Nationally, employees now pay an average of $3,997 as their share of the annual family health insurance premium — about $1,000 more than in 2006 and twice the 2001 amount.
Poll found that 43 percent of Americans viewed the law favorably – down from 50 percent in July – while 45 percent held unfavorable views. But voters more concerned about economy than the new health law.
Some health providers are offering patients health-care credit cards to help pay for care. But some patients charge they’ve been swindled.
Reform forces insurers to cover basic benefits, restricts their ability to mistreat consumers, and limits what they can spend on overhead: bad news for the inefficient.
Many homeless people now ineligible for Medicaid will be covered in 2014 when Medicaid expands under the new health law to include adults without children.
In the past, some plans would refuse to pay the routine care of patients in clinical trials, arguing the treatments were experimental and therefore not covered.
Colleges and universities say some rules in the new health law could keep them from offering low-cost, limited benefit student insurance policies.
Drug restriction policies that discourage use of expensive, new medicines cut costs, but more study needs to be done to see how they affect patient health, researchers say.
On White House blog, Gregoire outlines how Washington State will use new federal funds to review health insurance company rate hikes.
Jon Cohn answers John Goodman’s column: Comparing Medicaid cutbacks to private insurer’s dropping costly patients “is grossly misleading,” Cohn writes.
Lower-cost “fiixed payment” plans can leave patients with big bills.
The new healthcare reform law will extend health insurance to 34 million uninsured Americans, but what does it do to try to control costs?
You can boost the number of children with medical insurance by providing application materials to parents and helping them fill out the forms, study finds.
Washington residents who’ve been uninsured for at least 6 months and who have a pre-existing medical condition now can apply for coverage under the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan.
Looking to save money on healthcare? Consider asking your doctor for a discount. And remember, when negotiating for a better price: Cash is king.
[ August 12, 2010; 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm. ] Barbara Flye, the Senior Health Policy advisor to Washington Insurance Commissioner, Mike Kreidler, will provide an overview of the new health care reform law, and will help you understand how it relates to coverage for people with cancer.
Washington state’s insurance plan for residents with pre-existing conditions will start accepting applications in August with coverage beginning on the 1st of September.
Jon Cohn argues that news stories about businesses dropping insurance and insurers limiting doctor choice isn’t bad: they highlight health reform’s benefits.
Abortion rights supporters blast Administration over ruling that limits abortion coverage in the new high-risk insurance pools.
Plans will be required to cover such preventive services as cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes testing, cancer screening and routine immunizations without additional charges, such as copayment.
Consumers shopping for health insurance get a boost with the launch of a new federal website that advocates say will make it easier to shop for a plan.
More than 30 states and Congress have passed laws requiring hospitals to publish their prices, but the information often is of little use to consumers.
The health-care overhaul will greatly improve insurance prospects for part-time workers – but not right away.
People who buy their own health insurance report the most recent rate increase requests have averaged 20 percent, according to a new survey
“Will most people’s health insurance still change? Absolutely. But change was coming no matter what. With reform, it’s likely to be change for the better,” writes Jon Cohn.
In Sunday’s Seattle Times health reporter Carol Ostrom explains how changes in Medicare mandated by the new health reform law will affect seniors.
The number of people hospitalized or killed by serious heart attacks each year is down–but the cost of treating people hospitalized with heart disease is up.
Business groups give mixed reviews to new Obama administration rules limiting how much employers and insurers can change their health plans.
“The growing government role in providing health care—in the U.S. as elsewhere around the world—is the single largest contributor to an emerging global fiscal crisis.”
The unemployed may soon pay more to remain on COBRA without a subsidy, look for insurance on the individual market, go on Medicaid if they qualify or lose coverage altogether.
Invisible Families: The homeless you don't see
They squeeze in with relatives, couch surf with friends or camp out in cars. More families are quietly becoming homeless, driven to the edge by a lack of jobs and affordable housing. The Seattle Times and its local news partners tackle the topic together. Project home
E-Health Records: Seattle is ahead of the curve
Health News from the Seattle Times
