With legislators seemingly deadlocked on Medicaid expansion in Florida, residents in the “coverage gap” are stitching together their medical care through personal ingenuity, half doses of medicines and low-cost clinics. It’s exhausting work, especially when you’re sick.
A recent report found big differences in how counties are handling California’s estimated 3 million uninsured. Some county safety net programs are serving very few residents, raising questions of whether such counties are adequately adapting to meet the needs of the remaining uninsured.
New research from Berkeley economist Ben Handle finds that one company's health care spending dropped 17 percent after switching to high-deductible plans. The research gives new insight into how people's health care habits change when the incentives shift.
When reporter S.E. Ruckman set out to tell the story of how the ACA rollout was faring among Native American communities, she found little help and few resources. But she pushed forward, and found value in persistence and serendipitous connections.
The newly Republican-controlled Congress isn’t wasting time to take sharp aim at President Barack Obama’s health reform law. Here’s a look at the top bills, lawsuits and debates that could mean major changes.
As hundreds of thousands of residents across the region put new health care benefits to the test, doctors and hospitals are reporting a mixed bag of gains and growing pains.
In Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, more than 85,600 residents have enrolled into the new Medicaid benefits in the last year. The expansion has been a boon for community health centers and safety net providers that for decades have discounted care or forgone payments from uninsured patients.
Larry Keller doesn’t mince words when it comes to how he feels about the country’s health law. “A typical Cincinnati conservative would rather slit his wrists than consider a so-called Obamacare policy," he said. "But no exaggeration, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the Healthcare.gov website."
Rachel Hill has her diabetes under control after two years of not having insurance. Larry Keller is cancer free after a life-saving surgery, made possible by new insurance coverage. But a glut of new consumers now covered by Medicaid are waiting as much as four months before seeing a doctor.
Geographic boundaries can have a big impact on health insurance options, particularly for people living in rural regions. Rural residents tend to fare better on premiums and choices when their area is grouped with an urban neighbor.
