News
NC state workers could pay less for healthcare — if they visit a 'preferred provider"
3+ hour, 33+ min ago (511+ words) State employees could see lower costs for healthcare services next year under a new "preferred provider" program approved by the State Health Plan board Tuesday " if they're willing to choose a specific provider that might come with a longer drive....
ACA enrollment dropped sharply in North Carolina. More people across the state are expected to lose coverage
1+ mon, 21+ hour ago (854+ words) Amid rising costs and the expiration of enhanced subsidies, fewer North Carolina residents enrolled in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act for 2026, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services." Signed into law in 2010 by…...
NC's Affordable Care Act navigators try to help clients find insurance despite funding cuts
2+ mon, 3+ day ago (1281+ words) Baker-Hill had stopped carrying insurance as she battled with other rising costs, including housing, food and transportation. But with her kidney condition worsening and high blood pressure, Baker-Hill realized that having insurance would be cheaper then foregoing it. This year,…...
Farmers now owe a lot more for health insurance
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (1047+ words) Last year was a tough one for farmers. Amid falling prices for commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, rising input costs for supplies like fertilizer and seeds, as well as the Trump tariffs and the dismantling of USAID, many…...
Are you on a high-deductible health plan? What do you wish you knew?
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (89+ words) Are you on a high-deductible health plan? What do you wish you knew?wfae.org - On Air Now Playing The Charlotte Jazz Channel Are you on a high-deductible health plan? What do you wish you knew? The sudden spike in…...
Medicare Advantage insurers face new curbs on overcharges in Trump plan
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (941+ words) Medicare Advantage health plans are blasting a government proposal this week that would keep their reimbursement rates flat next year while making other payment changes. But some health policy experts say the plan could help reduce billions of dollars in…...
Changes required by the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ will affect Medicaid in NC. Here’s what you need to know.
2+ mon, 4+ hour ago (1198+ words) Some North Carolinians who get their health insurance through Medicaid will soon have to meet a new work requirement, and others could lose coverage altogether as new rules from the federal government take effect later this year. Long-term cuts to…...
It took just five years for the State Health Plan’s billion-dollar surplus to become a deficit. What happened?
2+ mon, 4+ week ago (1696+ words) When new state treasurer Brad Briner walked into his new office at the beginning of 2025, he had a problem." After almost a decade of no premium increases for 750,000 state employees and their dependents, outgoing treasurer Dale Folwell had left the…...
These families' health care costs will balloon if Congress doesn't act on the ACA
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (1800+ words) The government shutdown has ended without resolving a fight over health insurance. Congress failed to extend enhanced tax credits that have helped millions of Americans on Affordable Care Act plans cover their plan costs since 2021. Senate Republicans have promised a…...
NC State Health Plan poised to consider raising premiums for many of its 750,000 members
7+ mon, 2+ day ago (748+ words) The premium changes would take effect in 2026. They are the final step in months of efforts by N.C. State Treasurer Brad Briner and State Health Plan administrators to bring it back onto even financial footing. Under former State Treasurer Dale Folwell,…...