Latest KFF Health News Stories
Utah’s Medicaid Expansion Decision On Hold
Medicaid news from Utah and Ohio.
Research Roundup: Moving Kids Onto Medicaid; Competitive Markets
Studies this week come from JAMA Surgery, JAMA Psychiatry, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, The Urban Institute, the Heritage Foundation, The Kaiser Family Foundation, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the Commonwealth Fund, the Annals of Internal Medicine, The Heritage Foundation and news outlets.
Despite Additional Dollars, Texas Doc Shortage Is Hard to Fix
The medical community is concerned the state’s plans to produce more physicians to treat a surging population are insufficient.
First Edition: August 23, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, inlcuding reports on what’s becoming of the potential for a deficit deal, as well as the political posturing related to House GOP efforts to block health law funding even if it means shutting down the government.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature that details readers responses to recent KHN stories.
Brokers Associated With More, Cheaper Health Coverage, Study Says
Health insurance agents, feeling threatened by the Affordable Care Act, will welcome research from the University of Minnesota that supports their longstanding argument that agents and brokers make insurance shopping easier and cheaper. A new paper by economist Pinar Karaca-Mandic and colleagues finds that small employers were more likely to offer medical coverage in markets with many brokers […]
UVA, UPS To Stop Health Benefits For Some Workers’ Spouses
While the university cited costs, UPS noted that, because the overhaul will require most employers to provide insurance, spouses should be able to gain coverage from their own workplaces.
Political Hijinx Surround Gov’t. Shutdown Threat, Push To Defund Health Law
News outlets report on the possible mid-term election impact of the GOP push to shut down the government if the health law receives funding.
Birth Control Mandate Could Cause Health Law’s Speedy Supreme Court Return
The Hill reports that experts say the high court will consider this controversial policy as early as the next term.
Rate Of Circumcisions Falls 6 Percentage Points, Study Finds
The analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics shows the rate dropping from 64 percent to 58 percent over 32 years.
Report Finds Number Of Doctors Accepting Medicare Patients Is Up
In other news, Sen. Max Baucus took Medicare’s top administrator to Montana to meet people stricken by illness from an old mine who are now eligible for benefits.
Viewpoints: Health Spending Driving U.S. Recovery; Time To Get Rid Of The Insurance Middle Man
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Cost and coverage implications of the health law continue to draw headlines.
Enrollment In Exchanges Key To Health Law Success
Politico notes that enrollment in online marketplaces in California, Florida and Texas will have an outsized impact on whether the Obama administration achieves its nationwide goals for expanding coverage. Other outlets report how states will market the new insurance plans and how some Americans are confused by health insurance generally and Obamacare in particular.
State Highlights: Health Plan Settles With D.C. Over Payments
A selection of health policy stories from the District of Columbia, Georgia, California, New York, Montana, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Longer Looks: Gunshot Season For Surgeons; Hispanic Teen Suicide
This week’s articles come from the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Al Jazeera America and The Atlantic.
First Edition: August 22, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how summer politics are shaking out around the health law’s implementation.
States Use Out-Of-The-Box Approaches To Raise Awareness Of Health Exchanges
In the 16 states and the District of Columbia that have opted to run their own online health insurance marketplaces, catchy jingles, ad campaigns and cartoon characters are among the tools being used to make sure residents know the exchanges will be open for business Oct. 1.
Heritage Action Kicks Off Its ‘Defunding’ Tour
Heritage Action’s push, which is being called the “last, best chance” to block the health law, features a bleak assessment of Republican Party’s willingness to fight the measure. Meanwhile, at this summer’s town hall meetings, it appears that neither the law’s advocates nor opponents are safe. Also in the headlines, a new ad is released by Crossroads GPS targeting the employer mandate.
Survey: Premium Costs Increase Slightly But Wages Don’t Keep Pace
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey concluded that, for the second year in a row, employer-provided insurance costs went up only moderately in 2012. But employee wages still didn’t keep up.