Median household income jumped to $68,700 in 2019, the highest since record-keeping began in 1967. Many of those gains have likely been erased this year, as the pandemic left tens of millions jobless.
One of the strongest mental health parity laws in the U.S. is on the governor's desk. It aims to help more than 13 million Californians — including those with milder mental illness and addictions.
An uninsured Colorado man who had appendicitis owed $80,232 after two surgeries. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the procedures.
Nearly 700,000 Texans have lost health insurance during the pandemic, and the state already had more uninsured people than any other. Many Texans with COVID-19 symptoms hesitate to seek treatment.
People who lose their job-based health plan usually get 60 days to decide to continue it — and pay more — under federal rules. But a recent pandemic-related rule change allows more decision time.
Carmen Quintero couldn't get a coronavirus test but ended up with a huge bill for trying to. She also was told to self-isolate and had no choice but to use vacation time to stay home from work.
Congress required health plans to fully cover COVID-19 testing, but insurance companies are starting to argue they should only have to pay if patients show symptoms or tests are ordered by a doctor.
Like millions of others, Liz McLemore always got her health insurance coverage through her job. In April, she suddenly had to figure out how to find coverage in the middle of a pandemic.
The new guidance amounts to a midyear open-enrollment period and applies to firms that buy health insurance to cover their workers as well as to those that self-insure — paying claims on their own.
A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID-19 symptoms surfaced. But he got a surprising bill from his insurer, which had waived cost sharing for treatment of the coronavirus infection.
Over 9 million Americans have lost both their job and health coverage. To help them, COBRA is an option, but it could cost buyers more than if subsidies were increased for Affordable Care Act plans.
As part of their social distancing policies, elected leaders suggested phone and video medical appointments would be covered by health insurance. So why are some patients paying $70 per virtual visit?
The federal government has waived a law that required an in-person doctor's visit before patients could be prescribed drugs that quell withdrawal symptoms. That's a boon for patients, counselors say.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden proposes letting 60-year-olds enroll in Medicare. He'd pay for the expansion out of general tax revenue, he says, not the Medicare fund.
At least 27 million Americans who lost their jobs in recent weeks also lost their health insurance, a new report finds. Others lacked a health plan even before COVID-19 hit. Here's how to find help.
Instead of reopening health care exchanges for those who don't qualify for Medicaid and don't have employer-based insurance, Trump is proposing paying hospitals directly. But it might not be enough.
Aetna, Cigna and Humana now say they will waive most treatment costs associated with COVID-19 that would normally be picked up by patients enrolled in their health plans. Will other firms follow suit?
Some state exchanges have begun allowing new enrollment to help ease consumers' worry about health care costs. It's also so the uninsured won't inadvertently spread the coronavirus by avoiding care.
Insurers have begun easing restrictions on refills of some prescription drugs, in light of coronavirus. Still, co-pays for stocking up on that bigger supply can be prohibitive, say consumer advocates.
Even in a solidly blue state where voters were demanding relief from the high cost of health care, the idea of a government-run public option for health insurance faced a "steam train of opposition."
Two nearly identical drug implants have very different prices. The one for kids has a list price of $37,300. For adults, it's $4,400. A dad fought for his daughter to be able to get the cheaper drug.
Offering health benefits can help elite restaurants hire and keep ace employees. But owners would rather focus on great food, they say, than drown in administrative costs. Is single-payer the answer?
When's the last time you checked in with your primary care provider? U.S. adults under age 65 made nearly 25% fewer visits to primary care providers in 2016 than in 2008, a big study finds.
A young man averted disaster after a friend took him to the nearest hospital just before his appendix burst. But more than a year later, he's still facing a huge bill for his out-of-network surgery.
