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Does Covered California Really Have You Covered?

By Emily Bazar August 26, 2014

A worrisome trend is emerging among some Californians who thought they were safe and secure under Covered California: Their plans are being canceled without consent and sometimes without notice. Take Ricki Manahan, who lives in Truckee, a mountain town north of Lake Tahoe. Manahan and her husband signed up for an Anthem plan from Covered […]

Change And No Change At The Exchange

By Emily Bazar August 12, 2014

I’m sure you’ve heard that premiums for plans sold through our health insurance exchange, Covered California, will go up an average of 4.2 percent next year. Just remember, “average” means just that. Your premium increase (or decrease in some cases) will depend on a variety of factors, including where you live and what plan you […]

Big Bills Lurk In Specialty Drug Category

By Emily Bazar July 29, 2014

It used to be that your health plan’s annual out-of-pocket maximum was more like the safety net under a high wire: You sure were glad it was there, but you didn’t actually plan to use it. These days, it could take one measly trip to the pharmacy for you to lose your balance and fall […]

Medi-Cal Renewals: Another Backlog On Horizon?

By Emily Bazar July 15, 2014

Let’s start with some good news (because everything is relative): The backlog of Medi-Cal applications that I called “monumental” last month is now merely “massive.” About 600,000 people – some of whom applied last year – are still waiting for their Medi-Cal applications to be processed, down from 900,000 previously, state officials report. The bad news […]

Help! Help! Out-Of-Network Emergency Woes

By Emily Bazar July 1, 2014

Last year, I developed an antibiotic-resistant infection on my arm when I was traveling on the East Coast. With each day, it grew scarier and more painful, and it was spreading. Like a good girl, I called my health insurance company here in California and they pointed me to specific urgent care clinics, assuring me […]

How To Fight An Unexpected Bill Under Obamacare

By Emily Bazar June 17, 2014

Do your homework. That’s the advice that health insurance companies have long given. They tell you to verify whether your doctor or hospital is in network before you head to your appointments. If you don’t, you risk a hefty bill for visiting an uncovered provider. But in the age of Obamacare, “doing your homework” has […]

Months After Applying, Legions Stuck Waiting For Medi-Cal

By Emily Bazar June 3, 2014

“One stop shop.” “No wrong door.” State officials have used those phrases since last year to describe the new, easier, more efficient Medi-Cal application process. But something happened between their mouths and reality: “A hole fell out of the middle of the system,” says Jen Flory, senior attorney for the Western Center on Law & […]

Network Nightmares: When Your Doctor And Hospital Don’T Mix

By Emily Bazar May 20, 2014

What good is it to have a health plan if you can’t find doctors and hospitals to accept it? That question rushes to mind every time a frustrated reader writes in to describe his or her Kafkaesque quest to find care. I’m also hearing from frustrated medical providers, including Dr. Nelson Branco, a pediatrician in […]

As Enforcer Of Obamacare, The IRS Faces Limits

By Emily Bazar April 22, 2014

Americans love their tax refunds. I know I do. So why is conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh advising his listeners to avoid them? In a word, Obamacare. “If you structure your taxes so that you do not get a refund, you do not have to buy insurance and you do not have to pay […]