Community Workers Fan Out to Persuade Immigrant Seniors to Get Covered

OAKLAND, Calif. — For three years, Bertha Embriz of San Francisco has gone without health insurance, skipping annual wellness exams and recently tolerating a broken molar by trying not to chew with it. As an immigrant without legal status, the 58-year-old unpaid caregiver knew that California’s Medicaid program was closed to her. That changed in … Read more

As US Bumps Against Debt Ceiling, Medicare Becomes a Bargaining Chip

The Host Julie Rovner KHN @jrovner Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KHN’s weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its … Read more

California Stockpiles Penalties From Uninsured Residents Instead of Lowering Care Costs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nearly three years after California started fining residents who don’t have health insurance, the state has not distributed any of the revenue it has collected, KHN has learned — money that was intended to help Californians struggling to pay for coverage. And so far, the majority of Californians paying the tax penalty … Read more

‘An Arm and a Leg’: No Money, No Job, No Health Care? Not Always.

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Click here for a transcript of the episode. If you don’t have money and you don’t have a job, what are your best options for getting health care?  It’s 2023 open enrollment season, and a lot of Americans are shopping for health insurance plans. And some are … Read more