Dec 15 Healthcare.gov prepares for traffic crunch as deadlines hit today By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Wait times at the federal call center started creeping up around the middle of last week, mainly due to a surge of current customers with questions about their coverage for next year. Many will face higher premiums, although they could… Continue reading
Dec 10 The Social Security and Medicare gotcha that makes contributing to your HSA illegal By Philip Moeller Philip Moeller considers a question from a reader who's old enough to collect maximum benefits from Social Security. When he files, though, he'll also get Medicare. And because he's still working, that'll spell trouble for his Health Savings Account. Continue reading
Dec 08 Good news for the Affordable Care Act in jobs reports By Dean Baker In the wake of November's jobs report, Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, argues that the Affordable Care Act is allowing more young parents to choose to stay at home with their kids. Continue reading
Dec 08 Federal defense contractors find a new profitable business: Obamacare By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News In a way that is deeply changing Washington contracting, growth opportunities from the federal government have increasingly come not from war but from healing, an examination by Kaiser Health News and The Washington Post shows. Continue reading
Dec 03 Should you ditch your employer's insurance for Medicare? By Philip Moeller In the last few days before Medicare open enrollment ends for the year, Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Phil Moeller takes a question from a reader of a certain age who's not sure whether he should choose one of his employer's… Continue reading
Nov 24 Is the U.S. really facing a serious doctor shortage? By Julie Rovner, KFF Health News Many medical groups, led by the Association of American Medical Colleges, say there’s little doubt. “We think the shortage is going to be close to 130,000 in the next 10 to 12 years,” says Atul Grover, the group’s chief public… Continue reading
Nov 21 Jonathan Gruber: Success of insurance marketplaces hinges on competition By Simone Pathe The second year of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is now underway. This year, more insurers are participating in health insurance marketplaces, and if evidence from last year is any indication, increased competition should result in lower premiums. Continue reading
Nov 17 Healthcare.gov is back for open enrollment. How's it doing? By Phil Galewitz, Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News “The vast majority of people coming to the site were able to get on and do what they were intending to do,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylva Burwell said Sunday on NBC’s Meet The Press, adding that 500,000 people… Continue reading
Nov 11 Consumer guide on health law enrollment: Is the second time the charm? By Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News Haven’t thought about the health care law for a while? Now’s the time. Passed in 2010, the law requires most Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine. While many Americans get health coverage through their employers, starting Nov. Continue reading
Oct 29 Don't let your Medicare Advantage plan disappear on you By Philip Moeller If your current Medicare Advantage plan will no longer be offered next year, you should have received a notice to that effect. And you should have read it. Maybe you did and maybe you didn’t. Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Phillip… Continue reading