People newly insured under the Affordable Care Act were sicker, used more medical care and had higher medical costs than those who already had coverage, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said Tuesday in a new study of its policyholders.

An executive director of a health insurance exchange in Nevada said that the state-based marketplace has helped the region save as much as a million dollars in 2015.

In its latest effort to get more states to states to expand their Medicaid programs, health officials are emphasizing its role in paying for treatment of opioid abuse and mental health issues.

When California’s aid-in-dying law takes effect this June, terminally ill patients who decide to end their lives could be faced with a hefty bill for the lethal medication. It retails for more than $3,000.

More people will be enrolled in Medicaid than predicted a year ago, fewer will be covered through the new public insurance marketplaces and the overall cost of insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act will be higher than expected last year, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday.

It took almost two months longer than expected, but Medicaid insurer Centene Corp. finally closed on its Health Net deal after winning approval from skeptical California regulators. The value of the deal, including debt, has been revised to $6 billion.