Affordable Care Act
‘Worse than people can imagine’: Medicaid ‘unwinding’ breeds chaos in states
This story was produced by KFF Health News. More than two dozen people lined up outside a state public assistance office in Montana before it opened to ensure they didn’t get cut off from Medicaid. Callers in Missouri and Florida reported waiting on hold for more than two hours on hotlines to renew their Medicaid […]
Report: Alabama’s uninsured rate dropped significantly in 2022
The number of Alabamians without health insurance dropped significantly between 2021 and 2022, according to an American Community Survey analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau. The percentage of people in the state without insurance fell from 9.9% in 2021 to 8.8% the following year, a 1.1% percentage point decrease. That was nearly double the 0.6% […]
Hospitals plead with Congress to avert $8 billion in cuts in Medicaid funding
WASHINGTON — Health care representatives from across the United States are urging Congress to halt cuts to funding that helps hospitals care for uninsured or low-income patients who rely on Medicaid. More than 250 hospitals and health systems appealed to House and Senate leadership in a letter Thursday asking the lawmakers to avert or delay […]
‘We should not fear a government shutdown’: Far-right U.S. House members slam spending bills
WASHINGTON — A handful of ultra-conservative U.S. House Republicans rebuked their leadership on Tuesday over the annual government funding process, but appeared at odds on whether they should force a government shutdown later this year. Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs at a news conference mostly ruled out a funding lapse, though Virginia Rep. Bob Good left […]
Biden administration to crack down on ‘junk’ health insurance plans, surprise billing
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced new initiatives Friday that could reduce health care costs, though none will take effect immediately. The changes include a proposed rule that would reduce the amount of time short-term health insurance plans can last and require companies that offer the plans to be more transparent about what is covered […]
On eve of Dobbs anniversary, Biden at campaign rally warns national abortion ban is next
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pledged Friday to hold the line against attempts to restrict reproductive rights and abortion access during a campaign rally with the country’s leading abortion rights organizations. “The court got Roe right 50 years ago, and I believe Congress should restore the protections of Roe v. Wade once and for all,” […]
DACA recipients to gain health coverage under new plan from Biden administration
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he will direct his administration to allow undocumented people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in Medicaid or private insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will issue a proposed rule on the policy by […]
For uninsured people with cancer, securing care can be like spinning a roulette wheel
Eighteen months after April Adcox learned she had skin cancer, she finally returned to Charleston’s Medical University of South Carolina last May to seek treatment. By then, the reddish area along her hairline had grown from a 2-inch circle to cover nearly her entire forehead. It oozed fluid and was painful. “Honestly, I was just […]
No-cost preventive services are now in jeopardy. Here’s what you need to know
When a federal judge in Texas declared unconstitutional a popular part of the Affordable Care Act that ensures no-cost preventive care for certain services, such as screening exams for conditions such as diabetes, hepatitis, and certain cancers, it left a lot of people with a lot of questions. On the face of it, the March […]
U.S. judge rules insurers don’t have to cover many free preventive health services
WASHINGTON — Health insurance companies may no longer need to cover a wide swath of preventive health care services that were required by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, under a federal judge’s ruling issued Thursday in Texas. The decision could affect millions of Americans’ access to no-cost preventive health care — including pregnancy-related care, cancer […]