Julie Appleby

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jappleby@kff.org

Doctor Tripped Up by $64K Bill for Ankle Surgery and Hospital Stay

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

A doctor in Colorado became the patient after an accident totaled her car and sent her to the operating room. The hospital kept her overnight, but her insurer stopped paying after she left the emergency room.

A Ticking Clock: How States Are Preparing for a Last-Minute Obamacare Deal

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Even if Congress strikes a deal soon to extend more generous Affordable Care Act subsidies, the prices and types of ACA plans available could change dramatically. Unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval could cloud this year鈥檚 open enrollment season, which begins in most states on Saturday.

Team Trump鈥檚 Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.

Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs 鈥 and plan accordingly.

Insurers and Customers Brace for Double Whammy to Obamacare Premiums

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Consumers face both rising premiums and falling subsidies next year in Obamacare plans, with insurers seeking increases to cover not only rising costs but also some policy changes advanced by President Donald Trump and the GOP.

States Brace for Reversal of Obamacare Coverage Gains Under Trump鈥檚 Budget Bill

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

States that run their own health insurance marketplaces fear an end to automatic Obamacare reenrollment under the tax and spending megabill would have an outsize effect on their policyholders.

Republican Megabill Will Mean Higher Health Costs for Many Americans

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Spending cuts hitting medical providers, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act enrollees, and lawfully present immigrants are just some of the biggest changes the GOP has in store for health care 鈥 with ramifications that could touch all Americans.

A Texas Boy Needed Protection From Measles. The Vaccine Cost $1,400.

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

A family living in Galveston was surprised to be charged thousands of dollars for immunizations for their children. Their insurance plan didn鈥檛 cover the shots, and the cost of the measles vaccine in particular was more than five times what health officials say it goes for in the private sector.

Four Ways Trump鈥檚 鈥極ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥 Would Undermine Access to Obamacare

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

The combination of the House-passed spending and tax bill and the Trump administration鈥檚 regulatory action could change Affordable Care Act enrollment and the cost of insurance. The result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, is that millions of people may become uninsured.

Trump鈥檚 鈥極ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥 Continues Assault on Obamacare

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

The domestic policy legislation the House advanced in May includes the most substantial rollback of the Affordable Care Act since President Donald Trump and his Republican allies tried to pass legislation in 2017 that would have largely repealed President Barack Obama鈥檚 signature domestic accomplishment.

Trump鈥檚 DOJ Accuses Medicare Advantage Insurers of Paying 鈥楰ickbacks鈥 for Primo Customers

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

The Department of Justice alleges that several major health insurers paid brokerages 鈥渉undreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks鈥 to get agents to steer consumers into their Medicare Advantage plans, allegations the insurers strongly dispute.

The Ranks of Obamacare 鈥楩ixers鈥 Axed in Trump鈥檚 Reduction of Health Agency Workforce

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

These fixers, officially known as caseworkers, unraveled complex and arcane health insurance rules to solve people鈥檚 coverage issues. They worked in a little-known federal department with which most consumers never interact 鈥 until they need help.

Tax Time Triggers Fraud Alarms for Some Obamacare Enrollees

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

Consumers who were enrolled fraudulently in Affordable Care Act coverage could receive unexpected tax bills 鈥 the first and possibly only clue they were a victim of fraud. Getting help may become difficult as federal workers are laid off and funding for assistance programs is cut.

He Had Short-Term Health Insurance. His Colonoscopy Bill: $7,000.

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

After leaving his job to launch his own business, an Illinois man opted for a six-month health insurance plan. When he needed a colonoscopy, he thought it would cover most of the bill. Then he learned his plan鈥檚 limited benefits would cost him plenty.

Bill That Congressman Says Protects Medicaid Doesn鈥檛 鈥 And Would Likely Require Cutting It

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Long Island Republican, told his constituents that he voted for the House-passed GOP budget resolution because it protects Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. However, the bill charges a committee with making cuts that likely can鈥檛 be attained without slashing Medicaid.

Trump Health Care Proposal Billed as Consumer Protection but Adds Enrollment Hoops

杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News Original

The proposal also would reverse a Biden administration policy that allowed 鈥淒reamers鈥 鈥 immigrants in the country illegally who were brought here as children 鈥 from qualifying for subsidized ACA coverage.