Heath Insurance

Older adults who are in Medicare Advantage and are dissatisfied with their plans can make a switch until March 31.

Health & Safety

Older Americans say they feel trapped in Medicare Advantage plans

6:05pm January 03, 2024

by Sarah Jane Tribble

As enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans grows, so do concerns about how well the insurance works, including from those who say they have become trapped in the private plans as their health declines.

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Emergency medical technicians wheel a patient into the ER of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Emergency hospitalizations related to COViD-19 can be costly. Fine print in the HHS rules regarding the CARES Act seem to spare patients at least some o

In Fine Print, HHS Seems To Have Banned Surprise Medical Bills During The Pandemic

8:26pm April 17, 2020

by Emmarie Huetteman

Guidance regarding the CARES Act says health care providers who take emergency funds aren't allowed to "balance bill" coronavirus patients ― and every patient is a possible COVID-19 patient.

One rule announced by the Trump administration Friday puts pressure on hospitals to reveal what they charge insurers for procedures and services. Critics say the penalty for not following the rule isn't stiff enough to be a an effective deterrent.

Trump Wants Insurers and Hospitals To Show Real Prices To Patients

9:47pm November 15, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Two regulations announced Friday take aim at health care prices. One, to affect patients by 2021, addresses hospital rates. The second, a proposal, would require more upfront clarity from insurers.

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A CPAP machine can treat obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder which causes people to temporarily stop breathing throughout the night. But the machines, which blow air into a person's airways, take some getting used to.

Health & Safety

You Snooze, You Lose: How Insurers Dodge The Costs Of Popular Sleep Apnea Devices

10:21am November 21, 2018

by Marshall Allen

Millions of sleep apnea patients rely on CPAP breathing machines to get a good night's rest. Health insurers use a variety of tactics, including surveillance, to make patients bear the costs.

Governors from left; Bill Haslam of Tennessee, Steve Bullock of Montana, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Gary Herbert of Utah all testified Thursday about ways t improve the ACA.

Governors Sound Off On How To Fix Health Insurance

10:22pm September 07, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

Senators holding hearings this week are looking for quick tweaks that will stabilize the insurance markets and make policies cheaper. Some governors want more federal money and more flexibility.

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President Trump at a listening session with health insurance executives at the White House earlier this year.

Trump Administration Extends Deadline For Insurers To Decide On Obamacare Markets

5:35pm August 14, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The extension leaves time for President Trump to decide whether to continue crucial payments to insurers and for insurers to figure out how they would operate without them if they were to disappear.