Health Insurance

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Health & Safety

Even With Insurance Parity Rules, Counseling May Count As Specialty Care

3:00pm April 12, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Federal law requires most insurers to provide parity between mental health and medical benefits, but that doesn't necessarily mean that regular counseling will come with a low copayment.

The entrance to Sutter Davis Hospital in Davis, Calif. Sutter Health has hospitals in more than 100 communities in Northern California; it reported $11 billion in revenue last year, with an operating profit of $287 million.

Big California Firms Take On Health Care Giant Over Cost of Care

9:23am April 07, 2016

by Chad Terhune

Sutter Health's network has 24 hospitals and more than 5,000 doctors in Northern California — a huge share of the health care market. Big employers say Sutter has too much clout in setting prices.

The guy with empty pockets might also be missing health insurance.

IRS Could Help Find Many Uninsured People, But Doesn't

10:49am April 05, 2016

by Phil Galewitz

Many low-income households that claim the earned income tax credit lack health insurance. That status on tax returns could provide a clue about people who would benefit from outreach.

Health & Safety

On The Rise: Workers' Desire For Raises Over Health Benefits

4:06pm April 01, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

A survey finds that the number of workers who say they would give up some health benefits to get a pay raise has increased to 20 percent from 10 percent in 2012.

"We are now shifting our attention to changing the underlying delivery system to make it more cost effective and higher quality," says Peter Lee, executive director for Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace.

California Insurance Marketplace Aims To Kick Out Poor-Performing Hospitals

1:19pm March 18, 2016

by Chad Terhune

Doctors, hospitals and insurers are balking at a Covered California proposal to eject providers of care that have inordinately high costs and low quality from its networks.

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Medical Debt Rains Pain On Families, Even In the Sunshine State

12:22pm March 17, 2016

by Sammy Mack

More than 30 percent of Floridians report having serious financial problems, compared with 26 percent of adults nationwide. Digging into those poll numbers shows large medical bills can be ruinous.

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Health & Safety

For Divorced Couples, Separate Plans OK To Repay Health Law Tax Credits

5:00am March 15, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

The Internal Revenue Service will evenly divvy up the amount divorced or legally separated spouses owe if they have to repay an insurance tax credit — unless they agree to a different arrangement.

Ohio residents feel split about Obamacare

Split Views On Health Overhaul In Ohio

7:29am March 11, 2016

by Sarah Jane Tribble

A poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds that people in the politically important state of Ohio are divided over Obamacare.

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Hospitals Adapt ERs To Meet Patient Demand For Routine Care

5:38pm March 10, 2016

by Abe Aboraya

Many Floridians and other Americans turn to the ER for problems that aren't emergencies, a poll suggests, even though the experience can be unpleasant. Some ERs are striving to change their image.

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Barbara Radley, of Oshkosh, Wis., has diabetes, liver failure and scleroderma. Even filing for bankruptcy early last year didn't stop her financial woes, she says. The medical bills keep piling up.

Medical Bills Still Take A Big Toll, Even With Insurance

6:05pm March 08, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

The Affordable Care Act has increased access to doctors and helped reduce medical costs. But poll data show 26 percent of U.S. families are still struggling to pay their health care bills.

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