health care overhaul

Isabel Diaz Tinoco and Jose Luis Tinoco had some questions for the Miami insurance agent who helped guide them in signing up for a HealthCare.gov policy at the Mall of the Americas in November.

HealthCare.gov Enrollment Ends Friday. Sign-ups Likely to Trail Last Year's

4:57pm December 13, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

A shorter enrollment period and big cuts in the federal budget for outreach are taking a toll, say those helping with health insurance sign-ups. Deadlines for most state exchanges are a little later.

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President Trump spoke from the White House in July in an effort to promote health overhaul legislation. He's now trying to make changes through an executive order.

Trump Says He'll Sign Order To Expand Health Insurance Options

1:43pm October 10, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

Conservatives have long advocated for using association health plans to boost competition. But the result could be that healthy people pay less and sicker people are priced out of coverage.

Roughly 1.4 million people in the U.S. live in nursing homes, and two-thirds are covered by Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

Why Huge Quality Gaps Among Nursing Homes Are Likely To Grow If Medicaid Is Cut

5:00am September 28, 2017

by Jordan Rau

Medicaid covers about two-thirds of nursing home residents across the U.S., and pays significantly less than other types of insurance, including Medicare.

Republicans in Congress say they haven't given up on getting rid of the Affordable Care Act. They're just switching tactics.

Now What? 5 Looming Challenges For The Affordable Care Act

8:39pm September 26, 2017

by Julie Rovner

Republicans in Congress have dropped their attempts to repeal the health law for now. But Obamacare supporters say the Trump administration is still undercutting the law in ways that could damage it.

Charlene Yurgaitis gets health insurance through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. It covers the counseling and medication she and her doctors say she needs to recover from her opioid addiction.

5 Americans Talk About How A Health Law Overhaul Would Affect Them

5:50pm September 23, 2017

by Gisele Grayson

All year, NPR member station reporters around the country have asked people how they would be affected by proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Here are five of those stories.

Calls for tort reform in regards to medical malpractice are popular on the campaign trail. But research shows that costs from medical liability make up just 2 to 2.5 percent of total health care spending in the U.S.

This GOP Health Bill Proposes New Limits To Medical Malpractice Awards

5:00am June 28, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

The bill H.R. 1215 would limit awards for non-economic damages — such as pain and suffering — to $250,000. President Trump supports the bill, but many others across the political spectrum don't.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, seen walking to the House chamber on Wednesday, says he has the votes needed to pass the GOP health care bill on Thursday.

House To Vote On GOP Health Care Bill Thursday With Leadership Sure Of Support

8:00pm May 03, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

After a series of changes, including one to create federal high-risk pools, the Republicans' health care plan is headed back to the House floor for a vote. The majority leader says it will pass.

The GOP health plan has its own penalty for people who don't have health insurance. The "continuous coverage" penalty increases the cost of the premiums for anyone buying an individual insurance policy if they have gone 63 or more consecutive days without

GOP Health Plan Has Its Own Financial Stick To Prod People To Buy Insurance

9:32am March 21, 2017

The GOP plan would fine insurance buyers who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days a year. The penalty? A 30 percent surcharge every month for 12 months.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act would lead to 24 million people losing insurance. But that could depend on how you define "insurance."

How Many Would Lose Health Coverage? It Depends On How You Define 'Insurance'

1:13pm March 14, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The Congressional Budget Office says millions of people would lose coverage under the proposed House bill. But the CBO's definition of insurance is more generous than what Republicans want.

Health & Safety

Health Law Spared Young Adults From High Hospital Bills

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Sarah Varney

Young adults insured under their parents' plans were shielded from the potentially catastrophic cost of a medical emergency, a review of hospital records found. Researchers say $147 million in hospital bills were charged to insurers rather than the patients in 2011.

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