Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Costs Inch Up As Coverage Expands
According to the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Services Survey, total revenue at health care and social-assistance firms rose 3 percent in the second quarter of the year. But analysts described the increase as modest.
Viewpoints: Ebola Takes Us To ‘Uncharted Waters’; The Failure Of Workplace ‘Wellness’ Programs
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Prevention Services For Seniors; Drug Shortages
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
First Edition: September 12, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about various health law political and policy developments.
Employer Health Coverage Costs Show Modest Growth, But Worker Out-Of-Pocket Expenses Jump
The findings, based on a poll of employers conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust, also note that the availability of employer-sponsored health coverage was holding steady.
Officials Vow ‘Improvement, But Not Perfection’ For Healthcare.gov
Two months before the beginning of the next open enrollment period for government-subsidized health insurance, administration officials promised smoother operation of the website used by millions of people to sign up for coverage.
Missouri Sets 72-Hour Wait For Women Seeking Abortions
The Republican-controlled legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto to enact one of the most stringent waiting periods in the nation that includes no exception for cases of rape or incest.
A selection of health policy stories from Iowa, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, California and Montana.
OTC Contraceptive Issue Stirs Political, Policy Discord
Some GOP candidates continue to embrace this concept, as do some medical organizations, but certain women’s health advocates see it as a charged issue that could cause women to pay more for birth control and put their health at risk.
Data Miners Know What’s In Your Medicine Cabinet
Bloomberg reports on how data aggregators are piecing together Americans’ medical histories.
What Cancer Patients Want May Not Be Covered By Medicare
Patients and their caregivers want options such as home-based long term care and palliative care delivered alongside treatment — options that Medicare may not define as “reasonable and necessary,” according to a Duke University study.
Viewpoints: Conservative Alternative To Health Law Critiqued; Rare Slowdown In Premium Costs
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Utah Lawmakers Eager To See Details Of Medicaid Expansion Deal Governor Is Negotiating
Gov. Gary Herbert is seeking to get a work requirement as part of the deal for expanding Medicaid to the state’s low-income residents, but it’s not yet clear what federal officials are willing to approve.
Longer Looks: Drug Withdrawal, Accessing Your Doctor’s Notes; ‘Good’ Abortions?
Each week KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
First Edition: September 11, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new study regarding employer health coverage and costs.
Obamacare Has Not Cut Uninsured Rate For Kids
The children’s uninsured rate hardly budged in the first year of the health law’s expansion of coverage, even as the rate for adults dropped four percentage points, according to reports from the Urban Institute and Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families.
Some Calif. Consumers Who Bought Exchange Plans Are Being Dropped Or Transferred To Medicaid
The shifts, which often happen without warning, come as the state works to verify incomes and make sure consumers are in appropriate health plans, the Associated Press reports
Justice Dept. Sues Spinal Surgeon For Alleged Medicare Fraud
The lawsuit alleges that the surgeon and the operators of a network of doctor-owned implant distributorships defrauded millions of dollars from Medicare.
Senate Panel Hears Testimony From VA Inspector General
During a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Inspector General Richard J. Griffin said administrators at 13 VA health facilities lied during the investigation of waiting list issues and other improprieties.
Private Managed Care Companies Lose Money Under KanCare
Medicaid news from Kansas, North Carolina and Louisiana.
