About Julie @Julie_Appleby
Julie Appleby reports on the health care law's implementation, health care treatments and costs, trends in health insurance, and policy affecting hospitals and other medical providers for Kaiser Health News.
Julie’s Recent Stories
Health Feb 08
This year’s Affordable Care Act open enrollment numbers buck expectationsWith all states now reporting, ACA plan enrollment ticked downward this year, a report out Wednesday shows, but states running their own marketplaces saw slight gains and did better than those relying on the federal exchange.
Health Oct 13
Analysis: What you need to know about Trump’s changes to the health lawApparently frustrated by Congress’ inability to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump this week decided to take matters into his own hands. Late Thursday evening, the White House announced it would cease key payments to insurers.
Health Dec 02
Health law’s experiment that tests new ways to pay for care could offer tool for GOP ideasEconomists and policymakers think the U.S. may be overpaying for many medical services, and the health law has a program to test that. But with the ACA up for potential repeal, what happens to that testing now? One of the…
Health Oct 05
Prostate cancer patients are paying hefty price for controversial new treatmentMen hoping to avoid some side effects of prostate cancer treatment are shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a procedure whose long-term effects are unknown and insurers, including Medicare, won’t pay for.
Health Sep 15
The ads say, ‘Get your flu shot today,’ but it may be wiser to waitThe start of flu season is still weeks — if not months — away. Yet marketing of the flu shot has become an almost year-round effort.
Health Sep 01
Mylan’s generic EpiPen — a price break or marketing maneuver?Following weeks of criticism, Mylan said Monday it will offer a generic version of its life-saving allergy treatment, the EpiPen. But what does this development mean for consumers and the marketplace?…
Health Aug 01
Opioid dependence leads to ‘tsunami’ of medical services, study findsIn one of the first looks at privately insured patients with opioid problems, researchers paint a grim picture: Medical services for people with opioid dependence diagnoses skyrocketed more than 3,000 percent between 2007 and 2014.
Health May 25
Could Medicare’s drug pricing plan give regulators too much power?The aim, the government says, is to maintain quality while slowing spending in Medicare Part B by more closely tying payments to how well drugs work, using methods drugmakers, insurers and benefit managers are already trying in the private sector.
Health May 17
Feds cap how much sensitive medical data employers can collect through wellness programsEmployer wellness programs can gather medical information from employees and spouses — so long as financial incentives or penalties don’t exceed 30 percent of the annual cost for an individual in the company’s group health plan, according to final rules issued…
Health Dec 21
Why health plans’ drug coverage can be confusing for consumersPatients getting chemotherapy or other complex medications may have a sudden panic when shopping for health insurance: Their drugs often don’t appear to be covered.
