News
Senior living: In switching to original Medicare, beware of Medigap plan refusals
3+ hour, 11+ min ago (643+ words) But there's a catch: If people want to move to original Medicare and buy a supplemental Medigap insurance plan to cover some out-of-pocket costs, they may not be able to. Medigap insurers can generally refuse coverage to applicants whose medical…...
Van Nuys businesses say they’re hurting after viral Dr. Oz video alleging health care fraud in area
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (1195+ words) The office of a Van Nuys real estate services agency was quiet on a recent work day, void of customers or calls. That was unusual, said owner Edward Akhparian. He wasn't the only one who noticed the'change. Some neighboring business…...
Senior living: Sick of fighting insurers, hospitals offer their own Medicare Advantage plans
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (1170+ words) Ever since Larry Wilkewitz retired more than 20 years ago from a wood products company, he's had a commercial Medicare Advantage plan from insurer Humana. But two years ago, he heard about Peak Health, a new advantage plan started by the…...
Proposed wealth tax creates long-term budget risks for California
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (707+ words) Under the wealth tax proposal, California is at risk of losing something it can't easily recover: not just a specific set of billionaires who may never return, but the state's seeming inevitability as ... California's proposed wealth tax has reportedly already…...
Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix that
3+ mon, 35+ min ago (529+ words) A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died. By FATIMA HUSSEIN, Associated Press [FCC bans new Chinese-made drones,…...
Out-of-pocket pain from high-deductible plans means skimping on care
3+ mon, 2+ day ago (1073+ words) By Charlotte Huff, KFF Health News David Garza sometimes feels as if he doesn't have health insurance now that he pays so much to treat his Type 2 diabetes. His monthly premium payment of $435 for family coverage is roughly the same…...
California’s wealth tax proposal pits fiscal fantasy against economic reality
3+ mon, 2+ day ago (404+ words) These warnings expose the wealth tax's central problems: unreliable revenue projections, permanent tax base erosion from migration, and misguided spending priorities that treat government efficiency problems as funding shortfalls. Nine of the original twelve OECD countries that imposed wealth taxes…...
Medicaid health plans step up outreach efforts ahead of GOP changes
3+ mon, 5+ day ago (904+ words) By Claudia Boyd-Barrett | KFF Health News Carmen Basu, bundled in a red jacket and woolly scarf, stood outside the headquarters of her local health plan in Orange one morning after picking up free groceries. She brought her husband, teenage son,…...
Nebraska plans to be the first state to implement Trump’s new Medicaid work requirements
3+ mon, 5+ day ago (572+ words) Nebraska will become the first state to implement new work requirements for some people with Medicaid health insurance under a law President Donald Trump signed last year. Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, announced Wednesday that the requirement would take effect…...
Don’t settle for a subpar health savings account
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (591+ words) CHRISTINE BENZ of Morningstar Paired with high-deductible healthcare plans, health savings accounts help ease healthcare costs. HSAs are a triple tax-advantaged vehicle in the tax code, allowing for pretax contributions, tax-free compounding, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses. However,…...