Latest KFF Health News Stories
Swapping COBRA For Obamacare Likely To Be Windfall For Big Business
Experts expect people who are between jobs to gradually transfer to exchanges, a trend projected to save large employers billions in medical claims for ex-employees.
How Will Obamacare Affect Workers And Their Health Coverage?
KHN’s Jay Hancock was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday morning taking questions about how the health law will affect the health insurance coverage workers get from their employers and what they need to know. See related stories: FAQ: How Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Is Changing KHN reporters will be returning to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal each Monday […]
Missouri, Illinois Health Insurance Exchanges Gear Up Quietly
In Missouri, a decidedly low-profile campaign stems from a voter referendum last year barring the governor from moving forward on an exchange. In Illinois, officials partnered with the federal government to build the marketplace. Nonetheless, neither exchange has given any cost information to consumers.
What Consumers Really Want From An Obamacare Plan
When consultants ran simulations of the exchanges that open for enrollment Oct. 1, they found that price was a major consideration. But so were hospital networks — more so than retaining doctors.
Budget Battle Flashpoints Highlight Debt And Health Law Issues
News outlets report on what could happen in the next eight days as congressional leaders and the White House posture around the looming government shutdown.
Why A Gov’t Shutdown Won’t Stop The Health Law’s Implementation
News outlets report that government officials involved in the launch of the health law’s online insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1 say they expect to have access to funding even if the federal government stops operating.
The Health Law: Asking Questions And Getting Answers
News outlets detail some frequently asked health law questions and also note some of the places people will turn to find out how the overhaul will work.
New Study Finds The Tally For Medical Mistakes Much Higher Than Previous Estimates
Pro Publica reports that the study, which was published in the Journal of Patient Safety, estimates the number of patients who die after suffering some type of preventable error related to their care.
New Ad Campaigns Compete Over Obamacare Enrollment
The Obama administration and its opponents in implementing the health law are readying ad campaigns aimed at getting people to sign up for or stay away from new online health insurance exchanges that open Oct. 1. Many of the ads are airing in swing states, but they are also aimed at the young and uninsured in California and Texas who are uninsured in the largest numbers.
Health Law Divide Opens Among GOP Presidential Hopefuls
Obamacare is dividing the GOP in the race for that party’s 2016 presidential nomination and playing a pivotal role in a House special election in Alabama.
Lobbyists, Including Restaurant Owners, Looking To Make Changes In Health Law
The efforts, some from strident opponents of the law, suggests they may now believe that they have to learn to live with the measure, The Washington Post reports. Also, Politico examines how President Barack Obama came to embrace the notion of changing health care.
Exchange Dynamics Will Dictate Consumers’ Experiences, Costs
Health law advocates frequently say health insurance will cost less as a result of the health law, but news outlets report that a downside could be less choice.
Kan. Medicaid Debate May Resume Next Year As Feds Emphasize Flexibility
Kansas lawmakers may return to the question next year of whether to expand Medicaid. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the federal government welcomes state experimentation with how health coverage to the poor is provided.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
First Edition: September 23, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about what could happen on Capitol Hill this week as the count down to a government shut down continues.
A Reader Asks: How Can We Be Sure To Get A Policy That Covers Maternity Care?
Currently many plans sold on the individual market do not provide maternity coverage. But that will change under the health law.
Views On Obamacare Closely Track Party Preference In Washington State
In Washington state, 80 percent of Democrats surveyed approve of the Affordable Care Act while 80 percent of Republicans don’t, according to an Elway Poll conducted on behalf of The Seattle Times.
FAQ: Seniors On Medicare Don’t Need To Apply To The Health Law Marketplaces
The online exchanges that open Oct. 1 are not aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, but the 2010 health law does affect seniors in other ways.
Senate Republicans Split Over ‘Defunding Obamacare’ Strategy, Dems Defend Law
On the Sunday talk shows, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pounded the law and said he has a new strategy to support the House bill, passed Friday.
Report Looks At Income Disparities For Seniors On Medicare
Lawmakers considering major changes to entitlement programs as part of a deficit reduction package might want to consider this: Future Medicare recipients won’t be much better off financially than current beneficiaries, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation. In measures of income, savings and home equity, the current disparities that now exist between […]