Some conservative states aren’t using Medicaid hardship exemption – for political reasons

States like Missouri and Iowa are choosing to not take up exemption designed to help low-income people keep coverage during hardship

Some conservative states that have rejected hardship exemptions for the new Medicaid requirements may be choosing not to due to political reasons, experts say.

New federal work requirements for Medicaid, slated to come into effect on 1 January, mean that adults enrolled through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion will have to work, attend school, volunteer, or take part in another qualifying activity at least 80 hours a month to maintain their coverage.

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Is punishing the poor Trump’s last hand to play?

The pre-midterm defenestration of ACA enrollees looks like political madness – but the president appears to believe hitting poor people might work for him

There is a manic quality to Donald Trump’s desperate dash to do something, anything, ahead of November’s midterm elections to convince beleaguered Americans that he can make the pressures his policies have imposed on their livelihoods go away.

The US president offered to lower barriers against beef imports to limit surging me...

Medicare for All remains key pressure point for Democrats ahead of midterms

The idea of universal health coverage in the US is embraced by party’s left but is often considered a liability by centrists

Last week, 1,500 unionized nurses gathered in a large conference room at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco to cheer for a cause they’ve championed for years: Medicare for All.

Considered a radical and even fringe idea for decades, interest in sweeping healthcare reform has surged as progressive Democrats have won a series of primary victories ahead of...

In latest blow to Obamacare, Trump is threatening the entire US health system

The Trump administration is removing 760,000 people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace

The Trump administration is removing 760,000 people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace on allegations of fraud, officials said on Tuesday – adding to previous efforts to chip away at federally subsidized insurance programs and likely causing some of the lowest-income Americans to forego healthcare, experts said.

The US government is also investigating about 420,000 people whom they suspect of fraud, and they are putting a six-month enrollment moratorium on new agents and brokers selling Obamacare policies, officials said at a press conference.

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‘Our system is in dire straits’: progressive Democrats hold Medicare for All hearing

Congressional Progressive caucus say ‘healthcare should not be a privilege’ as they champions single payer system

The Congressional Progressive caucus (CPC) held a shadow hearing on Medicare for All on Wednesday, led by Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell.

The hearing comes as over half of the House Democratic caucus has co-sponsored Medicare for All legislation, and Senator Andy Kim introduced legislation on Tuesday that would enroll all children into Medicaid until the age of 26, while Republicans passed drastic healthcare cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including nearly $1n in cuts to Medicaid and allowing Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire.

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US under-45s struggle for insurance approval as colon cancer rates rise

ACA requires firms to cover colonoscopies for over-45s but young people face hurdles to receive appropriate tests

As colon cancer rates are rising among people in their 20s and 30s, some adults in the US who are under 45 and experiencing worrying symptoms are struggling to get insurance coverage for colonoscopies, which can detect colon cancer.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover colonoscopies for people over 45 “because it’s been recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force”, says Caitlin Murphy, a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Chicago. The ACA requires preventive screenings, including pap smears, for example, to be completely covered.

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We can reverse America’s decline | Bernie Sanders

It is not good enough just to criticize Trump. We must offer a positive vision that will improve the lives of Americans

At this difficult moment in American history, it’s imperative that we have the courage to be honest with ourselves.

The United States, once the envy of the world, is now a nation in profound decline. For the sake of our children and future generations, we must reverse that decline and change, in very fundamental ways, the direction of our country.

We mus...

Fight over US healthcare subsides stuck on familiar snag: abortion

Republicans refuse to move forward without further restrictions on abortion coverage – Democrats say that’s a non-starter

When subsidies for US healthcare plans expired at the end of last year, millions of Americans saw their monthly premiums suddenly hit eye-watering, unaffordable levels. But the congressional fight over reviving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies has gotten stuck on a familiar snag in US politics: abortion.

Congressional leaders said on Thursday they had...

US health insurance executives testify before Congress about increasing costs of healthcare

CEO of UnitedHealth Group said his company will return profits earned from Affordable Care Act plans to customers

Executives from five of the country’s largest health insurance companies appeared before Congress on Thursday as lawmakers examined why healthcare has become increasingly harder for Americans to afford.

In one effort to address the affordability crisis, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Stephen Hemsley, announced that the nation’s largest insurance company will rebate profits made this year from its Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans to customers, while adding it was a relatively small participant in the ACA individual market.

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People in the US: how has the end of Affordable Care Act subsidies affected you?

Premiums have risen for at least 22 million Americans – we’d like to hear about the impact on your household

Enhanced subsidies that have kept health insurance premiums affordable for millions of Americans who use the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expired at the end of last year.

Premiums have risen sharply for at least 22 million Americans who purchased their coverage through the ACA marketplaces using the tax credits, according to research.

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