Healthcare policy and reform is about the laws, programs, and debates that shape how the American healthcare system is organized and paid for. It covers major federal laws, the public insurance programs, and proposals to change them. Congress, the president, federal health agencies, state governments, and advocacy groups all take part, and people disagree about how much government should do.
An independent team explaining how government works
One patient can arrive with heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes—and leave with three separate care plans. Clinically, she has three deeply interconnected conditions that…
On January 1, 2026, a single mother opened the bill for the same marketplace health plan she had carried the month before. Her payment was going…
On December 31, 2025—just two days ago—expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expired, and roughly 22 million Americans woke up to a new financial reality. The…
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, represents one of the most significant reforms of the U.S. health system. Its primary goal is…
The Affordable Care Act covers the federal law that set up health insurance marketplaces and changed insurance rules, and Medicare and Medicaid Policy covers the laws and decisions that steer the two main public programs.
TrumpRx is a federal government initiative centered around the website TrumpRx.gov, which launched on February 5, 2026. The primary stated goal is to lower…
A reader writes to us: Why does the government force the elderly who are already on a fixed budget to pay for a Medicare…
A leaked government report suggesting links between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism sent shockwaves through Wall Street and the medical community. The Department…
In December 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a decision that would trigger decades of addiction, overdose, and death across America. The…
In American governance, specific words chosen for laws and regulations determine how federal agencies operate, how billions of dollars are spent, and how millions…
What the 2025 reconciliation law changes in Medicaid and Medicare, when its rules begin, who may be affected and where enrollees can get help.
On June 22, 2009, everything changed for tobacco in America. President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, giving the…
The Health Insurance Marketplace, accessible through HealthCare.gov, is a service designed by the federal government under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Its purpose is…
The main time for individuals and families to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace occurs during the annual Open Enrollment…
The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is an online health insurance marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act. United Healthcare and HealthInsurance.org describe…
