Latest KFF Health News Stories
Texas Pilot Program Seeks To Coordinate Mental Health Care For Veterans
Elsewhere, the Veterans Affairs regional director who will temporarily oversee health care operations in the Southwest has a controversial record, reports the Arizona Republic.
Karen Rohan Named Aetna President
The promotion positions her as a possible successor to Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News takes a look at how employer-based wellness programs are under fire by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Health Insurance Increase Is Top Reason Many Americans Feel “Squeezed”
Also: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a look at how high-deductible plans affect doctors and then consumers.
Republicans Differ On Whether To Re-Appoint Elmendorf As CBO Chief
Other political fault lines continue to emerge among GOP leaders regarding issues such as Medicaid expansion. In addition, Jeb Bush, a possible Republican 2016 presidential candidate, offers the new congressional majority some advice on how to proceed with the Affordable Care Act.
CMS Proposes Delaying ACO Penalties An Extra Three Years
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is also soliciting views on alternative ways of figuring out whether an accountable care organization has saved Medicare money.
MNsure Officials Launch New Effort To Convince Uninsured People To Enroll
Also in the news, reports about health plan offerings in New Jersey, as well as outreach efforts in North Carolina.
Health Law Focus Turns To IRS’s Ability To Identify Those Without Insurance
Individuals will have to report their insurance status on their 2014 taxes. In other health law issues, news outlets examine which insurers are participating in the new marketplaces, efforts to enroll Hispanics, consumers’ difficulties paying for care and the impact of a Supreme Court decision.
U.S. Abortion Rates Drop To ‘Historic Lows’
The abortion rate in the United States has fallen by double digits over the last decade, with the greatest drop among teenagers, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On World AIDS Day, U.S. Progress Reports Are Mixed
For example, though diagnosis rates are down, these rates for certain demographics are going up. Also, of the 1.2 million Americans with HIV in 2011, just 40 percent said they were seeking medical care.
First Edition: December 2, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Democrats’ ‘Family Feud’ On Health Law; ‘TRAP Laws’ Threaten Abortion Rights
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Calif. Push For Immigrant Health Care; Costs and Hospital-Owned Doctor Practices
News outlets also examine health policy issues in Missouri, Wisconsin, New York and Florida.
Big GOP Gains Could Mean More Anti-Abortion Laws
Also, Colorado lawmakers ready their own birth control funding fight.
Supreme Court To Consider Case About Job Protections For Pregnant Women
Groups representing women, workers, employers and others will watch the case to see how the justices handle a company’s refusal to reassign a woman to light duty during her pregnancy.
GAO Questions Hospital Pricing Deals
The government watchdog questions whether hospitals are properly reporting revenue received from group purchasing organizations. Meanwhile, federal investigators, posing as consumers, investigated prices of a colonoscopy and a hernia repair. Often, they had trouble getting answers.
House GOP Lawsuit Highlights Little-Noticed Health Law Funding Provision
The measure offers financial assistance to help low- and moderate-income people reduce their co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.
Business CEOs Raise Objections To EEOC’s Handling Of Health Law’s Wellness Provisions
The dispute could undermine large businesses’ support for the health law, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that legal immigrants are having difficulty signing up for coverage on the insurance marketplaces and several outlets examine the administration’s efforts to increase enrollment.
Enrollment Begins For Healthy Pennsylvania — The State’s Effort At Medicaid Expansion
News outlets also report on expansion efforts in Arizona and Wyoming.
Insurer Competition In Many Counties Drives Down Premiums
In Minnesota, meanwhile, Republicans who won control of the state House are looking for ways to challenge the health law there but will face checks from the Democrat-controlled state Senate and executive. And in California, insurance agents who signed people up for coverage wait to be paid.
Slow Start, Scant Interest In Small Business Exchanges
Participation in the government insurance exchanges designed for small businesses has been minimal so far and at least in Missouri, one reason may be the scant offerings, reports The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
