Latest KFF Health News Stories
Manchin Says Health Law Could Be Heading Toward ‘Meltdown’
West Virginia Democrat says that coverage is more expensive and not as comprehensive as people expected and could turn public opinion against it. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn says GOP should start talking about solutions.
President: ‘Screwed Up’ Healthcare.gov But Notes ‘More Than A Million’ New Insured
In his news conference today, President Barack Obama said that the launch of the insurance website was his biggest mistake of the year.
People With Canceled Plans Exempted From Insurance Mandate
In addition, the administration said Thursday that those with canceled plans will be able to buy bare-bones catastrophic plans, regardless of their age, under a hardship exemption.
500,000 With Canceled Health Plans Still Lack Coverage
An estimated 500,000 people who received cancellation notices have not yet signed up for new coverage, administration officials said Thursday. That’s far fewer than the millions that health law critics said would lack insurance after their old policies were terminated because they didn’t meet new standards under the health law.
Get Ready To Pay More For Health Coverage, But It May Not Be Just Health Law’s Fault
Although many blame the health law for all recent health care cost increases, trends that bump up the cost of care were in place before the law was enacted and are being driven up even more by routine costs, some say.
Obama’s Aides Stay On Despite Exhaustion, Health Law Woes
President Obama’s aides are largely staying attached to his administration to help bolster the president’s approval ratings amid the health law’s considerable problems. In the meantime, the law’s proponents are pushing new ways of selling the law.
Report: Examine High-Billing Docs’ Medicare Billing To Root Out Fraud
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general to be released Friday will call for closer scrutiny of doctors’ total billing in an effort to save Medicare millions. Elsewhere, ProPublica looks at fraud in Medicare’s drug plan.
Medicaid Expansion Plans In Pa., Wis. Under Scrutiny
Pennsylvania advocates challenge the penalties and premium costs in Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed Medicaid expansion plan. Meanwhile, more than 70,000 low-income Wisconsin adults would keep their state BadgerCare Plus coverage for three months and a larger and poorer group would wait the same 90 days to enter the program under a GOP plan expected to become law in Wisconsin.
States Report Surges In Health Plan Sign-Ups; California At The Front Of The Pack
The increase has ranged from 30 percent to 40 percent, reports ABC News. In California, an estimated 50,000 people picked a health plan in the first week of December. News outlets also reported on the latest developments in Maryland, Oregon and Minnesota.
Despite Repairs To Health Website, Concerns Remain And Lagging Enrollment Could Create Problems
The Associated Press examines concerns that young people may not sign up for coverage as part of the law. Other news organizations report on a new poll, some of the problems insurers face and security issues.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from California and Texas.
Poll Finds Very Mixed Views On Morning-After Pill; Black/White Breast Cancer Disparities Widen
Several stories this morning examine tricky problems in women’s health care.
Today’s studies and briefs come from the Urban Institute, JAMA Internal Medicine, the California HealthCare Foundation, Medical Care, BMJ, EBRI and Health Affairs.
First Edition: December 20, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the action taken by the administration to relax a health law requirement just four days before the deadline.
Insurers Extend Payment Deadline For Jan. 1 Coverage To Jan. 10
California, Connecticut and Washington, as well as some other states, have indicated that they will follow slightly different deadlines.
‘Deluge’ Of Signups Reported By Some State Exchanges
A handful of states with relatively smoothly operating insurance websites have seen enrollment increases of 30 percent to 40 percent this week. But others, including Massachusetts, Maryland and Colorado, continue to experience political as well as technical challenges.
Congress Closes In On Permanent Fix To Medicare Doctors’ Payments
With a bipartisan budget deal behind it, Congress may be on the verge of solving the way it makes Medicare payments to doctors. Meanwhile, national spending on health care is growing at the slowest pace ever recorded, according to The New York Times.
Value-Based Medicine Gains Momentum
Reuters reports on this development.
Poll Findings, Health Law Messagers Grab Headlines
Just as the latest New York Times/CBS poll concludes that people without insurance disapprove of the health law at just about the same rate as those who have it, the Obama administration turns to its “top seller” to promote the overhaul.
