Latest California Healthline Stories
Charlottesville’s High Health Plan Premiums Give Rise To Activism — And Unconventional Solutions
For people who buy their health coverage rather than get it from the government or through work, this Virginia city has claimed the title of having the country’s highest health insurance costs, and its residents are fighting back.
4 New Ways You Can Avoid Fines For Not Having Health Insurance
Among changes by the Trump administration, new rules protect consumers living in areas with only one marketplace plan as well as those who oppose abortion and can’t find a plan that doesn’t cover the procedure. These rules will resonate in California, where most health plans are required to cover abortion and six counties have only one insurer selling through the ACA exchange.
Calif. Leads Nation In Pushing Back Against Trump Administration Health Policies
In the face of federal efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, policymakers in the largest state are proposing laws and other changes to counter them. Beyond that, they’re aggressively pushing measures to expand health coverage beyond what the ACA envisioned.
California Insurer Faces Whistleblower Complaint Over Health Law Taxes
The filing against Blue Shield of California focuses on the taxation of certain health plans that are funded by both an employer and insurer. The case could attract more government scrutiny into whether all health insurers are paying their fair share of premium taxes.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ It’s Nerd Week
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the Trump administration’s latest effort to revise rules for next year’s Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They also discuss state efforts to stabilize their individual markets in light of some of the changes being made at the federal level.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Alive And Limping: ACA In The Age Of Trump
In this special episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo take a deep dive into the state of the federal health law, what happened in 2017 and the Affordable Care Act’s viability going forward.
Medicare Advantage Plans Cleared To Go Beyond Medical Coverage — Even Groceries
Under new federal rules unveiled this week, these privately run alternatives to traditional Medicare might provide air conditioners, rides to medical appointments and home-delivered meals. In California, which has a high proportion of Medicare beneficiaries in private plans, a San Francisco-based nonprofit already offers similar services to disabled seniors and adults.
Don’t Get Tripped Up By The IRS Tweak To Health Savings Accounts
A new federal calculation reduces by $50 the amount a family can put aside in 2018 in these accounts to pay medical bills. Anyone who has already funded the account at a higher level will need to adjust or deal with the tax consequences next year.
Americans Have Mixed Feelings About The ACA’s Future — But Like Their Plans
Most people who buy insurance on the individual market say they are motivated by concerns about high medical bills and a desire for peace of mind — not the law’s requirement that they have coverage, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Medicaid Minus Stigma: In Indian Country, It’s Part Of The Fabric Of Life
McKinley County, N.M., has the nation’s highest rate of Medicaid enrollment, and people there say it is vital to battle daunting economic and public health challenges.
