Consumers Contributing Less To Health Savings Accounts, Study Finds
The accounts are designed to provide a way for people with high-deductible insurance plans to save money tax free to use on health expenses.
Michelle Andrews
Michelle Andrews is a contributing writer and former columnist for ³Ô¹Ï²»´òìÈ. She has been writing about health care for more than 15 years. Her work has appeared frequently in The New York Times, where she wrote the Money and Medicine column and contributed regular news and features. Her work has also been published in Money, Fortune Small Business, National Geographic and Women’s Health magazines, among others. Michelle previously worked as a senior writer at U.S. News & World Report and at SmartMoney magazines. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.
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To Avoid Extra Payments, Notify Your Marketplace Plan When You Move
KHN’s consumer columnist answers readers’ questions about what happens to your plan when you move out of state, smoking cessation expenses and sending workers to the exchange to buy policies.
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Many People Entitled To Hefty Subsidies Still Opt Against Coverage
A study by health consultant Avalere finds that three-quarters of those eligible for the highest levels of premium help enrolled in marketplace plans, but many others with only slightly higher incomes did not.
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Tax-Time Tribulations: Health Law Complicates Filing Season For Many
The financial consequences of not getting insurance and the effort to reconcile premium subsidies with income are new dynamics in the current tax season.
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Health Law Brings No Drop In Insurance Enrollment At Work, Study Finds
A survey by benefits consultant Mercer finds that most large employers already met the law’s requirement to provide coverage to those who work 30 hours or more.
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Most N.Y. Marketplace Plans Lack Any Coverage For Out-Of-Network Care
Except for a few insurers in Albany and the western part of the state, all the policies sold in the individual market are HMOs that will not pay anything toward routine expenses from doctors or hospitals not in their networks.
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Credit Rating Agencies Agree To Be More Flexible About Medical Debt
Under the agreement, medical bills will not be added to a consumer’s credit report for six months to give the patient and insurer time to pay.
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The Boss May Be Able To Force You To Buy Company Insurance
Employment experts say firms can require workers to take the coverage that is offered.
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New Federal Rule Will Extend Medical Leave Rights To Same-Sex Couples In All States
The rule guarantees legally married same sex couples can take unpaid time off to care for a spouse or sick relatives, even if they live in a state that doesn’t recognize the marriage.
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Sign-Up Season Is Over, But List Of Special Enrollment Events Is Expanding
A new regulation takes effect in April that expands the circumstances that enable people to sign up or switch health coverage, even though open enrollment officially ended Feb. 15.
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May I Move My Son From My Insurance Plan To A Better Option On The Marketplace?
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about enrolling at this point in marketplace plans, CHIP enrollment and Medicare disability.
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Many Uninsured Don’t Realize They May Face A Tax Penalty
A recent survey found that 44 percent of people who could be hit with penalties for not getting covered don’t know the consequences they face.
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Figuring Out If A Doctor Is In Your Plan Is Harder Than You Think
Consumers struggle with the lack of transparency. For example, some physicians can be in-network when they are working at one office or hospital but not when they are at another. Or they may belong to a medical group that is affiliated with your plan, but they don’t participate.
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Advocates Press For Uninsured To Get Special Enrollment Option After They See Tax Penalties
Many people will find out about the penalties for not having insurance in 2014 only when they file their taxes, but by then it will be too late to enroll and avoid the same problem in 2015. Advocates want the government to offer them a special enrollment period.
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UnitedHealthcare’s Efforts To Join California Marketplace Meet Resistance
The request ran afoul of the official policy against allowing most insurers to join the statewide exchange for three years that didn't choose to sell there when it opened in 2014. But officials last month also made some exceptions for insurers that want to operate in poorly served areas.
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Despite Health Law Rules, Some Contraceptives May Require Co-Payments
The health overhaul mandated that insurers cover all costs for FDA-approved methods of birth control, but advocates and consumers say some plans have placed certain generic birth control pills among classes of drugs that require cost sharing.
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Medicare Offers Relief To 400,000 Caught In Aetna Pharmacy Network Mix-Ups
About 400,000 beneficiaries have until the end of this month to reconsider their Medicare Part D plan choices after Aetna incorrectly identified some pharmacies as being in-network, dropped others and removed some from "preferred" network status.
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IRS Eases Repayment Rules For Excess Health Premium Subsidies
Health insurance marketplace customers who received too much in tax credits in 2014 won’t face a late penalty if they don’t pay back the money by April 15, but they still face interest charges.
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Do I Have To Repay Premium Tax Credits If The Marketplace Miscalculated Them?
KHN’s consumer columnist answers questions from readers about premiums, the health law’s tax credits and penalties.
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Insuring Your Health
Obamacare Drug Coverage Descriptions May Confuse Consumers About Costs, Study Finds
Healthcare.gov only allows insurance plans to list cost sharing details for four drug tiers, but many plans on the website have more than that, potentially leading to consumer confusion, according to an analysis by Avalere Health.
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