2016

Income Disparities in Oral Health and Well-Being for U.S. Adults

Despite some improvements since a landmark Surgeon General’s report in 2000, unacceptable numbers of adults across all income levels suffer from dental problems that degrade their qu...

Medicaid: A Vital Health Coverage Program

Conservative lawmakers opposed to the federal Medicaid program would like to dramatically change its structure (Speaker Ryan and other House Republicans have proposed major changes). Here's a round...

Consumer Advocates Should Review New Guidance for 1332 Waivers

Last month, HHS and the Department of the Treasury issued new guidance on state innovation waivers that includes stronger protections for low-income and vulnerable consumers. We believe many of its ...

Health Insurance Mergers: Questions Consumers Want Answered

Last July, four insurance giants announced proposed mergers. Anthem is proposing to purchase Cigna, and Aetna to purchase Humana. A merged Anthem-Cigna would cover 53 million people, and a merged Aet...

Health Insurance and 2015 Taxes: A Quick Guide

This is the second year that everyone who files taxes must indicate whether they have health insurance. Depending on their coverage status, some people may also need to supply additional information...

CMS Finalizes Health Insurance Plan Standards, Enrollment for 2017

There's a lot to like in the new “Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters” rule from the federal government, both about what insurers must offer in the health plans they sell on the federal mar...

3 Things to Know about Affordable Care Act Repayment Caps

This week, the House Ways and Means Committee in Congress will vote on legislation that would eliminate caps on how much money marketplace consumers must repay the federal government if they receive...

How Health Insurance Companies and Policymakers Can Make Care More Affordable

The Affordable Care Act has helped expand access to affordable health insurance to millions of Americans. But consumers’ out-of-pocket costs are sometimes still too high, preventing them from gettin...

How States Are Improving Consumers’ Access to In-Network Health Care Providers

Updated May 5, 2016 In 2016, there has been tremendous progress in improving consumers’ access to in-network providers. At Families USA, we have launched a campaign to enact standards to address ...

California 1332 Waiver Would Move State Closer to Health Insurance for All

Covered California could be the first exchange in the country to sell health insurance to undocumented immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The state marketplace is...