Sep 08 Rise in ER visits after Medicaid expansion By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press 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. Continue reading
Sep 03 Report: Aging population, more insured driving rise in health care spending By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press 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… Continue reading
Aug 07 Free health clinics shift gears as their patients qualify for insurance By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News While a few free health clinics have shut their doors in Arkansas and Washington, most expansion-state non-profit free clinics are reassessing their business strategies. Medicaid offers the potential to give their patients better access to specialists, diagnostic testing and hospital… Continue reading
Jun 27 Watch Fixing the disconnect between Medicare and Medicaid to serve the most vulnerable Americans By PBS News Hour Providing long term care at a reasonable cost — especially for low-income Americans who are elderly or have disabilities — has long been a challenge in the U.S. In California, long term care providers are coordinating in order to tackle… Continue watching
Jun 09 More than 1.7 million Americans are stuck in Medicaid application limbo By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News While an unprecedented 6 million people have gained Medicaid coverage since September, mostly as a result of the Affordable Care Act, more than 1.7 million more are still waiting for their applications to be processed—with some stuck in limbo for… Continue reading
May 15 Watch Uninsured former inmates stand to gain health care under Medicaid expansion By PBS News Hour When American inmates are released from jail or prison, most leave without health insurance and little access to medical care. But under the federal health care law's expansion of Medicaid, that's beginning to change. Sarah Varney of Kaiser Health News… Continue watching
May 10 Mothers-to-be gain new options under health care law By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The health care law has opened up an unusual opportunity for some mothers-to-be to save on medical bills for childbirth. Continue reading
Apr 27 Pennsylvania awaits ruling on proposal to link work requirements to Medicaid benefits By Associated Press Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has softened his rhetoric while he awaits a federal decision on his request to link a work requirement to benefits under the Medicaid expansion. It's an issue that has flared up in his hotly contested re-election… Continue reading
Apr 14 Affordable Care Act will cost less than expected, CBO reports By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A new government report says the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance subsidies will cost a little less than previously thought. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that health insurance subsidies under so-called “Obamacare” will total a little more than… Continue reading
Apr 04 Medicaid enrollment increased by 3 million under new health law By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News The number of low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose by 3 million to 62.3 million from October through February as more Americans joined the state-federal insurance program through state and federal online insurance marketplaces, according to a report released Friday… Continue reading