Health Insurance

Los Angeles County last fall unveiled one of its 10 Department of Mental Health vans aimed at, among other things, reducing long waiting periods for the transport of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Health & Safety

California Poised To Strengthen Mental Health Insurance Laws

5:40pm September 01, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

One of the strongest mental health parity laws in the U.S. is on the governor's desk. It aims to help more than 13 million Californians — including those with milder mental illness and addictions.

"Before the appendectomy, I was looking for property and homes to purchase, and that is pretty much completely off the table right now," says Shannon Harness, a veteran who was uninsured when he had two appendicitis-related surgeries in 2019. The bills am

Health & Safety

Veteran's Appendectomy Launches Excruciating, Months-Long Battle Over Bill

12:29pm August 25, 2020

by Elizabeth Lawrence

An uninsured Colorado man who had appendicitis owed $80,232 after two surgeries. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the procedures.

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Healthcare workers talk in the Covid-19 unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas in July.

Health & Safety

In Texas, 2 Big Problems Collide: Uninsured People And An Uncontrolled Pandemic

11:13am July 28, 2020

by Ashley Lopez

Nearly 700,000 Texans have lost health insurance during the pandemic, and the state already had more uninsured people than any other. Many Texans with COVID-19 symptoms hesitate to seek treatment.

Vickie Gregorio with Heartland Workforce Solutions in Omaha, Neb., updates a whiteboard outside the workforce office as unemployed job seekers wait in line for help. A recent change in federal rules gives some people who have lost their health plan along

Health & Safety

Rule Change Gives Laid-Off Workers More Time To Sign Up For COBRA Insurance

2:47pm July 20, 2020

by Michelle Andrews

People who lose their job-based health plan usually get 60 days to decide to continue it — and pay more — under federal rules. But a recent pandemic-related rule change allows more decision time.

Carmen Quintero works as a supervisor at a distribution center for N95 masks. She owes $1,840 for other care she received when she tried to get a coronavirus test.

Health & Safety

Essential Worker Shoulders $1,840 Debt For Trying To Get A Coronavirus Test

12:43pm June 30, 2020

by Sarah Varney

Carmen Quintero couldn't get a coronavirus test but ended up with a huge bill for trying to. She also was told to self-isolate and had no choice but to use vacation time to stay home from work.

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Some cities, such as Washington, D.C. are offering free coronavirus testing for people who've attended protests. Where free tests aren't available, some people may find insurance refuses to cover precautionary testing.

Health & Safety

Insurers May Only Pay For Coronavirus Tests When They're 'Medically Necessary'

5:00am June 19, 2020

by Blake Farmer

Congress required health plans to fully cover COVID-19 testing, but insurance companies are starting to argue they should only have to pay if patients show symptoms or tests are ordered by a doctor.

Liz McLemore spent weeks trying to enroll in a health plan after being laid off and losing her job-based coverage. "You just got to fight through," she says.

She Lost Her Job And Health Insurance And Had To Fight To Get A New Plan

3:14pm June 09, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Like millions of others, Liz McLemore always got her health insurance coverage through her job. In April, she suddenly had to figure out how to find coverage in the middle of a pandemic.

The IRS has announced that with employer approval, employees will be allowed to add, drop or alter some of their benefits — including flexible spending account contributions — for the remainder of 2020.

IRS Rule Shift Lets Workers Make Benefits Changes Midyear — If Their Employer Agrees

5:00am May 29, 2020

by Michelle Andrews

The new guidance amounts to a midyear open-enrollment period and applies to firms that buy health insurance to cover their workers as well as to those that self-insure — paying claims on their own.

With physician offices not seeing patients with COVID-19 symptoms in April, Timothy Regan said he had little choice when Denver Health directed him first to its urgent care facility and then to its emergency room. "I felt bad, but I had been dealing with

Health & Safety

ER Visit For COVID-19 Symptoms Stuck Man With A $3,278 Bill

5:13pm May 26, 2020

by Phil Galewitz

A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID-19 symptoms surfaced. But he got a surprising bill from his insurer, which had waived cost sharing for treatment of the coronavirus infection.

A patient with suspected COVID-19 arrives at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn in early April. Even as the risk of big medical bills climbs, many Americans are losing their jobs and health insurance right now.

Coronavirus Reset: How To Get Health Insurance Now

5:47pm May 13, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

At least 27 million Americans who lost their jobs in recent weeks also lost their health insurance, a new report finds. Others lacked a health plan even before COVID-19 hit. Here's how to find help.

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