky, though.

California Health Insurance Exchange Keeps Rate Hikes Low — Again

8:04pm July 27, 2015

Monthly premiums for health insurance plans in the Covered California marketplace will increase by an average of 4 percent for 2016. The price for some plans will drop.

State regulators will be scrutinizing health insurers rate proposals for 2016.

Administration Prods States To Scrutinize Insurers' Rate Hikes

8:29am July 24, 2015

by Julie Rovner

In a letter to state regulators, the Obama administration says rates shouldn't be allowed to go up as much as some insurers are proposing for plans sold to individuals on the health exchanges.