Latest KFF Health News Stories
Turmoil at VA Continues As Two More Senior Officials Resign
Robert Jesse, acting undersecretary for health, and Will Gunn, the department’s general counsel, will be leaving their positions at the troubled agency.
Study Proposes Moving Open Enrollment Season
Researchers suggest consumers are not willing to spend money on insurance in the busy fall season as they plan for the holidays, so sign-ups in the spring after tax returns are received might be better. Also, a look at consumers’ reluctance to shop for insurance.
Va. GOP Lawmakers Detail Strategy To Counter Efforts To Expand Medicaid
Republicans in the state House announce that they’ve retained former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, who produced a report saying the governor does not have the authority in Virginia to expand Medicaid without legislative approval.
Lower Health Spending Contributes To Downturn In GDP
The revision by the Commerce Department finds that health spending was substantially below expectations for the first quarter and subtracted 0.16 of a percentage point from the nation’s growth rate.
Viewpoints: Obamacare And GDP; Involving Judiciary In Political Disputes
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Women Caregivers Giving Up Careers; ‘Buyers Club’ Laws
This week’s articles come from The New York Times, The Morning Consult, Modern Healthcare, KQED, Health Affairs and The Visalia Times-Delta.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the effects of lower health spending on the economy.
Poll: 5 Percent of 2013 Uninsured Now Have Coverage
The Gallup survey pegged the uninsured rate at 13 percent. Meanwhile, in exchange news, The Denver Post notes increased sign-ups, and Oregon works to retain workers for its troubled marketplace.
Some Insurers Propose 2015 Rate Increases For Exchange Plans
News outlets report on proposed 2015 premium increases in D.C. and Colorado, looking at how these rates compare nationally and how consumers are reacting.
House Approves Trauma Care Programs, Newborn Screening Changes
Meanwhile, lawmakers also are attempting to craft a deal related to two mental health bills pending in the House of Representatives.
Exchange Plans Attract Sicker Consumers
An analysis of early medical claims shows that Americans enrolled in the health law’s exchange plans have higher rates of serious health problems, according to The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that some small employers buying coverage for their workers are struggling with costs and logistics.
Study Predicts Increase In Health Care Spending In 2015
The report by PricewaterhouseCoopers says some of the increase is due to pent-up demand among consumers who delayed treatment during the recession.
Viewpoints: Paying For Expensive Drugs; Supreme Court Deliberations
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Lawmakers Begin Work On Vets’ Health Bill Compromise
The two chambers passed different versions of the measure, which would allow veterans to seek care outside of the veterans’ system if they faced long waits at a VA facility.
Partners, Mass. Deal Clears Way For Expansion
The deal, part of an agreement to allow Partners HealthCare System to acquire South Shore Hospital, would resolve an antitrust investigation and require Partners to pay for both an investigation into its practices and a court-appointed monitor.
A selection of health policy stories from California, New York, the District of Columbia, Montana and Missouri.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a report about a recent analysis that finds new health plan enrollees are showing high rates of serious health conditions.
Blistering Review Criticizes VA For Downplaying Whistleblower Reports Of Deficient Patient Care
Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Monday letter to President Barack Obama, noting that the agency failed to acknowledge allegations of poor patient care made by its own employees.
Virginia House Obstructs Governor’s Effort To Expand Medicaid
Virginia’s Republican House Speaker William J. Howell killed a line item veto from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe that would have allowed the governor to use federal funds to expand the low income health care program. In other state health law implementation news, data about health law premium costs is emerging in Colorado.
Where You Go When You Survive But Don’t Recover
The number of critically ill patients in the nation’s long-term acute care hospitals has more than tripled in the past decade to 380,000, many of them sustained by respirators and feeding tubes, reports The New York Times. Meanwhile, MinnPost examines services for rural seniors who live at home.
