Michelle Andrews

Michelle Andrews appears in the following:

Details On Abortion Coverage Still Elusive In Some Health Plans

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

If you bought health coverage through one of the online insurance marketplaces, you might have a tough time determining whether your plan covers abortion services.

Though Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius got an earful from members of Congress about the problem at a hearing last November, little's ...

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Nevada Offers Rare Deal: Year-Round Sales Of Health Plans

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

For months, consumers have been warned that they have to buy health insurance by the end of open enrollment or remain uninsured until next year. But a little noticed provision of the health law may give some consumers another chance.

Insurers that sell individual plans have to offer insurance to ...

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People Who Are Still Uninsured May Turn To Community Clinics

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

If you're uninsured, you may have run out of time. Monday was the official deadline to sign up for health insurance on the marketplaces or face a penalty, unless you were already in line for enrollment.

Still, people who missed the cutoff have options to get the health care services ...

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Tax Change Helps Abused Spouses Get Health Insurance Subsidies

Friday, March 28, 2014

Victims of domestic violence can have a hard time qualifying for subsidies to buy health insurance because of quirks in the health law. And they often need help. It now looks like there's something of a fix, as well as more time to enroll.

The problem is that married people ...

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Last Chance To Ask About Health Law Before Sign-Up Deadline

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

This is it. The deadline to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act this year is March 31. With time running out, the questions about how the health law and the exchanges work keep pouring in. Here are a few more to check out while the clock ...

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Opting Out Of Your Insurance Plan's Network Can Be Costly

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Many plans sold on the health insurance marketplaces offer a trade-off: lower premiums in exchange for limited choices of doctors and hospitals. But consumers who opt for these plans with the idea that they'll go out of network when necessary may be taking a big financial risk.

The health law ...

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Gay Couples Entitled To Equal Family Health Coverage, Fed Says

Saturday, March 15, 2014

What insurers offer to spouses in a traditional marriage, they must make available to same-sex couples, the federal government said Friday.

The change means that same-sex couples, who haven't been able to buy family health policies, will be able to do so now.

"It's a big deal," says Katie ...

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Deadline Nears To Buy Or Switch Obamacare Coverage

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

People who got off to a rough start with Obamacare or haven't picked a plan still have options. But they better hop to it. The open enrollment period ends March 31.

Those who were unable to sign up for a marketplace plan because of the glitches with federal or ...

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Health Law Provides No Guarantees Of Access To Birthing Centers

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Insurance coverage for maternity care is required in most individual and small group plans under the federal health law, extending such coverage to plans where it used to be rare. But for women who prefer services provided by midwives and birthing centers, there are no coverage guarantees, despite the

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Can A Doctor Really Demand An Extra $75 Upfront?

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

This week, I answer readers' questions about what doctors can ask for in advance and the nuances of switching insurance plans, both on and off the health exchanges.

Q. After signing up for a gold level plan on the health insurance marketplace, my physician, who is part of my plan, ...

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Despite Law, Health Plans Refuse Medical Claims Related To Suicide

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide or attempted suicide is stressful enough. But some health plans make a harrowing experience worse by refusing to cover medical costs for injuries that are related to suicide, even though the federal health law doesn't allow such exclusions, legal and government analysts say.

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Despite Federal Rules, Some States Deny Family Policies For Same-Sex Couples

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Carl Bechdel and Dan Miller started looking for a family plan on the Pennsylvania health insurance marketplace last fall.

After submitting their application for a bronze-level plan to Highmark Blue Shield in early December, the couple became concerned when the end of the month approached and they hadn't heard from ...

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Marketplace Rules Could Hurt Assistance Programs For Costly Drugs

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

People who need expensive drugs to treat serious medical conditions often rely on drugmakers' assistance programs for help.

But it's uncertain whether the help will be allowed for people who buy health insurance on the marketplaces established by the federal health law.

With open enrollment ending in less than ...

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How A Divorce Can Boost Health Insurance Subsidies

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

As the enrollment period continues for health coverage on the state health insurance marketplaces, people continue to have many questions about buying a plan there.

What happens with premium tax credits if a couple gets divorced? If the premium tax credit is based on the previous year's income when the ...

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Preventive Medical Care Can Come With Unexpected Costs

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Preventive health care services are supposed to be covered under the Affordable Care Act so that people don't have to pay out of pocket to get recommended screening tests. But some people are discovering that these supposedly free services can be costly.

Take colonoscopy. The procedure is recommended for ...

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Health Care Inbox: From Medicaid Eligibility To Tax Credits

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

The new year is upon us, and with it a fuller implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The questions about the health care law haven't slowed. Here are some of the latest queries and answers.

I live in Georgia. Our modified adjusted gross income is about $4,900 because our Social ...

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15-Year-Old Wants Braces: Will Obamacare Cover Them?

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

It turns out that readers of all ages — from teenagers to seniors — have questions about the health law. We try to answer the latest batch.

I'm 15 years old, and I really want braces. If my mom signs me up for Obamacare, will it cover it?

It depends. ...

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Don't Count On Insurance To Pay For Genetic Tests

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The day when a simple blood test or saliva sample can identify your risk for medical conditions ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease seems tantalizingly close.

But genetics specialists say the hype around many of these tests has outstripped the science. Insurers generally only cover a test if there's strong ...

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Rule Spells Out How Insurers Must Cover Mental Health Care

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires health plans that offer benefits for mental health and substance use to cover them to the same extent that they cover medical and surgical care.

Among other things, the law prohibits treatment limits and copayments or deductibles that are ...

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For Many Workers, It's Time To Consider Insurance Options

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

It's open enrollment time again, the autumn period when many people with job-based health insurance ante up for another year.

Although news reports have fixated on the problems with the online health marketplaces that launched Oct. 1, for the vast majority of people that's a nonissue. If they get ...

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