health care

Pennsylvania state House Democrats say they’re trying to “force a vote” on a package of bills meant to serve as a backstop should the Affordable Care Act be repealed nationwide.

Pennsylvanians working in the behavioral health care field have the chance to receive money from the state to pay off student loan debt.

Premiums for health insurers' individual policies in Pennsylvania for 2020 will reflect an aggregate statewide increase of 4 percent, with an increase of 10 percent in the small group market.

A bill that aims to let more people with disabilities access a program that gives them medical services appears primed to move quickly through the state Senate.

It may be a rare area where Democrats and Republicans can agree on health care.

Walmart's Sam's Club is teaming up with several health care companies to offer discounts on everyday care its customers might delay or skip because of the cost.

Earlier this month the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced it had finalized a policy that would protect health care providers against discrimination if they refuse to care for someone based on their “moral convictions.” 

Patients’ search histories could be the key to delivering better health care, according to a new study by Penn Medicine researchers.

The study, which was recently published in the journal BMJ Open, found that health-related searches double in the week before an emergency-room visit. Pairing those searches with a patient’s electronic health records reveals gaps in patient communication and care.

Western Pennsylvania’s largest health care company is suing Pennsylvania’s attorney general in U.S. District Court.

Imagine falling on the sidewalk.

You think you might have broken a rib, and you want to know what a chest X-ray costs at an emergency department near where you live in Harrisburg.

The public health community has long called for a needle exchange in south Pittsburgh, as fatal overdose data indicates high opioid use in this area. On Tuesday, a proposed site for distributing sterile syringes to injection drug users passed its final hurdle. 

A new study from University of Pittsburgh researchers finds the price of brand-name medications is growing five times faster than the rate of inflation.

The public comments period ended Friday for a proposed federal rule that would allow more employers to use health reimbursement arrangements, which are untaxed funds that employers could set aside for employees to use on health care expenses. Most employers are currently prohibited from using the arrangements, which are also known as HRAs.

Starting January 1, a new federal rule is requiring hospitals to publish online their official charges for different medical services, like diagnostic tests or surgeries.

Pennsylvania's population of uninsured children decreased slightly amid a nationwide increase in uninsured children. 

For the first time in at least 8 years, the number of uninsured children rose in the U.S., according to a study from Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. 

In Pennsylvania, 125,000 people 19 or younger didn't have health insurance in 2017, the report states. That's 1,000 fewer children than in the previous year. 

It’s that time of year again: the enrollment window is open to sign up for health insurance on the Affordable Care Plan individual market.  

Premiums for health insurers' individual policies in Pennsylvania for 2019 will reflect an aggregate statewide decrease that state officials say shows a stabilizing market.

The Pennsylvania Department of Insurance said Thursday that final rates for the individual market will drop by an aggregate of 2.3 percent statewide.

Insurers had originally requested an increase of 5 percent. Premium increases in individual markets the past two years averaged over 30 percent in Pennsylvania.

Labor organizers demonstrated outside UPMC headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday to highlight two August rulings by the National Labor Relations Board that found the state’s largest hospital system violated workers’ rights.

Pennsylvanians with insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange will see little or no premium increase next year, according to data compiled by Associated Press.