OPB Think out Loud: African-Americans & Health Care
Portland State University alumnus and Harvard School of Public Health fellow Adolfo Cuevas shares the results of his study looking into mistrust of health care professionals by Portland’s African-American community. Listen to it...
In States Not Expanding Medicaid, Poor Are at Risk for Higher Costs, Fewer Benefits
Low-income adults who qualify for expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but live in states that have not increased eligibility for the program are at risk of paying higher out-of-pocket costs and receiving less comprehensive insurance coverage,...
How Congress And The VA Left Many Veterans Without A ‘Choice’
NPR — together with member stations from across the country — has been reporting on troubles with the Veterans Choice program, a $10 billion plan created by Congress two years ago to squash long wait times veterans were encountering when going to see a doctor. But as...
Changes in Consumer Cost-Sharing for Health Plans Sold in the ACA’s Insurance Marketplaces, 2015 to 2016
This brief examines changes in consumer health plan cost-sharing—deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits—for coverage offered in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces between 2015 and 2016. Three of seven measures studied rose moderately in...
Science on Tap Lecture Series: How to Keep Hope and Good Health as Climate Change Worsens
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of climate science. Projections for Oregon show increasing risk of drought, wildfires, heat waves, storms, and floods, and predictions for worldwide consequences are even more scary. These impacts threaten our health...
Good news for patients: Refunds for bad service and no surprise bills
At Pennsylvania’s Geisinger Health System, patients can obtain refunds if they’re unhappy with their care, according to the Washington Post. That means if they’re upset about long wait times in the ER or they don’t cotton to a doctor’s bedside manner, Geisinger will...
VA bosses in 7 states falsified vets’ wait times for care
WASHINGTON — Supervisors instructed employees to falsify patient wait times at Veterans Affairs' medical facilities in at least seven states, according to a USA TODAY analysis of more than 70 investigation reports released in recent weeks. Overall, those reports —...
ACA’s Cost-Sharing Reductions Sharply Lower Payments for Enrollees, but Out-of-Pocket Costs Vary
Health insurers selling plans in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces are required to reduce cost-sharing in silver plans for low- and moderate-income people earning between 100 percent and 250 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2016, as many as 7 million...
Can’t Get In To See Your Doctor? Many Patients Turn To Urgent Care
Though the majority of Americans have a primary care doctor, a large number also seek treatment at urgent care centers, statistics show. For many people, the centers have become a bridge between the primary care doctor's office and the hospital emergency room. Urgent...
Are Health Care Mergers Good for Consumers?
As more and more health insurers and providers merge, it’s important to look at the potential impact on the cost and quality of health care. In this episode, Sandy Hausman talks with the Fund’s Eric Schneider, M.D., and Northwestern University’s Leemore Dafny about...
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