Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hacker Breaches Healthcare.gov But Steals No Data
A hacker broke into part of the government insurance enrollment website in July and uploaded malware, federal officials say. The intrusion was discovered last week by a government security team who said that no personal information was taken and that they boosted the site’s security.
D.C. Appeals Court To Rehear Obamacare Subsidy Challenge
In what could be good news for the Obama administration, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has agreed to rehear a lawsuit that argued the federal government lacks the authority to provide insurance subsidies in states that do not run their own exchanges. The order to hear the case technically cancels the three-judge ruling from July that would have nullified subsidies given to residents in 36 states.
Alaska VA Clinic Without Doctors
Three doctors that practiced at a clinic in Wasilla decided to not renew their contracts. In the meantime, some former employees at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center say they were told to falsify records on follow-up care.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Average Exchange Premiums Show Slight Decline In 2015: Report
Insurance filings in 16 major cities for benchmark “silver” plans sold on the online marketplaces show premiums will decline by less than 1 percent, the report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found.
N.H. Democrats Hammer GOP Candidate Scott Brown On Medicare Cuts
In the meantime, GOP Senate candidates in Colorado and North Carolina push over-the-counter contraception to appeal to female voters.
Cover Oregon Moves To Keep Exchange Semi-Independent
The state’s governor favors allowing state agencies take it over. Also in the news, updates on health exchanges and Medicaid expansion efforts from Wisconsin, Washington and Pennsylvania.
State Highlights: Democrats Consider Letting States Curb Health Costs
A selection of health policy stories from Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Virginia, Colorado, Georgia, California, Florida, Iowa and Connecticut.
Research Roundup: Doctors’ Training; Expanding FEHBP; The ACA And Part-Time Work
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
First Edition: September 5, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports of hacker activity at the healthcare.gov health insurance website.
Health Care Spending Projected To Grow Modestly
Government actuaries expect that U.S. health spending will increase over the next decade as a result of an aging population, a rebounding economy and the health law’s expanded insurance coverage, but the growth rates will be lower than those seen for most of the last two decades.
Small Business Exchange To Get Soft Launch In 5 States
Federal officials will give small businesses in five states an early chance to try out the delayed health insurance exchange for their employees to fix any glitches before the site goes live nationally. Meanwhile, Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton calls the MNsure rollout his “biggest disappointment,” and the Covered Oregon board votes on a new course.
State Highlights: Texas Abortion Clinic To Reopen After Ruling; Maine Medicaid Cuts
A selection of health policy stories from Texas, Maine, California, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Louisiana.
Women’s Health Issues Key In Colorado Senate Race
News outlets examine how contraception issues and the health law are playing in the Colorado and Kentucky Senate races.
Health Care Data Emerging As New Way To Profit
Venture capital funders are eyeing health care technology firms that gather and analyze health data as a reliable pathway to profits.
Viewpoints: Rove Renews Attack On Health Law; Calif. ‘Vaccination Crisis’
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
New Cancer Drug Renews Debate About Costs
The drug Opdivo, which went on sale in Japan this week, costs an average of $143,000 per patient, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Longer Looks: Alzheimer’s And A Marriage; Racism In Medicine; Abortion Restrictions In Texas
Each week KHN’s Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web, including Vox, Aeon Magazine, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard and FiveThirtyEight.
First Edition: September 4, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new government report that predicts a rebound in national health spending.
Insurers, Exchanges Gird For Next Open Enrollment
Officials say they are expecting glitches, but most do not expect the crippling technical problems that afflicted last year’s open enrollment period.
