Higher subsidies drive record ACA enrollment

Nov 9, 2023
The government has extended pandemic-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act marketplace until 2025 — and even higher-income families are eligible.
Just about everyone looking for an ACA plan is eligible for a higher subsidy than before, said Vivian Ho at Rice University.
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

Feeling burnt out from COVID-19, one nurse turned to chainsaw art

Nov 6, 2023
"I got that first chainsaw and, I don't know, I just felt right at home," says Taylor White, a chainsaw carver in Maine.
One of White's most recent projects was a 10-foot-tall grizzly bear carving.
Courtesy Taylor White

Do the latest job numbers point to a coming recession?

Nov 6, 2023
The number of new jobs created each month has been trending down for the past year — but there is also a good amount of positive data in the latest report.
Overall, the number of new jobs created each month has been chaotic but generally trending down for 12 months.
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Health care costs were a main driver of inflation in September

Oct 27, 2023
Rising costs for prescriptions and hospital services were felt in latest PCE report, though health inflation has been mild in the past year.
By the end of the decade, health care is expected to account for about a fifth of the U.S. economy.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Walgreens pharmacists are walking off the job to protest working conditions

Oct 11, 2023
Retail pharmacists deal with understaffing and burnout as their job responsibilities expand beyond dispensing medication.
The role and duties of pharmacists have only expanded throughout the pandemic.
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Filipino nurses fill critical jobs as workforce shortage intensifies

Sep 11, 2023
Foreign nurses are in high demand to support patients in U.S. nursing homes and hospitals, but visa barriers remain in place.
Houston-area Filipino nurses Cristina Dimafiles and JohnRich Levine are veterans of the field.
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What do rising corporate bankruptcies say about the economy?

Sep 8, 2023
Some bankruptcies reflect fallout from the financial crisis more than a decade ago.
Corporate bankruptcies have been on the rise for more than a year. Retail chain Christmas Tree Shops, above, filed for bankruptcy in May.
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For public good, not for profit.

As health care moves into the home, do we have enough workers?

Aug 7, 2023
A quarter of referred patients were turned away from home health care providers because of staff shortages, an industry report says.
The COVID-19 pandemic "accelerated an awareness of the capabilities of care at home,” said Bill Dombi of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

How to make health care better through dollars and sense

A new book puts forth ambitious solutions to redesigning and funding the American health care system.
Amy Finkelstein, the author of "We've Got You Covered," compares universal health care coverage to public school — it's an option for all if you want or need it.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Biden administration proposes new mental health care parity rule

Jul 25, 2023
The rule would force insurance companies to follow laws stating mental health care must be covered like physical health care.
President Biden's administration announced the new rule today, but it will need to go through a comment and review process before going into effect.
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