The Health Law

Latest California Healthline Stories

Why States Using the Federal Exchange Are Unlikely To Run Their Own

Few states using the federal insurance exchange seem willing to establish their own marketplace. That’s even in light of a Supreme Court case that could nullify subsidies for consumers purchasing health insurance through HealthCare.gov, as well as cost such states billions of dollars in assistance and economic gains.

How the ACA Changed Taxes

One of the most-publicized tax effects of the Affordable Care Act involves subsidies that many U.S. residents received to help them purchase insurance. But that’s not the only change: Tucked within the thousands of pages that make up the ACA are a number of other tax implications.

Blue Shield Lost Its Tax Exemption Last Year. Who’s Next?

After 75 years, Blue Shield of California is tax-exempt no more. With a slew of bills and audits underway across the nation, experts say to expect further scrutiny of not-for-profit insurers and hospitals — and possibly, a wave of other health care organizations losing tax-exempt status, too.

Are State Innovation Waivers the Future of Health Care Reform?

Some experts say that state innovation waivers, which will be available in 2017 under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, could move health reform efforts forward — particularly in states that have been reluctant to support the law. Are such waivers the future of health reform, or, as critics contend, a slippery slope that could weaken the ACA?

What Obamacare Didn’t Do

The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Americans get access to health insurance. It’s credited with lowering the nation’s uninsured rate to record lows. But what promises has the law failed to keep?

Five Years of California Health Reform: ‘A Tremendous Designed Experiment’

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law five years ago today. The anniversary takes on special significance in California, the first state to form an ACA insurance exchange, where reforms have transformed the delivery of care for one-third of the state.