Obamacare and You
The Rollout of the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, is the most significant health care overhaul in a generation. It seeks to decrease the number of people without health insurance and reform industry business practices. But the law's rollout has been marred by glitches and political opposition. ProPublica’s Charles Ornstein has been tracking its implementation.
HealthCare.gov’s Mysterious New Number: ‘834’
With the website working better on the consumer front, attention has turned to whether insurance companies are actually getting enrollment information — what tekkies call “834” data.
Test Run No. 2: HealthCare.gov’s Invisible Health Plans
Performance issues continue to dog the federal government’s updated health care marketplace. Live chat helper: “Yes, others are experiencing the same problem.”
For Uninsured Missouri Reporter, Obamacare Is a Real-Life Story
Harum Helmy fell through a crack created by last year’s Supreme Court decision allowing states to avoid expanding Medicaid. Now, she is among millions who earn less than the poverty level but can’t get subsidized private insurance.
‘Please Wait’: New-and-Improved HealthCare.gov Has Same Old Problems
The Obama administration says the site can now handle 50,000 unique visitors at a time, but it doesn’t appear able to keep up with the load.
Six Questions About HealthCare.gov’s Future
It’s unclear whether the improvements are enough to salvage the Affordable Care Act’s central element and ensure consumers can get coverage before the Dec. 23 deadline.
Rate Hikes Hidden in California’s Glowing Obamacare Reviews
Half those whose insurance is being canceled will pay more for plans meeting the Affordable Care Act requirements.
A Cheat Sheet For The Obamacare Hearings
Over a month, 10 hearings plumb the problems with HealthCare.gov.
How Low Will Health Care Enrollments Be? Here’s What to Watch For
Just a fraction of the 500,000 people expected to enroll in Obamacare via the new health exchanges have done so, according to media reports anticipating the official numbers. But there’s more to the story.
Coming in January: Obamacare Rate Shock Part Two
High co-pays and deductibles may surprise health consumers after their new policies take effect next year under the Affordable Care Act.
Obamacare Q&A: ‘I Don’t Really Think You Could Stop This Law’
Donald Berwick, the president’s former Medicare and Medicaid administrator, says problems with the health reform rollout have masked benefits that millions of people are getting.
Health Care Delays Squeeze Patients in State High-Risk Pools
Many state and federal insurance pools covering patients with pre-existing conditions are set to close Dec. 31, but it’s an open question whether patients will be able to find policies on Healthcare.gov in time.
Answered: Why Two Obama Loyalists Lost Their Health Policies
Lack of kids’ dental benefits, other coverage gaps help “tank” couple’s Kaiser Permanente insurance plan — but so did contracts with California’s health insurance exchange.
Loyal Obama Supporters, Canceled by Obamacare
Lee Hammack and his wife JoEllen Brothers thought they had a great insurance plan. Now, their cost is more than doubling to $1,300 a month, with higher out-of-pocket costs.
Why Health Insurance Cancellations Shouldn’t Be a Surprise
A former federal health official says consumers in the individual health-care market deserved more of a heads-up about what was coming under Obamacare.
Can a Reprieve and a Lawsuit Reverse Health Insurance Cancellations?
While California's insurance commissioner forces a three-month delay for 115,000 cancellations, Obama administration says consumers are being “migrated” to better policies.
Why Healthcare.gov Broke: Two Competing Story Lines
Inside the Obama administration, political considerations slowed development of the health care exchanges. Or was it a blanket of Republican opposition around the country?
A Month in to Healthcare.gov, Real-Life Winners and Losers
Today marks one month since the disastrous start of Healthcare.gov, and we take a look at whose winning and losing in real life because of it.
Health Policy Canceled? What We Know and Don’t Know
Hundreds of thousands of individual policyholders, at minimum, will have to find new plans as insurers respond to new coverage requirements under Obamacare. But is that necessarily bad?
Health-Care Rollout: The View From Kansas
Q&A with Sandy Praeger, a Republican insurance commissioner in a state that’s refused to go along with the Affordable Care Act.
