Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: January 17, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports from Capitol Hill about passage of a $1.1 billion spending bill as well as testimony by an Obama administration official about healthcare.gov.
Federal Judge Upholds Health Law’s Subsidies
Critics of the overhaul argued that, as passed by Congress, the statutory language limited the use of subsidies to purchase health insurance to consumers in states that are running their own online marketplaces — not to those who are shopping for health plans on the federal exchange. The judge’s ruling, which upholds a central element of the health law, is a victory for the Obama administration.
As the Wall Street Journal reports that one of the biggest issues right now is making sure these newly insured people have insurance cards, other news outlets detail reports and questions about the number of enrollees.
Supreme Court Appears Split On Abortion Protester ‘Buffer-Zone’
Several justices expressed skepticism about the constitutionality of a Massachusetts law that prohibits protesters within a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinic entrances. Chief Justice John Roberts is likely to cast the deciding vote.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Wyden’s Medicare Proposal Portends New Powerful Post
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the likely next Senate Finance Committee chairman, is flexing his political muscles by proposing a change to how Medicare treats and pays for care for chronically ill patients. Wyden is in line to take over chairmanship of the committee when Sen. Max Baucus is confirmed as U.S. ambassador to China.
Facing Medicare Funding Cuts, Virginia Hospitals Push For Medicaid Expansion
Expanding the program for low-income residents would help bring new revenue to the hospitals. Meanwhile, supporters of Medicaid expansion offer a new proposal in Nebraska and a young man in Utah diagnosed with cancer faces treatment problems because he lost his Medicaid coverage.
This and other related marketing attempts are meant to spark young people’s interest in obtaining health coverage before enrollment ends March 31.
State Highlights: Some Hospitals Aim For Wealthier Patients
A selection of health policy stories from Noth Carolina, California, Michigan and Missouri.
Insurers Again Extend Payment Deadlines For Jan. 1 Coverage On Exchanges
News outlets in California offer examples of companies that are giving new customers more time to pay their first month’s premiums, while in Connecticut, one insurer is beginning to get a handle the crush of enrollment.
Questions Surround Future Of Some Troubled State Exchanges
State insurance exchanges in Maryland, Oregon and Colorado are under the microscope and drawing criticism. Meanwhile, Republican state lawmakers in Tennessee and Texas propose legislation to undermine the health law in those states. And a cybersecurity official at the Department of Health and Human Services tells congressional investigators that testing of healthcare.gov, the federal online exchange, was inadequate.
Companies Find Ways To Keep Offering ‘No Frills’ Health Plans To Employees
The Wall Street Journal reports that, as long as companies offer at least one plan that complies with the health law’s requirements, they are free to also offer employees choices that don’t. Also in the news, Obama administration data analysts are watching health care habits and patterns, and other health companies are seeing business opportunities in sharing the information they collect, too.
Longer Reads: Connecting With Patients; Children With Chronic Disease
This week’s articles come from NPR, MedPage Today, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Modern Healthcare, The New York Times and Health Affairs.
First Edition: January 16, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that a federal judge on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge related to the health law’s insurance subsidies.
Enrollment Deadline Extended For People In High-Risk Pools
A special insurance program for about 30,000 people with a history of cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among other illnesses, will be extended for an additional two months so enrollees can continue treatments while they search for other coverage, the Obama administration announced Tuesday.
Md. Continues To Wrestle Health Exchange Glitches
Even as one cabinet member told Maryland lawmakers Tuesday that the troubled system may need to be abandoned or overhauled, Gov. Martin O’Malley issued a statement saying the state would keep the online marketplace operating and work on improvements and fixes. News outlets also provide the latest developments from Oregon, Colorado and Minnesota.
Bill Seeks Team-Based Approach To Caring For Medicare Patients With Chronic Illness
Sen. Ron Wyden plans to unveil a bill to encourage team-based care in the program for older and disabled Americans. In the meantime, Medicare readies to deliver payment data for individual doctors on a “case-by-case” basis.
High Court To Hear Arguments In Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Case
The arguments, which pit anti-abortion protestors’ freedom-of-speech rights against women’s health providers’ public safety concerns, will be heard on Wednesday.
Health Law’s Prevention Funds Diverted To Other Programs In $1T Spending Bill
New details emerge about the cut to the health law’s Prevention and Public Health Fund in the $1 trillion spending bill, but a jobless benefits extension in Congress stalls. In the meantime, a mental health plan pushed by President Obama will get spending bill funds.
Health Law Attack Ads Pressure Democratic Congressional Candidates
An onslaught of ads target vulnerable Democrats for their support of the overhaul. Health law opponents, notably the Americans for Prosperity group, which is in part financed by the Koch brothers, have spent an estimated $20 million on television advertising. A conservative Hispanic advocacy group is also planning its own round of ads.
