Kellie Schmitt

For one mental health counselor in Washington state, Obamacare has improved mental health care for many of her clients. With some providers seeing an uptick in newly insured clients, more adults and children are getting long-needed care.

New data show that tax credits have dramatically lowered premiums for those on Obamacare plans. But for employees stuck with high-deductible plans, big out-of-pocket costs can drain bank accounts and incentivize going without care.

A recent report finds California's safety-net hospitals could face huge funding shortfalls by decade's end, as federal payments for uncompensated care are cut. Meanwhile, rising medical costs and the remaining uninsured will put added pressures on the system's solvency.

A May report found a modest increase in Medi-Cal spending could give about 700,000 undocumented Californians access to care. Meanwhile, in the Salinas Valley, some say an employer-sponsored trust could provide essential care to farmworkers.

In response to the growing shortage of primary care doctors, some advocate for expanding the roles of nurse practitioners to expand access and lower costs. But the suggestion has met with pushback from some physician groups.

Are patients more likely to comparison shop when states increase pricing transparency? A recent report found that while New Hampshire's effort was effective in highlighting price gaps between providers, consumer response was tepid and costs didn't go down.