Latest KFF Health News Stories
Survey: Latino Groups Worry About Money For ACA Enrollment
The Obama administration is counting on Latinos to help make the Affordable Care Act a success, but there may be troubles ahead: Hispanic health centers and community organizations say they don’t have the funding or resources to carry out the complicated sign up process for the 10 million Latinos who will be eligible for new […]
Obama On Health Law: ‘Working The Way It’s Supposed To’
Video: In remarks at the White House Thursday the president touted lower-than-projected premiums that have been announced for health insurance marketplaces in several states.
Obama Says Health Law Is Saving Consumers Money
President uses speech to push back against critics, highlight law’s benefits to middle-class and working Americans.
House Votes To Delay Health Law’s Mandates
Despite White House veto threats, House lawmakers on Wednesday OK’d two separate bills amending portions of the Affordable Care Act, the latest GOP moves to scuttle the health law. A measure putting off the employer mandate was approved 264-161, while a bill delaying the individual mandate was passed 251-174.
Obama’s Thursday Speech To Tout Health Law Benefits
The president’s chief spokesman said the speech will focus on how the overhaul is helping keep health-insurance rates low and resulting in rebates to some Americans.
Funding For Native Americans’ Mental Health Services Hit Hard By Sequestration
Marketplace reports on how mental health services within Indian country are feeling a deep pinch as a result of sequestration.
State Highlights: D.C. Health Care Providers Continue Wait For Payments
A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Wisconsin, Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Michigan Senate Leader Says Medicaid Expansion Vote Could Come In August
Republican Randy Richardville says the debate will have to wait until a group of senators studying the issue submit their proposal.
Testing Requirements Could Delay Launch Of State Health Exchanges
Government officials said Wednesday during a Capitol Hill hearing that the Oct. 1 deadline may not allow enough time to test the systems that are being put in place to run these online insurance marketplaces.
Coverage Campaign: The White House Effort ‘To Sell’ The Health Law
The Washington Post details how the White House plans to sell the health law and to persuade young people to buy health insurance. Meanwhile, The Hill reports on how a public relations contract related to Obamacare is being boosted by $33 million.
Health Law Backers Hail N.Y. News That Insurance Rates Will Drop
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that premiums for health policies purchased by individuals in the state’s new online marketplace will fall on average 50 percent in 2014.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Small Business Owners Anxious About Health Law, Chamber Survey Finds
Small business owners are increasingly concerned about the law’s impact, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while Karen Ignagni of the nation’s biggest trade group of insurers says the nation’s focus must move to reducing the cost of health care.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the House vote to delay the health law’s mandates as well as advance coverage of President Barack Obama’s Thursday speech in which he touts the overhaul’s benefits.
Hospitals May Soon Be Reaching For The Stars
Medicare is considering assigning stars or other symbols to hospitals so that patients can compare quality more easily. Hospital groups are wary.
Tavenner Wasn’t Consulted On Delaying Health Law’s Employer Mandate
Marilyn Tavenner said at a House subcommittee meeting Wednesday that she was not consulted on the Obama administration’s decision to postpone a key part of the health law requiring employers offer health insurance plans to their workers. Tavenner, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said she was “made aware” that the Obama administration […]
House GOP Unconvinced Health Insurance Exchange Information Will Be Secure
Updated July 18, 10:40 a.m. With the NSA’s phone call monitoring and Edward Snowden on many minds, it’s not exactly a comfortable time for the government to roll out a massive computer project dealing with personal data like income, Social Security numbers and ethnicity. But Henry Chao, a lead technology information officer from the Centers for […]
At Hospitals You May Not Get What You Are Charged For
It’s well known that the listed charges hospitals set for surgeries and other procedures — recently spotlighted by Medicare — bear little resemblance to the actual prices most patients end up paying. An analysis by Castlight, a San Francisco company that helps employers and workers compare provider prices, also finds that the hospital charges bear little relationship to […]
House Slated To Take Another Run At Scrapping The Health Law
Republican leaders in the House have scheduled votes Wednesday on bills that would delay implementation of the overhaul’s employer and individual mandates. According to the Associated Press, these efforts mark the 38th time the GOP majority has tried to undo the law or major provisions.
The Associated Press reports that delaying the enforcement of the employer mandate may undermine the individual mandate, too, while the National Journal reports on a study weighing which of these provisioins has the most weight.