Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Advantage Cuts Pose Political Threat
The cuts to Medicare Advantage, expected to be included in planned 2015 payments to be unveiled Monday, end what proponents call a windfall to insurers. But they have drawn protests not just from insurers but from Democrats who fear the GOP will use them as political fodder in the midterm elections.
State Highlights: ‘Balance Billing’ Protection In N.Y.; L.A. Nursing Home Complaint Backlog
A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, Hawaii and Georgia.
Medicaid Enrollment Increases By 3 Million Since Health Law Enrollment Began
The number is not yet complete because some states have not reported their numbers and it doesn’t include March sign-ups.
Viewpoints: Despite Enrollment Success, Health Law Has Internal Problems; Burdens For Both Parties
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about the next round of health law challenges the Obama administration faces as well as the new Medicare Advantage rates scheduled to be announced today.
Dems Tout 7 Million Obamacare Enrollees As Republicans Strategize For Fall Election
The parties are wrestling with how to build on – or tear down – the success of the recent enrollment numbers.
Report Estimates Number Of Previously Uninsured People Who Gained Coverage: 5.4 Million
According to an Urban Institute study, consumers who obtained insurance through the federal and state online insurance marketplaces were not simply swapping out other insurance.
Casting Doubt On The Employer Mandate’s Future
Recent comments made by Obama administration allies triggered assurances from White House spokesman Jay Carney that the health law’s employer mandate would be phased in beginning next year.
Buying Health Insurance No Longer A Year-Round Option
The Associated Press reports that those who purchase coverage directly from insurers must do it within open enrollment periods, unless they experience a life-changing event such as a move or a job change. Meanwhile, the Obama administration says that April 15 will be the last date for most people to enroll in private plans through the federal exchange serving 36 states. And the Washington Post’s fact checker looks at the Congressional Budget Office’s enrollment projections.
News outlets provide updates, analyses and post-mortems from California, Maryland and Minnesota.
Docs, Hospitals ‘Wade Into World Of Social Services’
This pair of stories takes a look at a program that seeks to provide services beyond medical care to help improve people’s well-being.
State Exchange Officials Air Difficulties, Lessons During Capitol Hill Hearing
A House panel heard testimony from officials from five states — Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Oregon — that faced problems during the health law’s open enrollment period and from California, which has had success.
More Young Workers Decline Employer Health Coverage
Despite the mandate that most Americans carry health insurance or pay a penalty, young workers employed by large companies signed up for job-based health plans at a lower rate than last year, according to a report by payroll services company Automatic Data Processing Inc. Meanwhile, Connecticut gets another insurer, and employers continue to shift health care costs to their workers.
18 Dems Join House GOP On Bill To Change Law’s Definition Of Full Time
The legislation is bolstered by Republican charges that employers are cutting part-time workers’ hours so that they don’t have to provide insurance to those workers.
Viewpoints: Debate Rolls On About Enrollment Numbers; Ryan’s Plan ‘Squeezes Seniors’
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Research Roundup: Mental Health Parity; Nurses’ Workload; Can Restaurants Reduce Portion Size?
This week’s studies come from Health Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, George Washington University, The Urban Institute, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Kaiser Family Foundation.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a Capitol Hill hearing in which state exchange officials discussed the difficulties they faced with the operation of their online insurance marketplaces.
Open Enrollment Is Over — What’s Ahead For The Health Law Now?
News outlets are beginning to focus on the next set of implementation chores, as well as the ways in which the law will impact the health care marketplace.
Obama Administration Points To Official End — April 15 — For Enrollment Extension
The Wall Street Journal reports that this cut off will apply to the hundreds of thousands of people who started signing up for insurance on the federal health exchange but got held up during their last-minute shopping. Also in the news, the latest from California and Georgia in terms of deadlines and enrollment efforts.
Ryan Budget Plan Stirs Opposition On Both Sides Of The Aisle
The proposal from House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would cut $5 trillion over the next decade by repealing the Affordable Care Act and making sharp cuts to health care programs for the middle class and the poor. Democrats are incorporating the proposal into their midterm campaign strategy, while some Republicans, angered by the House leadership’s handling of the ‘doc fix’ vote, are also expressing doubts.
