Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: ‘Tyranny’ Over Insurers; Obama’s Promises; Rep. Franks’s Abortion Claim
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
End-Of-Life Care: Study Finds Quality Improving But Costs Increasing
A brief by the Dartmouth Institute finds that Medicare spending for chronically ill patients at the end of life went up more than 15 percent from 2007 to 2010.
Accenture: Boom Ahead For Retail Health Clinics
According to the consulting firm Accenture, the number of retail clinics will likely double by the end of 2015 — a trend fueled by the demand for care by consumers who will become insured under the health law. Meanwhile, the Fiscal Times examines why some physicians are choosing not to accept any health insurance.
House Lawmakers Closer On Medicare Pay Overhaul, Medicaid Pay Increase
House lawmakers move closer to proposing a plan to overhaul how Medicare pays doctors and wonder how they can increase doctors’ Medicaid pay — typically the purview of states.
Judge OKs Administration Plan On ‘Morning After’ Pill
A federal judge Wednesday accepted the Obama administration’s plan to make the Plan B One-Step “morning after” pill available over the counter to buyers of all ages, winding down a decade-long fight on the pill.
Elsewhere, some groups are pushing back against a plan to push mental health records into a national gun background-check database.
Ariz. Gov. Claims A Win As House Approves Medicaid Expansion Plan
The Arizona House early Thursday passed an $8.8 billion state budget that includes a proposal to pursue the health law’s Medicaid expansion. News outlets also report on related action in Ohio and Michigan.
Nonsurgical Abortions To Resume In Wis. As Lawmakers There Pass Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Bill
In Wisconsin, a judge’s ruling is allowing nonsurgical abortions there to resume. In the state Senate, lawmakers passed a bill requiring women get an ultrasound before they get an abortion.
A selection of health policy stories from California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nevada and Oregon.
Britain’s National Health Service Visits D.C. For Some Pointers
A discussion on how to improve the British system turned up buzzwords reminiscent of the U.S. health reform debate: integrated health care, patient-centered services, cutting costs.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how employers are preparing for some parts of the health law to kick in.
How Does The Health Law Affect Premiums For Smokers?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about how the health law affects insurance for smokers and programs to help them quit.
Crunch Time For States Still On Fence About Medicaid Expansion
As states’ legislative sessions draw to a close, some lawmakers are pressing for action. Meanwhile, media outlets track updates in Michigan, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Colorado, Ohio and Alabama.
Early Signs That ACOs Are Boosting Care, Saving Money
Bloomberg reports that hospitals across the U.S. are improving care and saving millions by creating accountable care organizations, one of the least-touted provisions of the health care law. In other news, Politico reports on a town hall meeting on the health law in Baltimore. Also, the Wall Street Journal details the steps one company is taking in anticipation of the 2014 coverage mandate.
House Panel To Investigate Alleged IRS Seizure Of Medical Records
The House Energy and Commerce Committee contacted the Internal Revenue Service Tuesday to request information about a 2011 search and seizure of as many as 60 million medical records from a California health care provider.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Wis. Lawmakers Poised To OK Bill That Will Require Ultrasound Before Abortion
Elsewhere, New York lawmakers consider nurse-patient staffing ratios, and North Carolina grapples with AIDS care and Medicaid funding.
Privacy, Medicaid Fraud Lawsuits Yield Settlements In Calif., N.Y.
Parties in health care court cases in California and New York reach settlements after privacy and Medicaid fraud lawsuits.
Calif. Budget Agreement Seeks Balance, But Leaves Off Some Health Care Items
A budget agreement in California between lawmakers and Governor Jerry Brown seeks to strike a balance between spending restraint and providing more health care for the needy, the Los Angeles Times reports. But the agreement lacks several health care line items lawmakers bandied about in recent weeks — including repeal of a 10 percent provider cut to Medi-Cal.
Questions Emerge As Dust Settles Surrounding Plan B Policy Change
News outlets offer day-after coverage of the Obama administration’s reversal on the morning-after contraceptive pill.