New Preventive Health Services Approved For No-Cost Coverage
Two new procedures have been added to the list of what should be covered by insurance without charge to consumers under provisions of the health law.
Michelle Andrews
Michelle Andrews is a contributing writer and former columnist for Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News. She has been writing about health care for more than 15 years. Her work has appeared frequently in The New York Times, where she wrote the Money and Medicine column and contributed regular news and features. Her work has also been published in Money, Fortune Small Business, National Geographic and Women’s Health magazines, among others. Michelle previously worked as a senior writer at U.S. News & World Report and at SmartMoney magazines. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.
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When Your Doctor Leaves Your Health Plan, You Likely Can’t Follow
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about options when physicians leave an insurer’s network, the lack of coverage for hearing aids and penalties linked to insurance subsidies.
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Medicare Pays For Spouses To Get Grief Counseling Through Hospice
But a new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospice services had little impact on depression suffered by individuals after the death of their spouses.
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Second Opinions Often Sought But Value Is Not Yet Proven
Medical reviews are recommended for patients facing serious illnesses and some individuals glean important advice, but researchers do not have much data showing whether they lead to better outcomes.
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Medicaid Expansion Helps Cut Rate Of Older, Uninsured Adults From 12 To 8 Percent
A study finds that in states that did not expand the health program for low-income residents, the rate of uninsurance among 50- to 64-year-olds is twice that of other states.
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Telemedicine Under Attack As Abortion Rights Supporters Seek More Options For Women
Only two states offer telemed abortions, in which a woman confers with a doctor through an Internet video connection before being prescribed drugs to terminate a pregnancy. Supporters say the practice improves early access to abortion, thus cutting down expenses and complications, but opponents say it is dangerous.
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Feds Say That In Screening Colonoscopies, Anesthesia Comes With No Charge
In an announcement this week, federal officials made clear that insurers should not charge patients for the anesthesia used in a screening colonoscopy, but some other routine charges are still in dispute.
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Home Visits By Nurses For First-Time Mothers Help Reduce Government Costs
The Nurse-Family Partnership is one of more than a dozen programs that are eligible for funding under the federal health law. Congress renewed the spending this year.
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Study: Cataract Surgery Fast And Safe, But Many On Medicare Get Costly Pre-Testing
Having blood work and other tests before cataract surgery isn’t usually recommended, but a study finds that more than half of Medicare beneficiaries get them.
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Running Out Of Money Is More Than Just A Worry For Many Seniors, Study Finds
About 12 percent of people 85 and older who died had no assets left and 20 percent had only their homes, according to the research. But even people who die much younger can face similar financial problems.
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Insuring Your Health
How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about cost and coverage.
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Thousands May Have Been Shorted On Insurance Subsidies After Calculation Error
Some families likely received lower subsidies than they were entitled to or were denied Medicaid coverage because of faulty calculations related to children who receive Social Security income.
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Advocates Push For Paid Medical, Family Leave
Two decades after passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Democrats and workers' advocates seek paid leaves so more people can afford to take them.
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There May Still Be Time To Save On Health Law’s Tax Penalties
Some consumers who face a 2014 tax bill can make adjustments to improve their liability.
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EEOC Proposal On Wellness Program Earns Business Praise, Consumer Concerns
The announcement is an effort to give employers more guidance on how to implement the programs promoted by the federal health law without overstepping the Americans With Disabilities Act.
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Patient Safety Advocate Sees ‘Hope And Hype’ In Digital Revolution
Dr. Robert Wachter says medicine’s move to a computer age can improve care but patients still face serious challenges in adapting to the new technology and the prospect of overcoming a fragmented health system.
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Federal Marketplace More Adept Than States At Enrolling Customers, Study Finds
The research by Avelere Health shows that the exchange the federal government runs in three dozen states had a higher percentage of new and returning enrollees than the other marketplaces run by individual states.
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Shifts In Earnings For Consumers Near Medicaid Line Can Threaten Coverage
Marketplaces face challenges ensuring that low-income customers continue to get coverage if their incomes change to put them above or below the Medicaid eligibility line.
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Consumers Contributing Less To Health Savings Accounts, Study Finds
The accounts are designed to provide a way for people with high-deductible insurance plans to save money tax free to use on health expenses.
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To Avoid Extra Payments, Notify Your Marketplace Plan When You Move
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about what happens to your plan when you move out of state, smoking cessation expenses and sending workers to the exchange to buy policies.
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