Health Care Options for Young, Healthy and Broke
They're young, healthy and flat broke -- and now the government says they have to buy thousands of dollars' worth of medical insurance. What should tapped-out twentysomethings do?
HealthCareReform
Rebates From Obamacare to Top $1 Billion: Report
More than 3 million health insurance policyholders and thousands of employers will share $1.3 billion in rebates this year, thanks to President Barack Obama's health care law, a nonpartisan research group said Thursday.
Obama's Health Overhaul Lags in Many States
Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care. This is the year that will make or break the health care law. States were supposed to be partners in carrying out the biggest safety net expansion since Medicare and Medicaid, and the White House claims they're making steady progress.
America Hits the Brakes on Health Care Spending
Health spending stabilized as a share of the nation's economy in 2010 after two back-to-back years of historically low growth, the government reported Monday. Experts debated whether it's a fleeting consequence of the sluggish economy, or a real sign that cost controls by private employers and government at all levels are starting to work.
What You Don't Know About Health Insurance May Cost You
When it comes to health care, it sometimes feels like nothing is simple. And that can be a real problem: According to a recent survey, some health care basics are going right over the heads of the majority of Americans.
Key Health Care Reform Foe May Soon Be a Customer
Supporters of President Obama's health care reform laws got a major boost when a key opponent lost her business. Mary Brown, whose whose standing to sue is integral to the largest lawsuit against Obama's health care reforms, may be forced to abandon her legal challenge.
Walmart's New Promise: Always Low Benefits
On Friday, Walmart announced it was rolling back is health benefits for part-time workers -- benefits that the nation's largest employer expanded just a few years ago in response to criticism of its labor practices. And even the lucky few employees who get to keep their coverage aren't going to like the new plan much.
Finally! A Health Insurance Plan I Understand
Last month, new regulations were issued under the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) requiring insurance companies to make choosing a plan simpler. Specifically, the new rules require insurers to publish forms providing "clear, consistent and comparable information" about the health-care plans they offer.
Medicare's Next Patient: The Federal Budget Deficit
As the federal super committee looks for $1.5 trillion in cuts, it's clear that fixing the federal budget will mean tackling big items -- including Medicare, America's most popular social program and one of its most expensive.
In the U.S., 'Free' Birth Control Is Born
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department on Monday released new guidelines that require insurance companies to cover contraceptives and other female preventative care without charging co-pays or other fees. Here's why this announcement makes columnist Loren Berlin smile.
Will Senate Repeal an Unpopular Tax-Reporting Requirement?
The U.S. Senate is schedule to vote Tuesday on a bill that would repeal an unpopular tax-reporting requirement enacted as part of last year's health-care law. The House of Representatives approved the bill last month.
Millions Lose Health Insurance With Their Jobs
Millions of Americans not only lost their jobs in the Great Recession, but also their health insurance, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Many are skipping health care or falling into debt to pay medical bills as a result.
Prescription Drug Prices Keep Growing Strong
Prescription-drug prices have been outpacing the growth in prices for other medical products and services, according to a study from the Government Accountability Office this week. Which drugs have seen the biggest hikes?
Health Insurers Post Healthy Profits but Remain Cautious on 2011
The recent pushback on health care reform appears to have boosted the stock prices of health insurance companies, which have outperformed major indexes by quite a margin so far this year. That's because Americans have been cutting back on doctor visits, keeping reimbursement costs low.
The Health Care Law Is Making Americans Schizophrenic
Americans' opinions on the divisive topic are all over the map. A new poll shows more than half of Americans now oppose the law, compared to only 41% who support it. Yet 62% -- including 38% of Republicans -- actually disapprove of defunding or changing parts of the law.