Affordable Care Act

The Biden plan released this week is an update of the Affordable Care Act with controversial differences. Among them: a "public option" that covers abortion, and subsidized premiums for more people.

The ACA is again being put to the test, after a lower court judge ruled the massive health law unconstitutional. The case might yet ricochet back to the Supreme Court ahead of the 2020 election.

Her employer offered only a high-deductible health plan; that meant she'd have to pay up to $6,000 out of pocket each year. Advocates for patients say this sort of underinsurance is snatching lives.

"Medicare for America" would stop short of a full-blown expansion of Medicare. It would include copays from patients and a role for insurers. Could it survive health care's politics?

The president still promises "a great health care package" — but not until after the next election. His comments come after a phone call with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The Trump administration's decision to fight for total repeal of the Affordable Care Act in court sent shock waves across Congress, where lawmakers were caught off guard by the renewed repeal effort.

A letter from the Department of Justice announced the shift, in support of a district court judge's ruling that the law is unconstitutional. The case is likely to end up in the Supreme Court.

Well-known insurers are selling new sorts of health plans outside the Affordable Care Act exchanges that may sound cheaper but aren't necessarily. Some, for example, charge extra for common surgeries.

While some officials urge expansion of the Medicare system, several states are mulling a different way to ensure residents have affordable coverage: help them buy into a Medicaid-like plan.