Category: Health

  • Second Opinion: Does ACA Reduce Costs for People With Pre-Existing Conditions?

    University Heights resident Tamara Kaplan pays about $17,000 a year in health premiums and copays because of a pre-existing condition. She wants to know if her wallet will get any relief under the Affordable Care Act. | Video Credit: Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego By Megan Burks Second Opinion is a weekly Q-and-A…

  • State Insurance Regulators Warn of Obamacare Scams

    By Kenny Goldberg Obamacare kicks off in a big way Oct. 1. That’s when the state’s online health insurance exchange known as Covered California opens for business. Believe it or not, scam artists are already in the game. Obamacare requires all Americans to have health insurance by Jan. 1. Californians can shop for plans and…

  • For Refugee Doctors, Journey Back to Practicing Medicine Is the Longest

    Video Credit: Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego By Megan Burks Najwan Al Ani sits in her El Cajon apartment and flips through a tattered study guide for the first phase of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. She used the workbook to study for and pass the test in 2011, and now it’s…

  • Second Opinion: I’m Nearing Medicare Age. Can I Get Gap Coverage?

    Linda Johnson is a microbiologist set to retire in about a month. She’s concerned she won’t be able to find an affordable health plan to cover her in the six months before she’s eligible for Medicare. Video by Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego. By Megan Burks Second Opinion is a weekly Q-and-A series…

  • Obamacare For Californians: It’s Not That Confusing. We Promise.

    By Megan Burks I’ve been answering your questions about the Affordable Care Act with my series “Second Opinion” for three months now. You’ve thrown me some tough questions, sending me down rabbit holes burrowed by the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Research Service, and putting me in touch with smart people from local insurance…