Policy-ish
She’s bracing and saving to pay $2,800 a month for ACA health insurance next year
Raiding retirement savings. Pondering job changes or even marriage. People who buy their own health insurance are strategizing ahead of major price hikes in 2026. Open enrollment starts Nov. 1.
Offered a cash price for a prenatal genetic test? It may be your best bet
An expectant mom got a $750 bill for a blood test to check for genetic abnormalities in her baby. Then she tried to figure out why it was so high.
Amid growing ‘scandal’ of elder homelessness, health care groups aim to help
The housing crisis is requiring creative scrambling and new partnerships from health care organizations to keep older patients out of expensive nursing homes as homelessness grows.
He built Michigan’s Medicaid work requirement system. Now he’s warning other states
Michigan's health director spent a year and $30 million building a work requirements system for Medicaid. The problems he encountered have him worried now that 40 states must do the same by 2027.
Congress looks to ease veterans’ use of health care outside the VA
It can be difficult for veterans to use their health benefits for care outside the federal system. A bill in Congress could ease that. Opponents are wary funds being "siphoned" away from the VA.
States sue Trump administration after more hospitals stop treating transgender youth
A coalition of 16 states and D.C. argue in the lawsuit that the Trump administration is trying to effectuate a national ban on gender-affirming care for youth by intimidating hospitals and doctors.
Dozens of state laws take aim at food dyes amid a wave of support for MAHA
Fueled by MAHA, state lawmakers are moving to remove dyes and other additives from food. A wide range of state laws could make it difficult for manufacturers and could spur further federal regulation.
Do ‘work requirements’ in Medicaid work? Georgia’s been trying it for two years
Most states will have to establish work requirements for Medicaid by 2027. Georgia has had them for two years. Some Georgians say the glitchy system makes it too hard to prove they actually qualify.
Even megastars like Venus Williams get the health insurance blues
In the U.S., as nowhere else, health insurance and employment are deeply connected. And that means confusion can snare even elite athletes.
Trump voters wanted lower medical bills. But for millions, bills are about to go up
Moves by the Trump administration to pare back Medicaid, rescind medical debt rules and loosen vaccine requirements threaten to increase medical bills for millions of Americans.
Fearing coverage could change, some parents rush to vaccinate their kids
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is changing how federal agencies handle vaccine recommendations. Some parents are hurrying to get kids their shots, fearing future changes could limit access.
Why the health care lobby failed to stop cuts to Medicaid funding
The powerful health industry lobby couldn't persuade GOP lawmakers to oppose big Medicaid cuts in President Trump's tax and spending bill. What's behind the lobbying failure?
State laws to stop surprise ambulance bills face pushback from insurers
Policymakers agree patients shouldn't be stuck in the middle when an ambulance service charges more than what an insurer will pay. But they can't settle on what price is fair.
Feds investigate hospitals over religious exemptions from gender-affirming care
A physician assistant claimed she was fired by a Michigan hospital for seeking a religious exemption regarding gender-affirming care. Now the federal government is also investigating.
Near old Montana mine, special clinic for asbestos-related illness fights to survive
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, closed in May after a court judgment. The clinic's federal funding is also threatened. Patients with scarred lungs worry about what's next.
5 ways Trump’s tax bill will limit health care access
With spending cuts poised to hit medical providers, Medicaid recipients and Affordable Care Act enrollees, here's how the bill will affect health care access for millions in the U.S.
Doctors don’t get much menopause training. State lawmakers are trying to change that
The California legislature wants doctors to get more educated about menopause symptoms and treatment. It's one of a number of states passing menopause-related legislation.
U.S. uninsured rates could resurge if Trump’s budget bill passes
Millions could lose health insurance as the Trump administration and GOP-controlled Congress weigh major changes to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. "The effects could be catastrophic," one policy analyst predicts.
RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz say health insurers will cut red tape on ‘prior authorizations’
In recent years, health insurers ramped up the practice of requiring doctors to get their approval before tests and procedures. On Monday, health leaders announced voluntary reforms from insurers.
Medicaid keeps getting more popular as Republicans aim to cut it by $800 billion
Americans across the political spectrum like Medicaid and think it should get more funding, not less, according to a new poll from health research organization KFF.
RFK Jr. names new slate of vaccine advisers after purging CDC panel
Two days after firing vaccine experts who help set the nation's immunization policies, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has picked eight successors for the CDC panel.
How Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ threatens access to Obamacare
If the law passes, new paperwork requirements and other logistical hurdles could lead to millions of people on ACA plans becoming uninsured, according to Congressional Budget Office.
Does Georgia’s fetal ‘personhood’ law mean a pregnant woman must stay on life support?
The anti-abortion movement is rallying around new laws that establish fetal 'personhood.' Doctors are scrambling to adjust, but even conservatives don't always agree on how they should be applied.
A stricter FDA policy for COVID vaccines could limit future access
Federal officials unveiled a rigorous regulatory approach to future COVID vaccines that could make it harder for many people under 65 to get immunized.
RFK Jr. got rid of an ‘alphabet soup’ of health agencies. Now, Congress gets a say
On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. goes to Capitol Hill to promote and defend his massive overhaul of HHS, and President Trump's plans to change it even more.
House oversight committee demands answers on gutting of CDC public records office
House Rep. Gerry Connolly is pushing CDC leadership to explain why the personnel who handle FOIA requests lost their jobs, noting that that the public has a right to access federal records.
Help for ACA health plans could be harder to come by since RFK axed teams of ‘fixers’
Federal workers who help resolve complicated problems for Affordable Care Act policyholders are among those recently cut by the Trump administration.
Trump signs executive action to lower drug prices
The action is intended to build upon the existing program for Medicare drug price negotiations, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act that passed during the Biden administration.
After delays, first vaccine advisory meeting under RFK Jr. set to start
For the first time since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary, vaccine advisers to the CDC are meeting to discuss vaccines for RSV, HPV, COVID and more.
Judge rules Alabama can’t prosecute groups helping patients get abortions elsewhere
Although most abortions remain illegal in Alabama, the decision allows doctors and advocacy groups to tell patients about abortion options in other states, and help with travel and other costs
What happens when a Chicago hospital bows to federal pressure on trans care for teens
Patients and parents speak out after Lurie Children's in Chicago joined other hospitals in stopping gender-affirming surgeries. President Trump's executive order threatened their federal funding.
From TV to CMS: How Dr. Oz could shape Medicare and Medicaid
Dr. Oz lacks policy experience but has TV show chops. Tom Scully, who led Medicare & Medicaid for President George W. Bush, argues that Oz is well-suited to be a spokesman for Trump's health care agenda.
