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Job-based health insurance costs are up 4 percent this year, 55 percent in past decade

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Job-based health insurance costs are up 4 percent this year, 55 percent in past decade - North Carolina Health News

Insurance cost increases are in the single digits, but they're still more than the increasing rate of inflation, driven, in part, by uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Phil Galewitz Kaiser Health News Health insurance costs for Americans who get their coverage through work continued a relentless march upward with average family premiums rising 4 percent to $21,342 this year, according to a study published Thursday. The annual survey by KFF found workers on average are paying nearly $5,600 this year toward […]

Shows the computer home page for people to choose a Medicare plan

Medicare’s key means for selecting coverage has grown harder to use, advocates say

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Medicare’s key means for selecting coverage has grown harder to use, advocates say - North Carolina Health News

Controversy is roiling over the revised Medicare Plan Finder, an online tool for selecting optimal plans. Medicare says it’ll be fine after some tweaking, but some advocates say it has major problems.

By Thomas Goldsmith and Anne Blythe Advocates for older people contend that the online method many people and advisers use to select Medicare plans has gotten so difficult to navigate that beneficiaries will run into trouble trying to make their choices. Federal Medicare representatives maintain there’s real benefit to consumers in changes the agency has […]

shows the front of the legislative building in Raleigh, general assembly

Bill to extend health insurance benefits to low-income workers finally gets started

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Bill to extend health insurance benefits to low-income workers finally gets started - North Carolina Health News

Six years after the state legislature rejected Medicaid expansion and four years after a Republican plan for adding hundreds of thousands of low income workers to insurance rolls was introduced, a bill finally passes committee.

By Rose Hoban After years of waiting, advocates for extending health insurance to hundreds of thousands of low-income North Carolinians finally saw a bill cross the starting line at the state legislature. House Bill 655 would allow for people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to receive subsidies on the […]

shows a young man standing in front of a window, looking at the camera. He tells his story of being on PrEP.

Even when HIV prevention drug is covered, other costs block treatment

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Even when HIV prevention drug is covered, other costs block treatment - North Carolina Health News

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, makes it possible to almost completely stop transmission of HIV, but it costs thousands of dollars each month.

By Michelle Andrews Kaiser Health News Three years ago, Corey Walsh, who was in a relationship with a man who was HIV-positive, got a prescription for Truvada, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS. Walsh, then 23, was covered by his parents’ health insurance […]

shows a woman's hand holding pill bottle, with SHIIP client in the background

No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage

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No Gaps In Understanding: Here’s Your Primer On Medigap Coverage - North Carolina Health News

Medicare during open enrollment season begins on Oct. 15, so it's important for seniors to know their options.

By Judith Graham Kaiser Health News Every year, older adults can opt out of a Medicare Advantage plan and opt in to original Medicare during open enrollment season, which begins on Oct. 15. But unexpected problems can arise with this change. Notably, seniors who want to return to original Medicare might not be able to […]

shows a woman's hand holding pill bottle, with SHIIP client in the background

Rebates May Help Some, But Are No Silver Bullet for High Drug Costs

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Rebates May Help Some, But Are No Silver Bullet for High Drug Costs - North Carolina Health News

Aetna and UnitedHealthcare announce they'll pass along pharmaceutical company rebates on drugs. But how much will that benefit consumers?

By Mark Tosczak If you get your health insurance from Aetna or UnitedHealthcare, you might — with an emphasis on “might” — find some of your prescriptions are cheaper at the drug store next year. Both companies have announced in the last few weeks that in 2019 they will pass on any rebates they receive […]

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