Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: February 6, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how the day-after debate about the Congressional Budget Office’s updated health law projections played out on Capitol Hill.
CBO: Health Law’s Increased Access To Health Care Could Lead Many To Quit Work, Reduce Hours
The Congressional Budget Office report, released Tuesday, which updated estimates regarding how many people will be able to gain health insurance without necessarily having a job, became an immediate political flashpoint and reignited the political debate surrounding the health law.
CVS To Stop Selling Cigarettes By Fall
The move is part of a trend of pharmacies becoming health providers.
Expanded Medicaid Enrollment In Washington State Exceeds Expectations
By Jan. 30, the state had enrolled 172,700 people, already surpassing its goal for April. But in Missouri, enrollment in the government health program has actually declined with state officials blaming error-ridden data from the federal exchange. Media outlets also follow developments in Arkansas and Nevada.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
GOP Hammers “Risk Corridors” As Bailout; Democrats Worry About Explaining Law
Republicans are trying to tie a vote raising the debt ceiling to repealing the health law’s “risk corridors,” which help mitigate insurer risk. In the meantime, President Obama faces some push back on the law’s rocky rollout from his own party.
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Says Mass. Should Seek Obamacare Waiver
Charlie Baker, a former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care who is running for governor, said Massachusetts ran into problems because it tried to meld its successful state law with new federal requirements. Meanwhile, a mini-health exchange in Florida, which will sell discount cards and other products to “fill benefit gaps,” nears launch and Connecticut exchange officials announce they are close to their enrollment goals.
Surgeon General Nominee Faces Skeptical Senate GOP At Hearing
Republicans questioned the bona fides of President Obama’s choice for surgeon general, grilling him over his stance on gun control and the health law.
State Highlights: Colo. County May Sue Over No Change To Insurance Ratings
A selection of health policy stories from Colorado, Oregon, Iowa, Connecticut, Minnesota and California.
HHS To Insurers: You May Have To Add More Doctors, Hospitals In Obamacare Plans
Insurers selling policies in new online marketplaces may have to include more doctors and hospitals used by low-income people beginning in 2015, Bloomberg News reports. Other stories today examine the administration’s enrollment effort and how many people it could reach if it just focused on 116 of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Also examined is how the insurer WellPoint’s bottom line is changing because of the law.
First Edition: February 5, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories detailing a new Congressional Budget Office report that found 2 million people who relied on a job for health insurance will quit working, reduce their hours or stop looking for a job because of new benefits from the health law.
For People Who Faced Enrollment Issues With Healthcare.gov, Appeals Hearings To Begin Soon
But news outlets report that the computer and phone systems designed to address those appeals have yet to be launched. So far, an estimated 22,000 requests for fixes have been submitted via the mail. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a statement Monday saying it was reaching out to customers who encountered errors during the signup process to assist them in completing applications without going through a formal appeal.
More than 33 percent of eligible Washington residents have signed up for care on the state’s health law online insurance exchange. In New York and California, exchanges see big sign-up numbers. Finally, lawmakers in Florida and Virginia ready plans for insurance exchanges that aren’t part of the health law.
FDA Targets Teens In New Anti-Smoking Campaign
The $115 million multimedia effort, which includes ads highlighting yellow teeth and wrinkled skin to show the costs of smoking are not just financial, is scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday.
New Rule Allows Patients Direct Access To Lab Results
The Obama administration released new regulations Monday that would allow patients to get test results without going through their doctor first. The rules are part of an effort to empower patients and give them more control over their health care.
GOP Campaigns Against Health Law In Mass., Florida Races
Republican candidates criticize Democratic opponents for their embrace of the health law in a closely contested congressional matchup in Florida and in several races in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, The Washington Post’s fact checker awards three Pinocchios to claims by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott about the impact of the medical device tax on small businesses.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Sebelius Urges Kansas, Missouri To Expand Medicaid
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared in Missouri and Kansas to urge officials to accept federal expansion funds, calling it a moral and financial imperative. Meanwhile, a new poll finds support for the expansion in Virginia and news outlets cover developments in Florida and South Carolina.
New Enroll America Health Law Outreach Targets Young Women With Pets
The pet-themed ads are designed to appeal to these women and convince them to sign up for coverage and raise their awareness about the financial assistance for which they may qualify.
House GOP Crafts Debt-Limit Strategy — One Version Involves Repealing A Health Law Provision
The Washington Post reports that some House Republican lawmakers are considering a play that would trade a one-year extension of the debt limit for a repeal of the overhaul’s risk corridors. This provision will be the subject of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing this week.
