A sign directs motorists to a drive-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Exeter, N.H., in February. White House officials announced on Wednesday that a new pilot program will aim to remove common barriers to vaccination for some 2 million seniors from vulnerable communities. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption
The federal health insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov, has reopened until May 15 for new sign-ups; you can also switch to a different health plan on the exchange. But some states that run their own health insurance marketplaces have different rules. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus' daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill — $207,455 for the NICU alone — and confusion over which parent's insurer would cover the little girl's health costs. Christopher Smith for KHN hide caption
Headaches, lung issues and ongoing, debilitating fatigue are just a few of the symptoms plaguing some "long hauler" COVID-19 patients for months or more after the initial fever and acute symptoms recede. Grace Cary/Getty Images hide caption
Adam Woodrum and his son, Robert, get ready for a bike ride near their home in Carson City, Nev., this month. During the summer, Robert had a bike accident that resulted in a hefty bill from the family's insurer. Maggie Starbard for KHN hide caption
"One of the greatest gifts is to feel alive while you are alive," Katherine Standefer says. She writes about her experiences living with an implantable cardiac defibrillator in Lightning Flowers. Luke Parsons/Hachette Book Group hide caption
When Angela Settles' husband, Darius, got sick with COVID-19, he was worried about medical bills. He worked two jobs but had no health insurance. Blake Farmer/WPLN News hide caption
Open enrollment is about to start for those buying private insurance off state or federal exchanges. PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images hide caption
Matthew Fentress was diagnosed with heart disease that developed after a bout of the flu in 2014. His condition worsened three years later, and he had to declare bankruptcy when he couldn't afford his medical bills, despite having insurance. Meg Vogel for KHN hide caption
Demonstrators pray in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on July 8, a day the court ruled that employers with religious objections can decline to provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act. With the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the ACA's future is in doubt. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Median household income rose sharply last year, while poverty declined to 10.5% — the lowest since records began in 1959, according to the Census Bureau. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Los Angeles County last fall unveiled one of its 10 Department of Mental Health vans aimed at, among other things, reducing long waiting periods for the transport of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption
"Before the appendectomy, I was looking for property and homes to purchase, and that is pretty much completely off the table right now," says Shannon Harness, a veteran who was uninsured when he had two appendicitis-related surgeries in 2019. The bills amounted to $80,232. Rachel Woolf for KHN hide caption
Healthcare workers talk in the Covid-19 unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas in July. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Vickie Gregorio with Heartland Workforce Solutions in Omaha, Neb., updates a whiteboard outside the workforce office as unemployed job seekers wait in line for help. A recent change in federal rules gives some people who have lost their health plan along with their job more than the usual 60 days to sign up for COBRA health coverage. Nati Harnik/AP hide caption
Insurers must cover coronavirus testing, according to federal law, but medical visits to discuss symptoms may not be covered, unless a test is ordered at that time. ER Productions Limited/Getty Images hide caption
Some cities, such as Washington, D.C. are offering free coronavirus testing for people who've attended protests. Where free tests aren't available, some people may find insurance refuses to cover precautionary testing. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption
Liz McLemore spent weeks trying to enroll in a health plan after being laid off and losing her job-based coverage. "You just got to fight through," she says. Casey Chang hide caption
The IRS has announced that with employer approval, employees will be allowed to add, drop or alter some of their benefits — including flexible spending account contributions — for the remainder of 2020. Virojt Changyencham/Getty Images hide caption
With physician offices not seeing patients with COVID-19 symptoms in April, Timothy Regan said he had little choice when Denver Health directed him first to its urgent care facility and then to its emergency room. "I felt bad, but I had been dealing with it for a while," he says. Ethan Welty for KHN hide caption
A patient with suspected COVID-19 arrives at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn in early April. Even as the risk of big medical bills climbs, many Americans are losing their jobs and health insurance right now. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
As millions of Americans have lost their jobs, Congress is trying to figure out what to do to help those who have also lost their health insurance. South_agency/Getty Images hide caption
Despite recent changes in insurance policy, some patients say doctors and insurers are charging them upfront for video appointments and phone calls — not just copays but sometimes the entire cost of the visit, even if it's covered by insurance. sesame/Getty Images hide caption
A January report found that 40% of U.S. counties don't have a single health care provider approved to prescribe buprenorphine, a medicine integral to helping many patients beat opioid addiction. Permitting more-distant doctors to evaluate patients online and prescribe the medicine is a welcome advance, say addiction specialists. Ian Hooton/Getty Images/Science Photo Library hide caption
Former Vice President Joe Biden at a press conference in Wilmington, Del., in mid-March. His bid this week to allow 60-year-olds to get Medicare "reflects the reality," he says, "that, even after the current crisis ends, older Americans are likely to find it difficult to secure jobs." Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption