Julie Appleby

If you buy your own health insurance through state and federal marketplaces, 'tis the season to compare prices, change coverage, and take advantage of subsidies. Here's what to know.

Completing a routine depression screening questionnaire during an annual checkup is cost-free under federal law. But, as one woman discovered, answering a doctor's follow-up questions might not be.

The Biden administration wants hospitals to do more to make their prices understandable, so that consumers know in advance what a health care service will cost them.

The set of health policy ideas have been GOP favorites for decades. It could mean cheaper health insurance but would undermine protections for patients in the Affordable Care Act.

Some consumers who bought health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act have had a tough start to the year: Many say it's hard to find an in-network doctor or hospital.

Insurers, employers, taxpayers and other consumers will all be affected as drugmakers move these products to the commercial market in May. How much you'll pay depends on your health insurance.

There's finally been a fix to the "family glitch" that made marketplace health plans sometimes unaffordable. And although premiums are rising, subsidies are too, and more people are eligible.

A dump of tens of thousands of colossal digital files from a single insurer is not unusual, and it'll be weeks before data firms can put the information in a usable format for employers and patients.

Even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, whether a health plan paid for abortion varied widely. Now it's become even more complex, with conflicts and court challenges on the horizon.

New government rules are forcing insurers to post on websites what they pay for care or be fined, allowing consumers and employers to comparison shop for health services or negotiate better rates.

Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia while on a trip to Wyoming, a man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, he got hit with an astronomical bill.

Some mental health providers object to the new requirement, which is part of the No Surprises Act. They say giving detailed cost estimates could discourage patients from getting care.

Some consumers "have gone months" without realizing someone had improperly enrolled them in ACA health plans, with tax credits that may need repaying. A proposed new rule would stop the practice.

The new law means patients can't get hit with pricey, unexpected medical bills. Some experts say the regulation could also slow the growth of health insurance premiums.

Since January, hospitals were supposed to be disclosing true prices for their services, as a way to empower patients to shop around. Turns out, compliance is spotty and the data can be hard to find.

Generous personal injury coverage on your auto insurance policy may not be enough to cover your medical bills. Patients can get financially blindsided when car and health insurance policies differ.

Under a rule that kicked in Jan. 1, hospitals must now make public the prices they negotiate with health insurers. But health policy experts have divergent views on what that will mean for patients.

Congress has passed a long-debated measure to stop health care providers from billing patients for charges not covered by their insurance. Here's how the new protection works.

Anyone with lingering effects of COVID-19 should be extra careful in picking a 2021 health plan, specialists say. You now have a "pre-existing condition" that could increase medical expenses in 2021.

It was a surprise even for a family of lawyers. A process called "subrogation" began with a Nevada family's health insurer denying their claim for an ER visit after their 9-year-old fell off his bike.