Latest California Healthline Stories
Amid Growing Rx Costs, No Consensus on Addressing Access
As rising prescription drug prices increasingly make headlines, stakeholders struggle to find the “right idea” to address them, as well as ensure medication access for consumers.
Is the ‘Cadillac Tax’ a Good Idea?
Two years before it’s scheduled to kick in, the Affordable Care Act’s “Cadillac tax” on high-end health insurance is generating debate. We asked consumer advocates, employers, insurers and other stakeholders to weigh in.
What Paul Ryan’s Election to House Speaker Means for the Affordable Care Act
Newly elected House Speaker Paul Ryan has signaled he will continue to fight the Affordable Care Act by exploring replacement plans. While it is unlikely that Ryan will be able to make any moves on health care reform while President Obama is in office, the 2016 presidential election could open new doors, experts say.
Another One Bites the Dust: Why Are 12 ACA Co-Ops Closing?
Yesterday, a 12th cooperative health plan created under the Affordable Care Act announced that it will shut down. Why have more than half of such co-ops failed, and what do the closures mean for consumers?
Five Things To Watch in Round Three of the ACA’s Open Enrollment
The Affordable Care Act’s third open enrollment period starts on Sunday, and the law faces some new challenges, including a shrinking pool of potential enrollees, shuttering cooperative health plans and a lack of awareness about subsidies that can help consumers purchase coverage.
Report: Record Medicaid Growth, Reforms
A Kaiser Family Foundation report suggests Medicaid is playing a more significant role in the U.S. health care system following changes and expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
How Navigators Plan To Insure the Remaining Uninsured
With the Affordable Care Act’s third open enrollment period less than one month away, the latest batch of navigators are ramping up to help consumers sign up for health insurance. Website glitches and poor coordination previously hampered enrollment efforts, but the biggest challenge this time is much more fundamental: helping consumers understand the law.
Support for Federal Health Spending Is Down. Could the ACA Be the Reason Why?
The Affordable Care Act is the largest overhaul of the country’s health care system in history. Since the law’s enactment, support for federal spending on health care is down among Republicans, independents … and even Democrats.
ACA Could Be a Boon for American Indians, but Enrollment Challenges Remain
Helping American Indians and Alaska Natives enroll in Affordable Care Act coverage can be difficult, even though doing so would improve health disparities and bring in more funding for tribal health care providers.
The Next Big Battle Over Obamacare: Another Tax
As employers begin to consider future benefits packages, their attention is turned to the Affordable Care Act’s 40% tax on high-cost health plans. Advocates say the tax will help reduce health care costs by discouraging wasteful spending, while critics say the tax will unfairly raise out-of-pocket expenses for workers.