Latest KFF Health News Stories
Ga. Seeks Delay For Approving Health Exchanges’ Proposed Rates
The state insurance commissioner cited “massive rate increases” in the prosals from seven insurers seeking do business on these online insurance marketplaces.
Health Law Supporters And Opponents Focus On Moms
A surge of advertising and grassroots organizing targets mothers because women usually make the health-care decisions for families and use more health care than men, Bloomberg reports.
Aetna’s Profits Rise After Managed Care Plan Purchase
The insurer’s second quarter earnings increased 17 percent as it reaped enrollment and revenue gains from its acquisition of the managed health care company Coventry Health Care Inc.
Huge Hospital Merger In The Works
If approved, Community Health Systems will buy Health Management Associates, resulting in a chain of 206 for-profit hospitals.
Medicare Increase $1 In Price From The Past Three Years
The Obama administration cast the average monthly premium price increase as a matter of inches.
U.S. Divide On Abortion Widens Along Regional Lines
Opposition to abortion has grown in parts of the South, while those in the Northeast and West Coast continue to be strong supporters of abortion rights, a study says. In the meantime, a judge in Indiana made permanent her order barring the state from denying Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood.
Viewpoints: GOP’s Shutdown Vow; Peter Orszag Defends Rationale Behind Medicare Payment Board
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
N.Y. Appellate Court Upholds Decision Blocking NYC’s Big Soda Ban
The panel said the city board of health acted outside its authority in imposing the ban, which would have prevented restaurants, theaters and food carts from selling sodas and other sugary drinks in excess of 16 ounces. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he planned to appeal the ruling.
State Highlights: Experts Cite ‘Serious’ Health Care Risks At Calif. Prison
A selection of health policy stories from California, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Minnesota.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that Medicare premiums will remain stable in 2014 and coverage of a new Congressional Budget Office estimate regarding the cost of delaying the health law’s employer mandate.
Georgia Seeks Delay On Health Insurance Rate Approval
This story comes from our partner Georgia Health News. Georgia’s insurance commissioner has asked for an “emergency delay’’ of a deadline for approving proposed premiums in the state exchange – an online marketplace – set to roll out under the health reform law. The commissioner, Ralph Hudgens, cited ‘‘massive rate increases’’ in the insurers’ proposals […]
What To Say When Mom Or Dad Has Cancer
The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston offer emotional and practical support for families dealing with the disease.
Obama Administration Touts Slower Health Care Cost Increases
According to USA Today, personal health care costs rose at the slowest rate in the last 50 years, based on statistics for the past year ending in May.
Lawmakers’ Aides Fret Over Requirement To Buy Obamacare Coverage
The New York Times explores how congressional staffs are anxious about a health law provision requiring them to buy coverage in online insurance markets because the federal government may no longer pay a share of their premiums. Meanwhile, The Hill reports on a request to audit Enroll America, a nonprofit that is encouraging people to enroll in new coverage. CQ Healthbeat looks at how the law’s definition of a full-time employee is affecting some businesses.
Uninsured People In Rural Areas Could Benefit Big Under The Health Law
MedPage Today reports on how rural residents could gain as a result of the overhaul, while other news outlets offer reports from a variety of states regarding the health law’s implementation.
Vote To Defund Health Law On Congress’ To-Do List Before August Break
The vote, which will mark the House of Representatives’ 40th effort to undo all or part of the health law, is scheduled for Friday afternoon. This time around, the effort is causing friction within the Republican caucus. Meanwhile, budget issues are gaining attention in the Senate.
State Highlights: Mandatory Treatment For Mental Illness Working In N.Y.
A selection of health policy stories from Montana, New York, Oregon, California, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
HHS Inspector General Raises Concerns About Medicare Policy On Observation Care
The report also finds that policies on admitting patients or keeping them under observation — a distinction that can have dramatic financial impact on the patients — varies substantially among hospitals.
Task Force Recommends Annual CT Scans For High-Risk Smokers
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that high-risk current and former smokers get an annual CT scan to look for cancer. If the draft recommendation becomes final, insurers will likely have to cover the scan at no co-pay cost to consumers.