New research from leading health economist David Cutler explores what’s behind a historic slowdown in health spending, even as millions of Americans struggle to afford their care.
Health Insurance
Posted inCost of Care
Doctors Hated the No Surprises Act. Now Some Are Getting Rich Off of It.
Doctors are winning big paydays from insurers under a law intended to protect patients and rein in high prices.
Posted inInsurance
‘It Sucks’: Spiking Health Insurance Costs Hit Small Businesses
An employer in Chicago describes how another year of rising premiums forced her to consider dropping her workers’ insurance.
Posted inInsurance
The Quiet Cuts Making ACA Enrollment Harder
Higher premiums and penalties have made shopping for Obamacare plans more confusing this year. Navigator programs, a resource for consumers, lost about 90% of federal funding across more than two dozen states earlier this year. How’s open enrollment going so far? “Chaotic,” says one remaining ACA navigator.
Posted inPublic Health
The Future of Health Care Research: ‘Federal Funding Really Is Irreplaceable’
What happens if President Trump cuts billions of dollars from research on how to make our health care system work better?
Posted inInsurance
How States Are Reckoning with Republican Health Reforms
It’s been 90 days since Congress passed Trump’s megabill slashing health care spending and reshaping the Medicaid program. States are already knee-deep in dealing with the fallout.
Posted inInsurance
Watch: Obamacare Subsidies at a Crossroads
Experts discuss what the loss of Obamacare subsidies means to patients and costs within the ACA insurance marketplace.
Posted inInsurance
What Happens if Obamacare Subsidies Shrink?
Excerpts of a live conversation with two top health economists about how extra federal support has helped millions of Americans access health insurance, and what would happen if that aid went away.
Posted inInsurance
A Closer Look at a Widely Despised Health Insurance Policy
Every year, millions of people’s medical care runs into the roadblock known as prior authorization, which requires a patient’s health insurer to sign off before chemotherapy, surgery or countless other services can proceed. Who does this often onerous process help, who does it hurt and how could it work better for everyone?
Posted inCost of Care
Obamacare Premiums Are About to Soar. How’d We Get Here?
Federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans are set to shrink next year. Many shoppers are expected to be priced out, leaving those who stay with higher premiums. The dynamic that threatens to leave markets with fewer and more expensive options as insurers exit, too. How did we get here?