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☆ Why Americans are outraged over health insurance — and what could change
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-18 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Almost no expert, provider, or patient would say U.S. health care works as it should for patients. A banner hanging from on overpass along the southbound lane of I-83 that says, "Deny Defend Depose Health Care 4 All." Lloyd Fox | Baltimore Sun | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesRoughly half of insured adults worry about affording their monthly health insurance premium, according to a March survey from KFF, a policy research organization. "They want to pay a reasonable amount and have their health care covered, and they want to be able to access what their trusted provider is prescribing them." How health care could be reformed

Persons: Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, Matthew Hatcher, Thompson, Mangione, UnitedHealthcare, Lloyd, ProPublica, Mike Blake, Caitlin Donovan, Donovan, Evan Saltzman, Saltzman, Andrew, Witty's, that's, — Organizations: Hilton, UnitedHealth Group, Commonwealth Fund, Change, UnitedHealth, CVS Health, Health, Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun, Tribune, Service, Penn State University, CNBC, Reuters, Advocate Foundation, Florida State University's College of Business, New York Times, Insurance Locations: Altoona , Pennsylvania, U.S, Manhattan, KFF, Santa Ana , California

☆ Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their baby
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Renuka Rayasam | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“So, I paid it.”On online baby message boards and other social media forums, pregnant women say they are being asked by their providers to pay out-of-pocket fees earlier than expected. In some cases, they may cause women to forgo prenatal care altogether, especially in places where few other maternity care options exist. When a pregnancy ends, OB-GYNs typically file a single insurance claim for routine prenatal care, labor, delivery, and, often, postpartum care. In addition, many people are opting for high-deductible health insurance plans, leaving them to shoulder a larger share of the costs. Of the 100 million U.S. people with health care debt, 12% attribute at least some of it to maternity care, according to a 2022 KFF poll.

Persons: Kathleen Clark, Clark, that’s, “, ”, Caitlin Donovan, Lisa Satterfield, it’s, Pamela Boatner, isn’t, Boatner, Peterson, Joy Burkhard, Erin Duffy, Jamie Daw’s, GYN, Daw, Sabrina Corlette, Lacy Marshall, Marshall, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, —, Peter, “ I’m Organizations: Health, OB, Patient Advocate Foundation, American College of Obstetricians, Maternal Mental, University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health, Columbia University, Center, Georgetown University, Medical, Rapha Health, CNN, CNN Health, KFF Locations: Cleveland , Tennessee, U.S, Georgia, Los Angeles, New York, Texas

☆ I was charged $150 for missing a doctor's appointment. Turns out these fees are on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eric Audras | Onoky | Getty ImagesIf you miss a doctor's appointment these days, you could get hit with a "no-show" fee of up to $100 — or more. But, she said, "to solve this problem is not to charge patients more fees, which many can't afford." For my appointment, I did get a call the day before from the doctor's office. Fees shouldn't hurt credit, still may be worth disputingWhen you make a doctor's appointment, ask about the office's policy around late cancellations and missed appointments, Donovan said. "Ultimately, these fees are discretionary and I would be reluctant to work with any office that inflexibly charged them," Donovan said.

Persons: Eric Audras, Caitlin Donovan, Janna, didn't, I'd, Adam Rust, Rust, Isabel Pavia, Donovan, you'll, inflexibly Organizations: Onoky, Patient Advocate Foundation, Consumer Federation of America Locations: Camden , New Jersey

☆ Here are some key open enrollment tips and strategies for employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Jimvallee | Istock | Getty ImagesOpen-enrollment workplace checklist ✔ Health insurance ✔ Savings and spending accounts ✔ Dental and vision plans ✔ Life insurance ✔ Disability insurance ✔ Retirement savings ✔ Beneficiary selection1. If your spouse has their own health insurance option at work, you'll want to both sit down and compare the different offerings. Many employees will notice that the health insurance plans offered by their company don't include dental and vision coverage. Consider life, disability insuranceDuring open enrollment, employees will typically also be presented with different disability and life insurance options. Short-term disability coverage is very limited, she said: "Everyone needs long-term disability coverage unless they have enough savings that they could basically retire if they can't work anymore."

Persons: Caitlin Donovan, Gruber, Jean Abraham, Warby Parker, Pat Greenhouse, Abraham, Donovan, you'll, Jonathan Gruber, Louise Norris, Norris, Carolyn McClanahan, McClanahan, Ryan Viktorin, Viktorin Organizations: Istock, Getty, Savings, Patient Advocate, University of Minnesota, Harvard, Boston Globe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, IRS, Healthinsurance.org, Planning Partners, CNBC's, Pew Research Center, Partners, Fidelity Investments Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts, Jacksonville , Florida

☆ How to avoid getting dropped from Medicaid as states narrow coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a pandemic-era policy winds down, millions of people on Medicaid may lose their coverage — even though they remain eligible, advocates say. For the last three years, due to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, states have been required to provide continuous Medicaid coverage to enrollees in order to get federal funding. That meant people on Medicaid couldn't be dropped from the program during that time. "From March 2020 to March 2023, people could only enter Medicaid, and no one was at risk of losing coverage," said Kosali Simon, professor of health economics at the O'Neill School at Indiana University. Here's how to avoid losing your Medicaid coverage if you believe you remain eligible.

☆ Record high share in U.S. report delaying medical treatments due to costs — here's how you can save on health care
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Iona Studio | Istock | Getty ImagesMore people in the U.S. are deciding to hold off on medical care for financial reasons. That percentage is the highest since the polling organization began taking the measurement in 2001, at which point 19% of people answered they'd postponed health care because of money. Sometimes, doctors leave a network, McClanahan said, so you want to check this again if you haven't seen a provider in some time. Your deductible is the amount you have to pay for your health care before your coverage kicks in. If you reach your deductible, you might want to squeeze in other care or treatments within the same year to cut costs, McClanahan said.

☆ What long Covid patients need to know about health insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty ImagesNavigating the health insurance system is often difficult and overwhelming, even in the best of times. For patients with long Covid, a relatively new condition that frequently leaves patients with a lengthy and unpredictable list of debilitating symptoms, it can be especially nightmarish. Here's what you need to know about navigating health insurance with the condition. Long Covid patients, for example, often seek physical therapy and mental health services, she said. Clinical trials are 'worth investigating'Clinical trials, many of which are covered by health insurance plans, can be a great option for long Covid patients, Donovan said.

☆ Long Covid's financial devastation: $8,000 in credit card debt, ruined retirement plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

More than a third of respondents said their income had gone down as a result of long Covid. "Long Covid is as much part of the pandemic as is the acute phase, during which the government went to great lengths to treat people and save lives," said Oved Amitay, president of the Long Covid Alliance, an advocacy group. Of the long Covid patients she has seen, only 2 out of 50 who have applied for SSDI have been approved so far, she said. Sharon Sunders long Covid patient"They may not have the resources to go through the process," Verduzco-Gutierrez said. 'There's a tidal wave of us coming'Sunders wishes the Biden administration would do more to help those financially struggling with long Covid.

☆ Nearly 6 million older adults are living below the poverty line. These resources can help struggling seniors
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The difference means that nearly 6 million older adults are struggling to make ends meet. Apply for food benefitsPixelseffect | E+ | Getty ImagesMany seniors aren't taking advantage of all the food assistance available to them, experts say. A 2015 study found that less than half of eligible seniors participated in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. In addition, those enrolled in Medicare Part D, which covers prescriptions, should look to see if they qualify for Extra Help. The council also has a guide called You Gave, Now Save, including information on the most generous benefits that help older people with expenses like their phone bill and property taxes.

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