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There’s about a week left for anyone who’s uninsured to see if they qualify for free or low-cost private health insurance through the public marketplace. A special enrollment period that will end on Aug. 15 allows you to use healthcare.gov to sign up for a plan, which could come with major subsidies to reduce what you pay for coverage. Otherwise, unless you have a qualifying life event — i.e., job loss, birth of a child, etc. — after the current window closes, you’d generally have to wait until open enrollment this fall to sign up. (O'Brien, 8/9)

Plenty of shopping options, plus lower prices. That’s usually a winning formula for consumers. And that scenario describes how Georgia’s health insurance exchange is shaping up for individuals and families looking for coverage in 2022, according to initial filings by health insurers to the state’s insurance department. The filings were obtained by GHN through an open records request. (Miller, 8/9)

Thousands of Rhode Islanders who use HealthSource RI may be overpaying for their health insurance because they haven’t taken advantage of a recent change in federal law. “It’s historically affordable,” HealthSource RI director Lindsay Lang told Target 12. “It’s never been as affordable as it is right now.” Lang said that her team has reached out to roughly 2,900 Rhode Island enrollees to let them know that they may benefit from changing their coverage plan before the open enrollment deadline on Aug. 15. (Taylor, 8/9)

Americans are drowning in medical debt. From 2009 to 2020, medical bills were the largest source of debt in the U.S., with a record $140 billion owed last year, according to a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association. The record accounts only for the debt that has been sent to collections. Neale Mahoney, a Stanford economics professor and lead author of the study, said medical bills are often higher for people living in a dozen states that chose not to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. (Werner, 8/9)

Since coronavirus shuttered the world in the early months of 2020, the financial impact has taken a significant -- and often invisible -- toll. Mental health has gone awry for many during the pandemic, but these experiences are especially more acute among people who are economically less fortunate. Among US adults age 18 or older, prevalence of depression symptoms was more than threefold higher during the Covid-19 pandemic than before, according to a September 2020 study. Additionally, having lower income, less than $5,000 in savings, and exposure to more stressors such as job loss were linked with a 50% higher risk of depression symptoms during the pandemic. (Rogers, 8/9)

One of the region’s most prolific apartment builders has sued the city of Los Angeles over its COVID-19 eviction moratorium, saying his companies have experienced “astronomical” financial losses and are legally entitled to compensation from the city. GHP Management Corp., owned by real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer, said in its lawsuit that 12 buildings it manages have experienced more than $20 million in lost rental income as a result of the measure. GHP, which filed the lawsuit along with several other Palmer companies, expects that number to triple by the time the moratorium’s provisions have expired. (Zahniser, 8/9)