Michelle Andrews

Consumers should know that medical identity theft can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individual's data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.

The recently approved contraception Opill should be available for consumers next year. It's not clear how or whether insurance will cover it. Here's what's known so far.

A New York woman seeking to end a dangerous ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube finds the procedure more complicated and expensive than expected — even in a state with liberal abortion laws.

Preventive care, like screening colonoscopies, is supposed to be free of charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act. But some hospitals haven't gotten the memo.

The WA Cares Fund would help alleviate the financial burden of long-term care by providing workers a lifetime benefit of $36,500. The program was delayed while lawmakers addressed equity issues.

The laws governing Medicare don't provide coverage for self-administered diagnostic tests, including rapid antigen tests. Here's how older adults can get free tests anyway.

The Affordable Care Act requires most insurers to cover a comprehensive list of FDA-approved birth control methods at no cost. But insurers often make it hard for women to get the products they want.

The University of Miami Health System charged truck driver José Mendoza six times what Medicare would pay for an overnight test. He got trapped by his high-deductible health plan and sky-high billing.

The federal insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov, has reopened for changes and new sign-ups until May 15. But states with their own exchanges have different rules. Here's what you need to know.

Lou Gehrig's disease can take months to diagnose, then rapidly incapacitate patients, leaving many families bankrupt before disability payments and Medicare kick in. A recent law aims to change that.

Whether you're looking for coverage online or through a broker, be sure to note the difference between a comprehensive health plan and a "junk" plan with limited benefits and coverage restrictions.

People who lose their job-based health plan usually get 60 days to decide to continue it — and pay more — under federal rules. But a recent pandemic-related rule change allows more decision time.

The new guidance amounts to a midyear open-enrollment period and applies to firms that buy health insurance to cover their workers as well as to those that self-insure — paying claims on their own.

Coroners and medical examiners are starting to test for COVID-19 among those who die unexpectedly, including people who die at home. The process could help communities contain their outbreaks.

Big firms are again offering more generous health plans alongside or instead of policies with sky-high deductibles. Why? They need to do so to stay competitive and recruit top talent.

Though tobacco ads have been banned from TV for about 50 years, the marketing of electronic cigarettes isn't constrained by the law. Public health advocates consider that a loophole that hurts kids.

Under federal law, people sexually assaulted don't have to pay for their medical forensic exams. Yet some have trouble getting the hospitals or collection agencies to stop dunning them for payment.

More than half of Americans contacted about an overdue bill said it related to medical debt. Some consumer advocates say newly proposed limits on debt collectors don't do enough.

Unlike many private health plans, Medicare has no cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs in Part D. As the cost of specialty drugs rises, some Medicare patients owe thousands of dollars.

While some officials urge expansion of the Medicare system, several states are mulling a different way to ensure residents have affordable coverage: help them buy into a Medicaid-like plan.