Marketplace Plans Covering Out-Of-Network Care Harder To Find
Two studies analyze the decline in PPO plans that provide some coverage when patients seek care from doctors, hospitals and other providers that are not on the plan’s network.
Michelle Andrews
Michelle Andrews is a contributing writer and former columnist for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø 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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Even In High-Deductible Plans, Some Service May Be Covered Without Cost To You
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about high deductible plans, out of network benefits and increases in premium costs.
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Costs May Keep Low-Income Patients From Clinical Trials, Study Finds
Insurance generally covers routine costs patients encounter in a clinical trial, but the patients can still be responsible for co-payments and other expenses, such as lost wages and travel.
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Marketplace Customers Could See Higher Premiums, No Coverage For Out-Of-Network Care
Enrollment for healthcare.gov plans for 2016 begins Sunday and consumers should carefully check their options to see what their costs will be, how much of a subsidy they qualify for and whether their doctors and hospitals are in the plan’s network.
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Updated Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Unlikely To Affect Insurance Coverage
The American Cancer Society now recommends that women begin annual mammogram screenings at age 45 instead of age 40, and that providers reduce the frequency of screening to every two years after age 54.
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Seniors Who Don’t Consider Switching Drug Plans May Face Steep Price Rise
For beneficiaries, staying in their current plans could prove costly so advocates urge them to check out the alternatives.
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Dementia Also Takes Toll On Unpaid Caregivers, Study Shows
The research shows 77 percent of those with dementia receive routine help with household tasks or personal care such as bathing and dressing. Only 20 percent of the 33 million people without dementia received similar help.
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Bipartisan Effort Revises Health Law Provision For Small Businesses
The new law, signed by President Barack Obama last week, eases some of the requirements for employers with 51 to 100 workers and counterintuitively may help bolster coverage.
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Medical Prices Higher In Areas Where Large Doctor Groups Dominate, Study Finds
Researchers report that prices for a dozen procedures and tests were 8 to 26 percent higher in counties with the highest level of physicians concentrated in large group practices.
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Consumers Can Shift Health Savings Accounts For Better Options
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about trying to get a better return on a health savings account, the Cadillac tax’s impact on a marketplace plan and finding insurance for a grandchild.
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Adults With Insurance Often Still Have Unmet Dental Needs, Survey Finds
Dental care is the health service that people most frequently avoid because of cost, researchers at the Urban Institute found.
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Prisons And Jails Forcing Inmates To Cover Some Medical Care Costs
Although the government is responsible for providing health services to people in jail, prisoners are still often expected to pay for the treatment.
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D.C. Women To Get Access To Full Year’s Worth Of Contraceptives
The new law is only the second in the country that allows women to get a year’s prescription at one time.
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Tech Options Helping Patients Wrest Control From Doctors
Dr. Eric Topol says smartphones and other technology allow patients to monitor and control their chronic health issues.
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Small Changes Can Have Notable Effects In Workers’ Coverage Or Costs
As the fall enrollment window begins for job-based insurance, workers may see a number of changes in provisions such as wellness programs, dependents’ coverage and specialty drug spending.
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Readers Ask About Concierge Medicine And Medicare; Insulin Costs And The Doughnut Hole
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers questions about Medicare beneficiaries’ costs associated with doctors who have concierge medicine practices, insulin pumps and respite care.
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Consumers With COBRA Coverage Should Weigh Moving To Health Law Plans
COBRA, which employees can buy when they leave a workplace if they pick up the entire cost of the plan, can be more expensive.
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Few Health Savings Accounts Owners Choose To Invest That Money, Study Finds
Many people who have high-deductible insurance plans and own health savings accounts to help pay for their medical expenses opt to keep the money in low-return savings accounts instead of investing in the financial markets, according to new research.
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States Looking For More Effective Ways To Encourage Vaccinations
A new study finds that state policies that require officials to sign off on nonmedical exemptions or impose punishments for students or parents reduce efforts to evade vaccinations.
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Study: 2 Million Exchange Enrollees Miss Out On Cost-Sharing Assistance
Consumers must enroll in a silver-level plan in order to be eligible for reductions in out-of-pocket spending.
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