Jan 09 Rural hospitals rely on Medicaid expansion to stay open, study shows By Casey Moss, STAT A new study released Monday reports a crucial consequence of that divide: Nonexpansion states have suffered a significant increase in hospital closures. States that expanded benefits, on the other hand, saw their rate of closures decline. Continue reading
Jan 09 CBO says Children’s Health Insurance Program would cost $800 million for five years By Alan Fram, Associated Press Financing for the program expired last fall. Congress has temporarily extended its funding, but growing numbers of states have moved closer to exhausting their money. Continue reading
Dec 28 Watch 9:10 Why Maine’s governor and voters are in a fight over Medicaid expansion By Sarah Varney, Jason Kane Voters in Maine overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid to most low-income adults -- that's at least 70,000 residents who stand to gain health insurance. But the law's fate is still unclear because Gov. Paul LePage says lawmakers… Continue watching
Nov 29 I can’t afford Medicare Part B. How do I prepare for tomorrow’s health problems? By Philip Moeller While you have dodged a health care bullet so far, the odds are you will need substantial health care in your later years. Continue reading
Nov 15 How does a married couple make the most of Medicare and an employer health plan? By Philip Moeller A couple finds that insuring the husband through the wife's employer plan is too expensive and doesn't cover much. Could a Medicare option save them money?… Continue reading
Nov 14 Senate Republicans may use tax bill to repeal Obamacare individual mandate By Associated Press Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told reporters on Tuesday: “We’re going to repeal the tax on poor Americans.”… Continue reading
Nov 09 Why Maine voted to expand Medicaid — and what’s next By Laura Santhanam Maine voters said they want to offer Medicaid to more people in the state, but in the face of opposition from Governor Paul LePage and the Trump administration, will it happen?… Continue reading
Nov 08 Does it matter where you buy a Medigap plan? By Philip Moeller A grandfather who is planning a move to another state wonders if it matters where he buys a Medigap plan. Continue reading
Nov 08 Maine governor says voters wrong to approve Medicaid expansion By Associated Press Maine's governor says residents of his state made an expensive mistake when they voted to expand access to Medicaid, and he is hesitant to implement it at all. Continue reading
Nov 01 I care for my aging mother 24/7. Can I get help? By Philip Moeller Medicare does not cover the kind of in-home custodial care this reader needs. Does she have any options?… Continue reading