Three Changes Consumers Can Expect In Next Year鈥檚 Obamacare Coverage
The Department of Health and Human Services issues new rules designed to simplify health coverage consumers buy through Healthcare.gov.
Out-Of-Pocket Costs
201 - 220 of 228 Results
-
-
Consumer Choices Have Limited Impact On U.S. Health Care Spending: Study
An analysis from the Health Care Cost Institute finds that less than half of health care costs are for services considered 鈥渟hoppable,鈥 and consumers鈥 out-of-pocket spending on that is just 7 percent of all spending.
-
Narrow Marketplace Plans In Texas Pose Problems For Autistic Children
The move away from policies that allow families to seek out-of-network care is forcing many parents with autistic children to consider covering therapy costs themselves.
-
Some Dialysis Patients Give Medicare Failing Grade On Ambulance Trial
A Medicare trial aimed at averting billing fraud and waste in nonemergency ambulance service in eight states is drawing complaints from patients鈥 families and ambulance companies.
-
Buying Supplemental Insurance Can Be Hard For Younger Medicare Beneficiaries
Congress left it to states to determine whether private Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million disabled people younger than 65 who qualify for Medicare. The result: rules vary across the country.
By Susan Jaffe -
Surprise! Here鈥檚 Another Bill For That ‘Paramedic Response’
California cities increasingly are billing patients for paramedic services that they say were not covered by insurers. One 85-year-old woman took on city hall.
By Anna Gorman -
‘Critical Illness’ Insurance Grows As Out-Of-Pocket Health Costs Jump
A relatively obscure category of health insurance -- "critical illness" insurance -- is聽catching on because, increasingly, conventional health plans have consumers paying a lot of out-of-pocket costs. Mark Zdechlik of Minnesota Public Radio explains the pros and cons of critical care insurance in this story that aired on NPR's Morning Edition.
-
Consumers Cut Costs By Combining Limited Coverage Health Plans, Despite Penalty Risks
People sometimes put together a variety of policies, such as short-term and critical illness plans, instead of buying more expensive comprehensive health coverage. But they likely will face federal health law penalties.
-
New Federal Standards For Marketplace Plans May Reduce Out-Of-Pocket Spending
Officials have proposed establishing six options for the exchange plans that would set standard deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket spending limits, among other things.
-
A Lifesaving Flight, With A Price Tag Of $56,000
Big, sparsely populated states such as Montana are dependent on air ambulances to get people to specialized medical care. But those lifesaving flights can be hugely expensive and not covered by insurance.
-
Even With 鈥楽kin In The Game,鈥 Health Care Shoppers Are Not More Savvy
High-deductible health plans don鈥檛 necessarily trigger comparison shopping or informed health care choices by consumers, according to a survey published in Tuesday鈥檚 JAMA Internal Medicine.
-
Study: Some Marketplace Customers Spend 25 Percent Of Income On Health Expenses
Urban Institute researchers found that premiums and out-of-pocket costs are still a major concern for people seeking coverage on the health care marketplaces.
-
Telenovelas, Spanish Website Seek To Inform Hispanics About Kidney Donations
The website Inf贸rmate offers resources and information to help dispel cultural myths that may keep Latinos from becoming live kidney donors.
By Fran Kritz -
Health Plan Watchdog Still Seeks Progress After 25 Years
Increased comparative information on health plans is helping consumers shop, says Margaret O鈥橩ane, president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
-
More Employers Offer Plans That Provide Lump Sums For Critical Illnesses
The plans can help workers cover their high deductibles, but the policies also have limitations.
-
Do You Speak Health Insurance? It鈥檚 Not Easy.
Even savvy consumers stumble over terms like 鈥渃oinsurance.鈥
-
Medicare Payment Changes Lead More Men To Get Screening Colonoscopies
The health law waived Medicare鈥檚 Part B deductible and dropped the 20 percent copayment for the preventive tests.
-
ER Doctors Say Federal Rules Could Raise Patients鈥 Out-Of-Network Bills
Two physician groups say the government鈥檚 regulations for out-of-network emergency care payments will cost consumers more because insurers will pay less.
-
Health Plans’ Coverage Of Some Drugs Can Be A Source Of Consumer Confusion
Some medicines, particularly intravenous treatments, are not listed in plans鈥 pharmacy benefit section and, therefore, it鈥檚 difficult to confirm coverage specifics.
-
Single-Payer Health Care On Colorado Ballot In 2016
The group ColoradoCareYES gathered enough signatures 鈥 more than 100,000 鈥 to put a single-payer health system on the ballot next fall. But the price tag is a worry to some.