Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
State Highlights: Va. Lawmakers Disagree On Emergency Mental Health Custody
A selection of health policy stories from Washington state, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Florida.
Obamacare Deductibles, Not Premiums, Cause Sticker Shock
A PwC study finds that insurance premiums for policies sold in new online insurance marketplaces are comparable to, or lower than, those for employer-based policies. However, the deductibles are higher in many cases. Other stories examine how the White House is pushing delivery system changes, such as the creation of ACOs, and how implementation delays could affect the IRS.
First Edition: February 4, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including progress reports on health exchanges in Washington state and New York as well as poll results on Virginia’s Medicaid Expansion.
GOP Candidates To Campaign On State Exchange Glitches
Republican candidates in states that have had troubled exchange rollouts plan to campaign on those problems in gubernatorial and state legislative races later this year, reports The New York Times. Other news outlets report on developments in Kentucky, Oregon, Rhode Island, Maryland, Minnesota, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Expanded Medicaid Offers Opportunities — But Not Without Confusion
News outlets detail how patients still don’t completely understand the benefits that are now available to them.
Innovation Center’s Methods Under The Microscope
The New York Times explores this issue.
GOP Considers Tying Debt-Limit Deal To Repeal Of Part Of Health Law
House Republicans are considering linking their support for raising the national debt to a repeal of the health law’s risk corridors, which helps mitigate risk for insurers. In other news, lawmakers continue to weigh proposals to change how Medicare pays doctors and the House health appropriations subcommittee gets many new Republican faces.
Labor, Chamber Of Commerce Make Clear Where They Stand On The Health Law
Labor union leaders say the Obama administration’s refusal to help with health law provisions they view as unsatisfactory is undermining their support for this year’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is looking at ways to fix, rather than repeal, the overhaul.
In Pre-Game Rumble, Obama Pushes Back On O’Reilly Questions About Health Care
The president told the Fox anchor that he regrets his earlier comments that people who like their insurance would be able to keep it.
Cantor: GOP To Vote On Obamacare Alternative
The majority leader didn’t give a timetable for a House Republican plan.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Report: 5 States, Including Texas, Are Anti-Obamacare Diehards
The report by researchers at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms looked at which states declined to implement the law’s major components. Meanwhile, conservative Kansas lawmakers push to sever their state from the law’s authority and Indiana residents are slow to enroll in new insurance.
U.S. Abortion Rate Drops, But Not For The Reasons You Might Think
A new study finds that the rates are lowest in 40 years.
