Latest KFF Health News Stories
Reviews Mixed For ‘Fixed’ Health Care Website
Some said the Monday’s healthcare.gov relaunch — marked by heavy traffic — was “rocky” and “bumpy,” but administration officials maintained the user experience was much smoother as a result of fixes.
White House Readies New Health Law Push After Website Woes
President Barack Obama and the White House will launch a new three-week health law offensive to re-sell the law to Americans after woes with the federal online website to buy health coverage hurt public perception of the law. Obama himself plans on buying coverage on the federal exchange website.
Earlier Signs Of Website Problems Weren’t Addressed
The Wall Street Journal examines how officials building the federal marketplace failed to alert others to problems they were encountering. Other reports look at the concerns about some functions on the site that still are not working properly.
Also, some economists are saying the health law will cost less than expected and a new poll examines how much people know about the law.
Supreme Court Turns Down Liberty University’s Challenge To The Health Law’s Employer Mandate
The Christian college, located in Virginia, argued that the mandate is unconstitutional, but the high court rejected the petition, marking the second time in two years that it has declined to review the constitutionality of the overhaul’s requirements for most large employers regarding health coverage for workers.
Problem Transferring Medicaid Enrollment Data Could Leave Some Without Coverage
The difficulty with sending the completed Medicaid applications from the federal website to states for final processing could leave some of the newly enrolled without coverage early next year. To circumvent the problem, administration officials agreed to let states enroll people without their full applications. But that poses potential risks for states.
Health Law Complicates Democratic Senators’ Reelection Efforts In The South
The Wall Street Journal reports that three of the four most vulnerable Senate Democrats are from southern states. The paper also looks at how members of Congress will fare on the new online insurance marketplace.
California’s Small Business Insurance Exchange Opens For Business
Even though the federal government announced last week that it would delay the federal small business online marketplace, California’s began operating on Monday for businesses with as many as 50 employees.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from Oklahoma, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Delaware, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Georgia and California.
Hospital Prices — Biggest Driver Of Medical Inflation — Remain Opaque
Nothing is more convoluted than hospital charges, which represent about a third of the nation’s $2.7 trillion annual health care bill, reports The New York Times. Reuters finds that hospitals may quote prices for parking but not for procedures. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News describes the trend in palliative care programs, designed to relieve pain and distress, regardless of how long a patient has to live.
First Edition: December 3, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including coverage of the mixed reviews regarding healthcare.gov’s “relaunch” as well as the White House strategy to move past the website’s difficulties.
Administration Gives Thumbs Up To Website Fixes And Upgrades
The health law website reportedly now is operating 90 percent of the time, but more work still must be done, according to the Obama administration’s Sunday progress report on their efforts to correct healthcare.gov’s problems.
Insurers Worry About Back End Repairs To Healthcare.gov
The system that is supposed to deliver consumers’ information to insurers still needs to be repaired — with only 30 days to go before coverage is supposed to begin for many people. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reports that because of another software problem insurers will initially estimate what they are owed by the government rather than have the government calculate the bill.
Consumers, Employers Face New Round Of Health Coverage Challenges, Decisions
News outlets offer consumer tips for using healthcare.gov and take a look at where things stand in terms of obtaining coverage as of Jan. 1.
Other challenges to the law continue to work their way through courtrooms across the country.
Members Of Congress Get Different Health Marketplace Experience Than Most
The Los Angeles Times explores the experiences for lawmakers and their staffs as they leave the federal employee health insurance system and move to the new exchanges.
Medicaid Expansion Could Exacerbate Doctor Shortage
As more people gain access to coverage as a result of the health law’s expansion of the state-federal insurance program for the poor, finding doctors willing to treat them may be a challenge. Other stories look at how Americans in similar circumstances face vastly different health coverage options because of where they live. That’s because half the states opted against the health law’s expansion of Medicaid.
Oregon Struggles To Clear Health Insurance Exchange’s High-Tech Hurdle
Oregon’s state-based health law online insurance exchange is still struggling in its quest to sign people up, and officials there are using paper applications to get the job done — a time-consuming task. Exchanges also make news in Kentucky, California, Mississippi and Washington state.
Physicians Voice Concerns About What The Health Law Will Bring In January
News outlets report on some of the specific issues that are causing physician organizations to worry.
