Insurance

Almost a quarter of people who were dropped from Medicaid during the post-pandemic eligibility reviews are still uninsured and high costs are preventing them from getting on another plan, a new survey from KFF showed Friday. At least 20 million lower-income Americans have lost their... Read More

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can... Read More

WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers... Read More

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse... Read More

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court was scheduled to hear arguments Monday on whether former President Barack Obama's signature health care law requires full insurance coverage of certain types of preventive care, including HIV prevention and some types... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some 20 million people have signed up for health insurance this year through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, a record-breaking figure. President Joe Biden will likely proclaim those results regularly on the campaign trail for months to... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — When the unexpected happens — whether fire, hail, or human error — renters insurance can provide much-needed stability. But many choose not to purchase coverage, including in places most frequently and hardest hit by natural disasters, new research... Read More

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Three years after the coronavirus pandemic temporarily shuttered bars and restaurants across the state of South Carolina, soaring liquor liability insurance rates threaten to close them permanently, according to the members of a local grassroots business organization.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration renewed controversy with insurers Tuesday by proposing a regulation that would require health insurance plans to prove they are covering mental health costs at the same level as any other health care. Insurers say it... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday rolled out a new set of initiatives to reduce health care costs: a crackdown on scam insurance plans, new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills and an effort to reduce medical debt... Read More

WASHINGTON — Every so often the idea of imposing work requirements in Medicaid comes through Congress. Well, the concept is making headway again, and this time at the state level.  Currently, Arkansas is the only state to have implemented work... Read More

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide her identity as a transgender woman. So six years ago she moved to Oregon, where she had readier access to... Read More

WASHINGTON — A month after cyberthieves looted a local health insurance database making off with the sensitive personal records of members of Congress and thousands of others, a member of a congressional panel looking into the incident on Wednesday declared... Read More

DENVER (AP) — Cindy Powers was driven into bankruptcy by 19 life-saving abdominal operations. Medical debt started stacking up for Lindsey Vance after she crashed her skateboard and had to get nine stitches in her chin. And for Misty Castaneda,... Read More

WASHINGTON — A restaurant group lost out last week at a Washington, D.C., court in their attempt to recover lost profits from the COVID-19 pandemic under their insurance policies. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said... Read More

WASHINGTON — The federal government will begin auditing Medicare Advantage insurers under a new rule finalized Monday, the heightened scrutiny expected to return as much as $4.7 billion to Medicare’s trust fund over the next 10 years. Watchdog groups had... Read More

Health insurers will flood the Medicare Advantage market again this fall with enticing offers for plans that have no monthly price tag. The number of so-called zero-premium plans has been growing for years, and they can appeal to retirees who... Read More

MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP) — UnitedHealth Group said Monday that it completed its acquisition of Change Healthcare, closing the roughly $8 billion deal a couple weeks after a judge rejected a challenge from federal regulators. UnitedHealth is merging the technology company... Read More

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's high court is expected to rule soon on whether insurers for corporations whose businesses suffered because of the COVID-19 pandemic must cover the lost income. On Friday, the Maryland Court of Appeals heard arguments from fashion... Read More

PUTNAM, Conn. (AP) — Even as numerous Republican-governed states push for sweeping bans on abortion, there is a coinciding surge of concern in some Democratic-led states that options for reproductive health care are dwindling due to expansion of Catholic hospital... Read More

ST. LOUIS (AP) — When questioned by members of Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said its new update to the nation's flood insurance program will prompt more people to sign up for coverage, even though many will pay more... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to reduce the economic risks associated with so-called double cropping, or raising two crops on the same land in one year.  Working with its Risk Management Agency, the USDA is... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A ban on so-called “surprise” medical bills --  unexpected, exorbitant health care bills for out-of-network care that arrive on insured patients' doorsteps, oftentimes when they are still at their most vulnerable - is on pace to go into... Read More

Voters in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, a traditional swing or battleground district nestled against the southeast portion of New York State, are united in many key respects when it comes to spending and health care reforms, a recent survey... Read More

The National Council on Compensation Insurance will now allow the COVID-19 pandemic to be treated as a catastrophic event in workers’ compensation loss cost and rate filings. “We had specifically listed some perils that we were charging for. We had... Read More

WASHINGTON - The White House on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court it believes the Affordable Care Act should be upheld, reversing the position taken by the Trump Administration. The justices heard oral arguments in November in multiple cases involving a... Read More

Virtual care is the fix for a lot of what’s broken with healthcare in America today. As patients embrace the conveniences of telehealth, medical professionals are recognizing that the pandemic model is here to stay. It’s time for the insurance... Read More

WASHINGTON -- With Congress considering significant health care reforms, including creating a government-run health insurance plan called the public option, a new study shows that it could be significantly more expensive than previously estimated. The study, released by Lanhee J.... Read More

School librarian Amanda Brasfield bent over to grab her lunch from a small refrigerator and felt her heart begin to race. Even after lying on her office floor and closing her eyes, her heart kept pounding and fluttering in her... Read More

In the 2014 elections, Republicans rode a wave of anti-Affordable Care Act sentiment to pick up nine Senate seats, the largest gain for either party since 1980. Newly elected Republicans such as Cory Gardner in Colorado and Steve Daines in... Read More