Health Sep 08 Rise in ER visits after Medicaid expansion A new study finds that many people newly covered by Medicaid under the federal health law are seeking treatment in hospital emergency rooms. That's one of the most expensive settings for health care.
Health Sep 03 Report: Aging population, more insured driving rise in health care spending The nation's respite from troublesome health care inflation is ending, the government said Wednesday in a report that renews a crucial budget challenge for lawmakers, taxpayers, businesses and patients. Economic recovery, an aging society and more people insured under the…
Politics Aug 17 Are new health insurance policies blocking care to the sick? Ending insurance discrimination against the sick was a central goal of the nation's health care overhaul, but leading patient groups say that promise is being undermined by new barriers from insurers.
Nation Aug 12 Consumers with immigration discrepancies at risk to lose federal health insurance WASHINGTON — The administration is warning hundreds of thousands of consumers they risk losing taxpayer-subsidized health insurance unless they act quickly to resolve issues about their citizenship and immigration status.
Health Jul 29 $1,000 Sovaldi now hepatitis treatment of choice The price is sky-high, but so is demand. A new $1,000-per-pill drug has become the treatment of choice for Americans with hepatitis C, a liver-wasting disease that affects more than 3 million.
Politics Jul 27 Why automatic renewal of 2015 health coverage may backfire Insurance exchange customers who opt for convenience by automatically renewing their coverage for 2015 are likely to receive dated and inaccurate financial aid amounts from the government, say industry officials, advocates and other experts.
Health Jul 04 More than half of privately insured women get free birth control Recent data from the IMS Institute document a sharp change during 2013. The share of privately insured women who got their birth control pills without a copayment jumped to 56 percent, from 14 percent in 2012. The law's requirement that…
Politics Jun 27 Food service giant to restore health insurance for thousands of workers Many employees who already have health insurance worry they'll pay a price for President Barack Obama's overhaul. But for workers at one major company those fears appear to be easing. Food service giant Sodexo unexpectedly reversed course Thursday after bumping…
Health Jun 17 Insurers choke on price of new hepatitis C-curing pill WASHINGTON — Your money or your life? Sovaldi, a new pill for hepatitis C, cures the liver-wasting disease in 9 of 10 patients, but treatment can cost more than $90,000. Leading medical societies recommend the drug as a first-line treatment,…
Health May 15 Feds approve cost-control strategy for expensive health procedures WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration has given the go-ahead for insurers and employers to use a new cost-control strategy that puts a hard dollar limit on what health plans pay for some expensive procedures, such as knee and hip…