Kaiser Health News
Obama administration is considering changes to how dollars are allocated in state, federal exchanges; proposed changes aren't enough, critic says.
Complaints allege plans offered by insurers are discriminatory because they don't cover drugs essential to HIV treatment.
Forty-three percent of returning consumers to the federal government's online exchange, healthcare.gov, switched policies last year.
Provider network can be an important factor for some consumers, especially given the growing number of plans with no out-of-network benefits.
Federal officials send letters to beneficiaries explaining that they can keep exchange plans but lose subsidies since they are eligible for Medicare.
30 percent of all health spending, $750 billion, is wasted on fraud, administration and needless procedures, estimate says.
Spending was driven by increases in drug unit prices rather than an increase in the volume of drugs used, report says.
About 10 million Americans buy individual coverage on or off the marketplaces, get no federal subsidies to help lower cost, feds say.
New law, which takes effect Jan. 1, will address mental health care gaps, particularly in rural areas where recruiting, retaining providers is hard.
Even with an estimated 25 percent premium increase, 78 percent of marketplace consumers should be able to find plan for $100 per month or less.