Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: January 31, 2014
Today’s early morning highlight from the major news organizations, reports about the retirement announcement by Rep. Henry Waxman and the health policy legacy he will leave behind.
WellPoint Is Bullish On Enrollment Trends
Health insurer WellPoint, the biggest player in the health law’s online marketplaces, reported Wednesday that it has enrolled 500,000 people nationwide and their demographics match the company’s projections.
For Some State Legislatures, Medicaid Expansion Will Be A Hot 2014 Topic
News outlets also report on the continuing debate over how to proceed in Virginia and Nebraska.
The Health Law Factors Heavily Into Senate Political Calculations
Vulnerable Senate Democrats may seek chances to vote on efforts to fix the overhaul, CQ HealthBeat reports; while the New York Times examines where GOP candidates need to win.
Questions Linger About 9 Million People Said To Get Insurance Through Health Law
In his State of the Union address, the president touted successes in signing people up for private insurance or Medicaid. But critics say that the number is lower than expected, and no one yet knows how many of them were previously uninsured.
Minn. Workers Got Bonuses For Work On Troubled Exchange; Colo. Reports Robust Jan. Enrollment
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports on the bonuses awarded to 14 managers before the insurance website went live. In other state marketplace news, Colorado officials say about 67,000 people and businesses signed up for coverage this month.
Viewpoints: Obama Drops ‘Grand Bargain’ Talk; Mitch McConnell In Tough Spot On Health Law
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: N.Y. Insurer Will Reinstate Young Adult Coverage
A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, Virginia, South Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia and Colorado.
Study Finds Health Law May Reduce Income Inequality
New research suggests the health law will boost the economic fortunes of people on the bottom one-fifth of the income ladder while slightly reducing average incomes for those above. Other stories look at a health plan cost calculator designed for the chronically ill, the debate over insurance risk corridors and union displeasure with the law.
Poll: Health Law Support Declining Among The Uninsured
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly tracking poll found that 47 percent of the uninsured said they have unfavorable views of the law — an increase since December. Most were also unaware of many of the law’s benefits.
Longer Looks: Doctor Guilt; An Abortion Provider’s Hidden Record
This week’s articles come from The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, 60 Minutes, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
First Edition: January 30, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about a new poll examining how uninsured people — one of the groups the health law was designed to help — view the overhaul.
Obama Urges People To Sign Up For Coverage In State Of The Union
The president extolled the health law during his State Of The Union address, describing those who are benefiting and challenging Republicans for their ideas. Utah Sen. Mike Lee hit back, calling the law “an inequality Godzilla that has robbed working families of their insurance, their doctors, their wages and their jobs,” while Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers cited its troubled rollout.
DelBene Takes On Challenge Of Correcting Healthcare.gov’s Flaws
Kaiser Health News profiles the Obama administration’s new website fix-it guy. And, in other news, The Associated Press reports that some workers at a federal health care call center for the health exchanges are now suing the government because they allegedly were forced to work unpaid overtime.
Lawmakers File Briefs In Hobby Lobby Health Law Contraception Case
Democrats and Republicans are sending the Supreme Court letters detracting from or supporting the case the Christian-owned hobby store has brought challenging the health law mandate that employers cover contraception in their health plans.
The new numbers are expected to get a skeptical reception from Virginia’s House Appropriations Committee.
Sen. Coburn Pays Out-Of-Pocket To See Cancer Doctor
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, says the new insurance plan he purchased under the health law doesn’t include his long-standing oncologist. He says he is paying out of pocket to see that doctor and is “doing well from a health standpoint.”
House Passes Bill To Ban Health Law Subsidies For Abortion Coverage
But the restriction, which would apply to private plans bought with the help of health law subsidies, stands no chance of passage by the Democratic-controlled Senate.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Will Doc Cuts Like Those In Conn. Become More Common?
A selection of health policy stories from Connecticut, California, Vermont, Minnesota, Virginia and Georgia.
