Julie Rovner

There is just one week left to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. NPR's Julie Rovner answers last-minute questions about what happens after that.

Representing U.S. health insurance companies, Karen Ignagni says she would add a "lower tier" to the Affordable Care Act options. That could entice healthier people to join the law's new risk pools.

A bipartisan compromise years in the making came apart this week when House GOP leaders inserted into a Medicare bill language that would delay part of the Affordable Care Act.

Sure, you thought, I can avoid buying health insurance because the tax penalty is just $95. But some people may be on the hook for thousands of dollars more.

One-quarter of the people who have signed up for private insurance through the federal and state exchanges are young adults. Insurers are counting on their participation to keep premiums manageable.

More people reported being covered by insurance they purchased themselves or by Medicaid. The percentage who said they were covered by employer plans fell slightly.

Last July, when the FDA approved unrestricted sale of Plan B One-Step, it also granted the drug's maker three years of protection from generic competition. Now the agency has reconsidered.

Some of the 14 states running their own health insurance marketplaces lag behind the federal site in meeting enrollment goals. States doing better kept the IT goals relatively simple, reviewers say.

It's getting easier to cancel a health insurance policy if you get a new job or have other life changes. And new parents can buy coverage for the baby after he or she is born. But there are exceptions to many rules in the Affordable Care Act, so it's worth checking out how they affect you.

Slightly more women than men are signing up for coverage. The most popular plans are the silver ones, the third-most generous type among the four main kinds offered on insurance exchanges around the country.