Latest KFF Health News Stories
Florida Medicaid Lawsuit Delayed Again
Medicaid lawsuits and settlements also make news in Kansas and Louisiana. In the meantime, a proposal in Alaska to limit Medicaid payments for physical, occupational and speech therapy draws protests.
Candidate Credentials Hinging On Health Law
Elsewhere, a “health care compact” to give states more control over their health care, and less power to the federal health law, becomes a campaign issue in Kansas.
Debate Heats Up Over Mandatory Quarantines For People Who Are Not Sick
NPR reports that legal experts contend that certain states may be going too far. In addition, The Associated Press examines how the Ebola protocols for returning military and civilian workers are different.
Aging Baby Boomers Spark High-Tech Health Innovation
Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are building companies to address the needs of baby boomers as they age. Meanwhile, health insurers Cigna, Aetna and Humana continue to report revenue increases as the financial losses from the Affordable Care Act decline in the third quarter.
HHS Watchdog Criticizes Medicare Rule That Allows Drug Purchases After Patient’s Death
Also, in other Medicare news, officials cut $60 million from Medicare spending on home health services.
Democrats Face Voter Appeal Challenges On Health Care, Safety Net
The Wall Street Journal looks at how Democratic messaging on health care and other social and safety-net issues is playing during this election season. Also, the Sacramento Bee and CBS News parse the veracity of campaign ads.
As GOP Election-Day Confidence Grows, McConnell Reiterates Obamacare Opposition
Earlier in the week, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who hopes the mid-terms will not only result in his re-election but also GOP control of the Senate and his own rise to majority leader, made comments that repeal of the health law might not be in the cards. Since then, however, he has sought to reassure conservatives about his opposition to the overhaul. Meanwhile, other news outlets analyze how a Republican majority in the Senate, and other electoral outcomes, might impact the health policy agenda.
Insurers Predict Surge In Obamacare Sign-Ups
Reuters reports that insurers selling 2015 health law plans expect at least 20 percent growth in customers and more than a doubling in some states. Also in the news, reports about enrollment efforts in California and premium cost confusion in Minnesota and North Carolina.
First Edition: October 30, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
For Families With Mixed Immigration Status, Health Insurance Is A Puzzle
A young outreach worker for Obamacare is delighted to be eligible for coverage but worries about family members with no such luck.
Lack Of Understanding About Insurance Could Lead To Poor Choices
A recent poll points out that while three-quarters of Americans say they are confident about understanding their health coverage options, only 20 percent could calculate what they owed for a routine doctor’s appointment.
Benefits ‘Essential’ In N.J. But Not In Pa.
The administration gave states leeway to define the benefits that must be covered by health plans sold through government exchanges, and Pennsylvania’s are a lot ‘stingier’ than those in some other states.
Views On Ebola: Quarantines Will Cripple Fight Against The Disease; Feds, States Must Cooperate
News outlets offer a variety of opinions on the strategy to fight Ebola and on the issue of quarantining health care workers.
Viewpoints: Health Law ‘Pushing Back Inequality’; Mississippi’s ‘Shame’; Medicaid Vote In Maine
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: How A Quarantine Works; GOP Plan To Sue Obama Hits A Stumbling Block
Every week KHN reporter Shefali Luthra selects interesting reading from around the Web.
State Highlights: GOP Looks For Legislature Control; Abortion Key In Tenn. Election
A selection of health policy stories from Arkansas, California, Tennessee, Michigan, North Carolina and Maryland.
Maine Nurse Defies Quarantine Order, Testing States’ Efforts On Ebola
The nurse opts to go for a bike ride Thursday morning against orders from the governor. Meanwhile, California also announces it is setting up a 21-day home quarantine policy for any health care workers returning from West Africa.
Honeywell’s Wellness Program Faces Legal Test
Lawyers for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit, arguing that a company can ask employees to undergo voluntary testing but can’t impose a penalty on those who decline to submit to health screening tests.
Health Law Boosts Earnings For Many Insurers
Last fall, the nation’s biggest health insurers were cautious about the overhaul’s coverage expansion and prohibitions against denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. But a year later, many have raised earnings expectations, and investors see less uncertainty.
Health Law Weighs Heavily For Some Democratic Candidates
Obamacare has been a buzzword in ads in many key Senate elections, and, in anticipation of an expected run-off, groups are making media buys in Louisiana, that will, among other things, hit Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu hard for her support of the health law. Meanwhile, other TV advertisements go beyond the campaign and seek to raise awareness about the law itself and to encourage people to sign up for coverage.