Latest KFF Health News Stories
State Highlights: Kaiser Permanente Agrees To $4 Million Fine
A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, the District of Columbia, North Carolina and Georgia.
Utah Gov. Announces ‘Conceptual’ Deal With Feds On Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Gary Herbert, after meeting with HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, says state and federal officials are nearing a final agreement on Utah’s alternative proposal for expanding Medicaid.
Health Law May Be Reducing Pressure On Some ERs
The Affordable Care Act is relieving financial pressures on some hospitals by reducing unpaid emergency room bills and may also be curbing the growth of such visits, CBS News reports. Meanwhile, Alcoa joins IBM and Time Warner in shifting white-collar retirees to a private insurance exchange, and nonprofit religious employers say they will continue lawsuits against the law’s contraception coverage requirement.
New WSJ/NBC Poll Finds Voters Have Doubts About The Health Law
As the November election approaches, the number of voters who think the overhaul is a bad idea outnumbers those who think it is good.
Viewpoints: Medicaid And Assets; A Surprising Look At Narrow Networks
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
First Edition: September 10, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll findings regarding how Americans feel about Obamacare.
HHS Chief Pledges Better Insurance Website
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in her first major speech Monday that she would work with members of both parties to improve healthcare.gov, the government website used by millions of people to sign up for coverage.
Groups Get $60 Million To Hire Health Insurance Navigators
The money will be used to hire and train people to help consumers in 34 states which rely on the federal government for their Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges, where individuals can buy health coverage.
Young Adults Use ER Less Often After Health Law Allowed Them To Stay On Parents’ Plans
That conclusion is from one study of the expanded coverage. Another study finds young adults don’t see themselves as healthier and many still find health care expensive.
New VA Director Details Plan For Fixing Health System
His to-do list includes streamlining the bureaucracy and simplifying the process by which veterans receive care.
Feds Allege Spinal Surgery Kickback Scheme
During a secretly recorded meeting, McClatchy News reports that a salesman for Reliance Medical Systems promised spinal surgeons that within a month or two of joining the company’s program, they could collect enough money to pay for their kids’ college educations. Meanwhile, The Oregonian reports the FBI is probing a body donation program run by Legacy Health in Portland.
DEA Announces That Unused Prescription Pills Can Be Returned To Pharmacies
Seeking to combat growing drug abuse problems, federal authorities will allow patients and their relatives to take excess pills, such as opioid painkillers, to hospitals, clinics and pharmacies or to mail them to authorized sites.
Viewpoints: Health Law Is Not Affordable; Narrow Doctor Networks May Not Sacrifice Quality
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
With Lawmakers Blocking Medicaid Expansion, Va. Governor Scales Back Plan
Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, announced that as many as 25,000 Virginians would gain access to health coverage under his plan — a fraction of the 400,000 who might have done so under the Medicaid expansion opposed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
State Highlights: Officials Say Medi-Cal Autism Coverage Still Taking Shape
A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Michigan and Florida.
State, Congressional Candidates Go On The Record With Health Policy Issues
The physician who is campaigning to become Kansas’s Lieutenant Governor talks health care payment models while candidates in Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut take on policies ranging from over-the-counter birth control to the interaction between the health law and Medicare.
First Edition: September 9, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s scaled-back plan to expand health coverage within his state after efforts to pursue the health law’s Medicaid expansion were blocked.
Little Noticed Financial Gauge Getting Attention
A quarterly report from the Commerce Department now is watched closely as an indicator of health care spending, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Two Months And Counting: Concerns Turn To Enrollment Outreach, Marketplace Readiness
As the health law’s open enrollment period nears, challenges include getting the message out to people who may qualify for new coverage and making sure the online insurance marketplaces are functioning.
Democrats Look For State Gains To Help Positions On Medicaid, Health Law
Even if Democrats lose seats on Capitol Hill, they believe they can make inroads in state offices that will help them expand Medicaid and extend the health care law. Also, Politico Pro reports that more GOP-led states are considering Medicaid expansion.
