Latest KFF Health News Stories
UnitedHealthcare Tightens Controls On Coverage Of Hysterectomies
The nation’s largest insurer will require doctors to get prior approval for a high-tech version of this surgical procedure, which is one of the most frequently performed in the U.S. The changes result from recommendations from key medical societies that followed a series of investigative stories by the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, a leading House Republicans says he’s heard about a document detailing the Obama administration’s contingency plans if the Supreme Court rules against federal exchange subsidies. Such plans were also the subject of GOP questions for Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell during a House subcommittee hearing.
Utah Gov. Assails Legislature’s Refusal To Take Up His Medicaid Expansion Plan
Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, says he will continue to press for his plan. Also in the news, efforts in Kansas to expand Medicaid and the controversy in Minnesota about the state marketplace.
Study: Obamacare Premiums Could Triple If High Court Strikes Subsidies
The price of healthcare premiums on policies sold in the individual market could rise by an average 255 percent in the states that rely on the federal exchange if the Supreme Court decides in favor of the law’s challengers in King v. Burwell.
High Court Arguments Set For Wednesday — And The ACA’s Fate Could Hang In The Balance
News outlets analyze key aspects of the health law provision being challenged and highlight how the arguments in the case, King v. Burwell, could shape up.
First Edition: February 27, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: The Next Health Agenda, OxyContin And Shrinking Hospitals
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
State Highlights: Miss. Blazes Telemedicine Trail For Other States
A selection of health policy stories from Iowa, Mississippi, Minnesota, Maryland, Kansas, New Jersey, Delaware, Colorado, California, North Carolina and Vermont.
Providers Get More Time To Meet Electronic Records Deadline
Doctors and certain other providers got a three-week extension to attest they can “meaningfully use” their digital records systems. Meanwhile, tests show a new electronic billing system for health services is ready to implement even as doctors and hospitals push for more time.
What Ails You? New Tool Sheds Light On Health Care Prices
The website, named Guroo, lets consumers search for prices for 70 medical services across 41 states and the District of Columbia to help inform their decisions on where to seek health care.
Mass. Gov. Forces 4 Resignations From Health Connector Board
Among the resignations was that of Jonathan Gruber, the MIT economist and Obama administration health law adviser who became notorious for making statements about “the stupidity of the American voter.”
Americans Worried Over Obamacare Seek Professional Tax Help
News outlets also offer more details about Americans who are filing their taxes and finding out that they will have to repay the federal government a portion of the subsidies that helped them afford coverage. And Republicans in West Virginia are backing a proposal that would make it a crime to enforce Obamacare.
Utah Gov.’s Medicaid Expansion Plan Loses Momentum
Though the plan got the nod of the state Senate, the Republican House Speaker said the GOP-controlled House will not consider it because it doesn’t have enough support. News outlets also offer the latest Medicaid expansion news from Nebraska and Oregon.
More Than 1 Million Americans Switched Health Plans During Enrollment Season
Federal officials said Wednesday that this development came as a surprise. The finding was announced as part of new enrollment data, including the latest tally — 8.84 million — of people who selected or were automatically enrolled in coverage as of Feb. 22.
White House Crafts Health Law Arguments To Appeal To Conservative Justices
When the Supreme Court hears arguments in King v. Burwell, the Obama administration lawyers will highlight states’ rights issues in their attempts to draw support from key justices. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to examine the impact that the court’s ruling could have on the law’s future and the insurance marketplace.
First Edition: February 26, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Burwell Shifts Tone On Supreme Court Case; Need For New CMS Director
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from Pennsylvania, Texas, Delaware, Georgia, California, New Mexico and Iowa.
California Regulators Fault Kaiser Permanente For Mental Health Care Delays
Elsewhere, the New Mexico Senate approves a measure to require some state residents with severe mental health illnesses to receive court-ordered outpatient treatment, and an Iowa mental health hospital — tapped for closure by Gov. Terry Branstad — is under scrutiny after a patient tried to kill himself.
