Obamacare premiums cost less than employer-based insurance this year, according to a new report, but a major reason was narrower networks that offer fewer doctor choices in Obamacare plans.

California’s vigorous embrace of Obamacare, particularly its sharp expansion of Medi-Cal coverage for the poor, has has reduced the state’s medically uninsured population by half, a new Census Bureau report says.

In a move that is sure to draw the ire of Republicans, California officials are asking the Obama administration this week to approve a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance on the state’s public exchange.

As the number of people covered by high-deductible health plans soars, some insurers and employers are easing the strain on consumers’ wallets by covering certain benefits like doctor visits or generic drugs before people have reached their plan’s deductible.

While the political world focuses on the Affordable Care Act, changes have been occurring for the many more Americans who get health insurance through work. The biggest change: rising deductibles, which are transforming the nature of health insurance from more comprehensive coverage to skimpier insurance with higher out-of-pocket costs.

In California, it is not unusual for patients to be hit by large, unexpected medical bills when they are unwittingly treated by someone outside their insurance company’s network.