Latest KFF Health News Stories
Federal And State Officials Make Final Push For Enrollment Before Sunday Deadline
Once the enrollment period ends, most uninsured people will not be able to sign up for private insurance until 2016 and will face a tax penalty for not having it this year.
First Edition: February 13, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: ‘Despair’ Among Law’s Advocates; Chamber Is Quiet On High Court Review
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: ‘Back-Door’ To Single-Payer; Predicting Cancer Survival; Paying For HIV Drugs
Each week, KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
A selection of health policy stories New York, Texas, Connecticut, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, North Carolina and Florida.
Survey: More Calif. Low-Income Patients Give Their Health Care High Marks
Fifty-three percent of Medi-Cal and other low-income patients rated their care as excellent or very good — a finding, according to a report by the Blue Shield of California Association, that reflects system changes since the health law took effect.
Vaccine Debate, Strategies Fueled By Continuing Concern About Measles Exposures
Some say outreach efforts should take a calmer tone, while the National Vaccine Advisory Committee recommends that physicians be compensated for discussing and counseling parents about the importance of getting their children vaccinated.
Rite Aid Spends $2B To Acquire Pharmacy Benefits Manager
Meanwhile, WellCare earnings report indicates that the severe flu season has taken its toll on profits.
AstraZeneca Agrees To $7.9 Million Settlement In Federal Kickback Case
The pharmaceutical company agreed to pay the federal government to settle allegations that the drug manufacturer and distributor engaged in a kickback scheme to boost sales of one of its popular heartburn medications.
Security Experts Warn 2015 Could Be The Year Of Health Care Hacking
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, lawmakers offered a proposal in response to the recent Anthem data breach that would require health insurers in the state to encrypt client information.
Report: VA System At ‘High Risk’ For Fraud, Mismanagement
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office flagged the Department of Veterans Affairs as especially vulnerable to abuse, singling out veterans’ waits for health care and inadequate IT systems.
President Obama To Sign Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Measure
In other Capitol Hill legislative news, a lobbying push by the mobile health industry is finding traction; Senate Democrats are advancing efforts to stop e-cigarette marketing to children and two Senate Republicans are holdouts in co-sponsoring a measure by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to repeal the health law.
CBO Says Deficit Will Fall Again This Year, Then Start To Widen With Higher Medicare Spending
Meanwhile, a fight between the White House and GOP lawmakers is brewing over a budget issue related to spending on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program. Without congressional intervention, the program will run out of funds in late 2016.
Obama, Staples Quibble Over Health Law Employment Issue
In an interview with BuzzFeed, the president criticized the office supply company after a news article suggested some of its hiring is based on concerns about the health law’s mandates for insuring workers. But the company later said that the story was incorrect.
Conservative Lobbying Group Works To Block Medicaid Expansion In GOP-Controlled States
Modern Healthcare reports that, even as expansion in some of these red states is possible, an organization funded by the Koch brothers is stepping up its billion-dollar game to stop further expansions. Meanwhile, news outlets from Ohio and Kansas report on in-state dynamics related to expansion plans and debates.
Obamacare Sign-Ups For 2015 Expected To Top 10 Million
With the deadline Sunday, the pace of sign-ups accelerated across the country, with particularly strong interest in the South, and officials said they expected the final tally to surpass last year’s numbers.
Questions Continue About Plaintiffs In Pending Supreme Court Health Law Challenge
The questions have to do with whether plaintiffs in King. v. Burwell have standing in the lawsuit and have created a new level of uncertainty about the case.
First Edition: February 12, 2015
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: GOP Can’t Fight Moral Imperative For Health Law; The Absurd Battle Against E-Cigs
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories Kansas, North Dakota, California, Virginia, Connecticut, Texas, Colorado, Iowa and North Carolina.
