Affordable Care Act

Alaskans attend a rally in Anchorage for Medicaid expansion.

State Legislatures Quarrel Over Whether To Expand Medicaid

9:22pm May 14, 2015

Medicaid expansion was a big deal in a handful of state legislatures this year. Wyoming said no. Tennessee said no. But Montana said yes, and three more states are coming down to the wire.

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Symphonie Dawson and her son, Andrew. A visiting nurse program helped Dawson finish school while she was pregnant.

Health & Safety

Nurse Visits Help First-Time Moms, Cut Government Costs In Long Run

3:24pm May 14, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

The Affordable Care Act has made available more assistance to new mothers so they can raise healthier kids. But critics say the standards for those programs are too lenient.

If the Food and Drug Administration has approved a type of prescription contraception, then insurers must cover at least one option at no cost to the consumer.

Free Contraceptives Must Be Free, Obama Administration Tells Insurers

10:26am May 13, 2015

by Phil Galewitz

The notice to insurers comes after reports found many health plans weren't providing no-cost birth control for all prescription methods, a requirement under the Affordable Care Act.

Sheron Bazille pays $219.01 a month for her health insurance. She knows the amount down to the penny.

Tales From 3 Louisianans Who Got Subsidized Health Insurance

3:11pm May 12, 2015

by Jeff Cohen

About 90 percent of people in Louisiana who signed up for Obamacare got a subsidy. Some worry they won't be able to afford health insurance if the aid is overturned by the Supreme Court.

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More than 80 percent of the people getting federal subsidies to defray the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums have jobs, statistics suggest. And many are middle class.

Low, Middle Income Workers Most Vulnerable To Loss Of Obamacare Subsidies

9:00pm May 11, 2015

The Supreme Court may soon rule Obamacare subsidies illegal in about three dozen states. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Linda Blumberg of the Urban Institute about the options those states would have.

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An architectural rendering of the Cleveland Clinic's planned cancer center.

Cancer Spawns A Construction Boom In Cleveland

5:08pm May 11, 2015

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The famed Cleveland Clinic is building a new cancer center right around the corner from a competing cancer hospital. Both institutions are confident there will be plenty of patients.

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Registered nurses Cassie Gregor (from left), Camellia Douglas and Mike Montalto monitor patients in intensive care units scattered around North Carolina.

Staffing An Intensive Care Unit From Miles Away Has Advantages

11:56am May 08, 2015

by Michael Tomsic

Some hospitals are using a remote command center to keep an eye on ICU patients. This brings the expertise of a major medical center to rural hospitals — and may help keep the rural centers open.

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks Wednesday with reporters in Washington, D.C., after a meeting with Sylvia Burwell, head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Fla. Governor Leaves Meeting With U.S. Health Secretary Empty-Handed

8:48am May 07, 2015

by Phil Galewitz

Despite a "good conversation" with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Gov. Rick Scott gets no sign that Florida will receive the more than $1 billion he wants for health care.

Northeast Baptist Hospital, one of five hospitals within the Baptist Health System in San Antonio.

Health & Safety

Health System Took Control To Make Joint Replacement More Profitable

2:13pm May 01, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Baptist Health System in San Antonio made money doing what used to be industry heresy: reducing patients' use of medical care.

St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore is one of the 131 hospitals run by Ascension Health. It's a not-for-profit, Catholic health care system that treats many low-income patients.

Expanding Medicaid Trims Hospitals' Costs Of Caring For Uninsured

4:42pm April 30, 2015

by Anders Kelto

One aim of Obamacare was to ease the financial strain on nonprofit hospitals that provide medical care to people who lack insurance and can't pay their bills. That plan is working, hospitals say.