The following information was released by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation:. It also finds that nearly one in six returning ACA Marketplace enrollees say they are not confident they will be able to afford their premiums this year. Among those who re-enrolled in an ACA Marketplace plan, a majority say they have cut or plan to cut spending on food or other basic…
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As part of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, 40 states and Washington, D.C. have extended Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $22,000 for an individual. Nevertheless, congressional Republicans and President Trump enacted unprecedented and harmful changes to the Medicaid expansion…
Amid the debates leading up to the expiration, KFF conducted a probability-based survey of 1,350 adults covered by ACA Marketplace plans in late 2025 to better understand their worries about potential cost increases for their health coverage. Nowwithout the enhanced tax credits in placeKFF re-interviewed 1,117 individuals to learn how they are…
Paula M. Stannard, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. WASHINGTON March 19, 2026 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights today announced investigations of thirteen states under a federal health care conscience lawthe Weldon Amendmentbased on information that the states are allegedly coercing health care entities…
WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Senator Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, today joined Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden and ten Senate Democrats in announcing a new initiative to lower the cost of health care and improve health insurance coverage for American families. "Republicans have spent the past year making…
The Kansas House of Representatives worked seventeen bills on the floor last week. The topics of said bills ranged from property deeds for state agencies to state funded children health insurance. This piece of legislation would enable the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Advisory Committee to request temporary personnel and other assistance in…
2026 MAR 19– By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Japan Daily Report– Research findings on Science are discussed in a new report. According to news originating from Suita, Japan, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated,“ Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability, significantly impairing quality of life. Our news journalists obtained a quote from…
Providence Health& Services is exploring the sale of its insurance arm, Providence Health Plan, as leaders look to strengthen the organization’ s long-term financial footing. Providence Health Plan, based in Portland, is the state’ s third-largest health insurer. The plan employs nearly 1,200 people across six states, including 878 in Oregon.
Sorting through the nuances of copays, deductibles, premiums and other jargon can be frustrating. Since the Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the end of 2025, Americans have undoubtedly been encountering a great deal of confusing information surrounding health care costs and insurance plans. From five-figure deductibles to premiums higher than…
California businesses are facing cost pressures on all fronts— from rent, utilities, labor, materials and rising cost of living expenses. California lawmakers say they have made affordability a top priority. In 2025 alone, California lawmakers introduced mandates totaling an estimated $2.8 billion.
What's being proposed: a temporary tax increase on health insurers and additional withdrawals from a state reserve fund to offset impacts on the state's budget from federal tax cuts contained in the Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act. House Democrats requested Wednesday's public hearing to give the public more time to weigh in on the proposal after it…
—Lately, Priscilla Brown has had to choose between properly managing her Type 2 diabetes and affording other necessities, like gas in her car. Democrats in Congress last year had fought to keep the COVID-era subsidies but faced pushback from Republican leadership. The new poll, which was conducted in February and March and followed up with respondents from a…
The final premium, co-pay, ambulatory, inpatient, outpatient and surgical deductible amounts associated with the tiers will be voted on at the June 5 board meeting. Since state Treasurer Brad Briner took office in January 2025, he had focused primarily on reducing expenses as part of an effort to provide more financial stability to SHP. The SHP presentation…
When Democrat Joe Biden was president, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil rights office said the provision didn't pertain to employers or other health care sponsors. The HHS civil rights office launched the investigations“ to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” office…
Four advisors. Four turning points. One missing assumption
Disability income protection planning is one of the most essential components of financial planning and one of the most overlooked.
Washington youth in extended foster care will no longer have to reimburse the state using their own disability or survivor benefits under a new bill signed into law Wednesday. Emily Alvarado, D- West Seattle, and Sen. Judy Warnick, R- Moses Lake, stops the state, starting next year, from intercepting funds from foster youth ages 18 to 21 who receive federal benefits…
Lawsuit: CVS Caremark inflated drug costs via ‘manipulation scheme’
A group of health plan customers has filed a lawsuit accusing CVS Caremark and affiliated entities of orchestrating a scheme that allegedly drove up prescription drug costs.
The state Treasurer's Office has oversight of the SHP, which is North Carolina's largest purchaser of medical and pharmaceutical services. Since state Treasurer Brad Briner took office in January 2025, he had focused primarily on reducing expenses as part of an effort to provide more financial stability to SHP. The SHP presentation listed that there would be…
It’ s open enrollment season for Medicare Advantage, when people currently enrolled in private managed-care plans can either sign up for a new one or switch to original Medicare through March 31. "We really want people to factor that in," said Kata Kertesz, managing policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. "We saw some Medicare Advantage plans that just…
The bill was tentatively scheduled for debate Thursday in the Iowa House after it passed the Appropriations Committee in a 14-10 vote Monday. The proposal also would transfer $296.2 million from the Iowa Taxpayer Relief Fund to account for state revenue decreases caused by tax cuts through the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act approved by President Donald Trump…
