Health Care Costs

Latest ϳԹ News Stories

Farmers Now Owe a Lot More for Health Insurance

ϳԹ News Original

More than a quarter of the agricultural workforce purchases health insurance through the individual marketplace, a much larger share than the overall percentage of U.S. adults. After a tough year for farmers, the loss of enhanced ACA subsidies is putting health insurance out of reach for many.

As Insurance Prices Rise, Families Puzzle Over Options

ϳԹ News Original

Millions of middle-class Americans who have Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are facing soaring premium payments in 2026. Some people are contemplating big life changes to deal with new rates that kicked in on Jan. 1.

What the Health? From ϳԹ News: Culture Wars Take Center Stage

Podcast

With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ϳԹ News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ϳԹ News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” report.

GOP Cuts Will Cripple Medicaid Enrollment, Warns CEO of Largest Public Health Plan

ϳԹ News Original

Martha Santana-Chin, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, last year took the helm of L.A. Care, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan. She warns that looming federal cuts will push up to 650,000 people off L.A. Care’s Medicaid rolls by the end of 2028.

Nuevas alternativas para resolver la crisis del cuidado de salud en casa

ϳԹ News Original

El cuidado en el hogar ya es una de las ocupaciones de más rápido crecimiento en el país: el año pasado había 3,2 millones de asistentes de salud en el hogar y de cuidado personal, frente a 1,4 millones una década atrás.

Millions of Americans Are Expected To Drop Their Affordable Care Act Plans. They’re Looking for a Plan B.

ϳԹ News Original

An estimated 4.8 million people are expected to go without health coverage because Congress did not extend enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. But even without a health plan, people will need medical care in 2026. Many of them have been thinking through their plan B to maintain their health.

California Ends Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan

ϳԹ News Original

Low-income Californians who use Wegovy and similar medications for weight loss lost their coverage at the start of the new year, with officials advising diet and exercise instead. California and other states say the drugs are too costly, even as the Trump administration announces plans to lower prices.

What the Health? From ϳԹ News: New Year, Same Health Fight

Podcast

Congress returned from its break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy, the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended. Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join ϳԹ News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

On the Hook for Uninsured Residents, Counties Now Wonder How They’ll Pay

ϳԹ News Original

Millions of people gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, reducing pressure on counties in states that fund care for the uninsured. With federal policies expected to reverse that trend, county officials wonder how they will fill the gap — and who will pay for it.

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

ϳԹ News Original

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

It’s the ‘Gold Standard’ in Autism Care. Why Are States Reining It In?

ϳԹ News Original

States facing yawning budget shortfalls have begun cutting Medicaid reimbursements for a wide variety of services. In some states, dramatic cuts are targeting therapies that many families of autistic people say are essential to caring for their loved ones.

Medical Bills Can Be Vexing and Perplexing. Here’s This Year’s Best Advice for Patients.

ϳԹ News Original

As the crowdsourced investigative series from ϳԹ News approaches its eighth anniversary, “Bill of the Month” offers its top takeaways of 2025 to help patients manage, decipher, and even fight their medical bills.