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Nearly half of US adults under 65 had little to no health insurance in 2026: Report
Almost half (46%) of working-age adults aged 19 to 64 had inadequate health insurance this year, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund. Published Oct. 22, “The State of Health Insurance Coverage in 2026” was based on the fund’s 2026 Biennial Health Insurance Survey. Among those adults, 11% were uninsured, 12% had a coverage…
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Americans cite high insurance premiums, out-of-pocket costs as top health care concerns
A recent Commonwealth Fund survey of more than 25,000 U.S. adults found that Americans are struggling to afford health insurance and care. For journalists, this report offers multiple story angles, including the impact on patients, hospitals, physicians and other providers. Published Aug. 13, the report, “What Americans Want Fixed in Health Care — and Who They…
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Covering health care affordability: A big story with major impact
In the first entry in a series for STAT News, “Out of Pocket, Out of Reach,” reporter Bob Herman showed that since 1987, the cost of health insurance for employers and workers has risen by 979% while overall inflation in that time rose by 176%, an increase of more than 450%. Such huge increases are…
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Reporting on health care and health insurance affordability
How to report on health care affordability efforts Moderator: Joe Burns, Independent journalist; AHCJ Health Beat Leader for Health Policy and Insurance January Angeles, Managing director, Bailit Health Shawn Gremminger, President and CEO, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions Maureen Hensley-Quinn, Senior program director, National Academy for State Health Policy Katie Martin, President and CEO,…
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Medicare and Medicaid will cover weight-loss drugs next year
Many people on Medicare and Medicaid who wanted to take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss but couldn’t afford the high prices of these medications were awaiting the launch of the CMS BALANCE Model in 2027. Those Medicare and Medicaid members were waiting because CMS pays for certain GLP-1s to treat diabetes and heart disease, but…
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How high-deductible health plans can harm patients’ health
High-deductible health plans are increasingly common — and research shows they may lead patients to delay or skip needed care. The percentage of Americans under age 65 enrolled in high-deductible health plans ranges from about 42%, according to CDC data, to as high as 58%, according to a study published last year in JAMA Network…
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High deductibles, higher stakes: Story angles for journalists
When compared with the medical care patients get in other high-income nations, the U.S. health system often ranks last in access, affordability and outcomes, as we explained here. One reason for that low rank among those 10 nations is that health care is unaffordable for many Americans, according to a 2024 Commonwealth Fund report. Unlike…
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