Latest KFF Health News Stories
Administration Tech Official Says About 40% Of Healthcare.gov Remains To Be Built
Henry Chao, who has overseen much of the work on healthcare.gov, said much of the “back office” work, including the system to send insurers their payments, has not been completed.
Koch-Funded Group Uses Health Law To Target 3 Democrats
A political group backed by Charles and David Koch will target three of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats up for election next year by focusing on their support of the health care law, according to The New York Times. Meanwhile, Democrats are assessing whether President Barack Obama’s proposed fix allowing canceled policies to be extended provides cover for vulnerable lawmakers.
The Associated Press reports on the marketplace trend.
Early Enrollees In State Exchanges Skew Older
More older Americans than young adults have signed up for coverage through the state marketplaces created by the health law, according to early data from four states. The federal government has not released age data for the signups on healthcare.gov. Meanwhile, Maryland has weak enrollment because of website problems, which have become an issue in the governor’s race.
States Split On Obama Cancellations Fix
Most of the state regulators allowing insurers to renew canceled plans, as proposed by President Barack Obama, are led by Republican governors who have opposed the law. Of the eight refusing to carry out the policy, six are in Democrat-led states that have embraced the law and who fear the extensions would undermine it.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal report on how Capitol Hill lawmakers and their staffs are having a very different experience choosing coverage than most of their constituents.
Maine To Pay $1M To ‘Conservative’ Consultant To Study Medicaid Expansion
Maine’s health department will pay a firm led by Gary Alexander, a controversial former welfare chief, to review the state’s program and the potential costs of expanding it, according to several media reports. Meanwhile, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina continue to debate whether to opt in to the health law’s broadened Medicaid eligibility.
Supreme Court Rejects Bid To Block Texas Abortion Law
In a 5-4 vote, the justices turned away an emergency application asking it to block a Texas law that opponents say prevents a third of the state’s clinics from performing abortions. Meanwhile, Albuquerque voters defeated a proposal that would have outlawed most late-term abortions in New Mexico’s largest city in the first municipal test of such a measure.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Mo. Doctors Propose Medicaid Payment Reform Project
A selection of health policy stories from Missouri, North Carolina, California and Virginia.
First Edition: November 20, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that President Barack Obama places some of the blame for the health law’s woes with Republicans, and details of comments by an Obama administration tech official that a large portion of the healthcare.gov ‘back office’ functions are yet to be built.
Safety-Net Hospitals Lose More Under Medicare’s Quality-Based Payments
Medicare’s effort to reward hospitals for quality is leaving many of the nation’s safety-net hospitals poorer, a new analysis finds.
Health Law Travails Drag Down Obama Approval Rating
A Washington Post-ABC News poll finds President Barack Obama’s disapproval reaches an all-time high. The fallout from the beleaguered rollout of healthcare.gov also seems to be shaping voters’ thoughts about upcoming congressional races.
Report Issued Early Warnings About Healthcare.gov Risks
An analysis done in late March by McKinsey & Co. called attention to a number of trouble spots. Meanwhile, Politico details a “Red Team” report done by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that also sounded alarms.
Health Law’s Supporters and Opponents Working Hard To Woo Young Adults
Enrolling young people in the marketplaces is vital to making those exchanges work, and some critics are trying to keep those healthy people off the exchanges. Meanwhile, the president Monday night urges his supporters to help drum up support for the health law.
White House Officials Say 20% Won’t Be Able To Complete Healthcare.gov Process To Buy Insurance
In a progress report, Obama administration officials are predicting that, despite fixes that have been made, one in five people won’t be able to buy health insurance via the online process. Still, the pace of enrollments has more than doubled, the New York Times reports.
GOP Candidates Hope To Use Botched Health Law Startup To Their Advantage
Some veteran Democratic lawmakers are being called to the carpet as a result of the difficulties with healthcare.gov and news of health policy cancellations. Meanwhile, also in the news, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also offers a bleak prediction of the health law’s future.
Obama Tells Insurers His ‘Fix’ May Cost Them
President Barack Obama acknowledged to insurance executives that reinstating millions of insurance policies might cost them, according to Politico. Other media outlets report that brokers are worried about their role in the insurance marketplace and how one company is forecasting that a failure to enroll the uninsured could cut prescription drug sales by 30 percent in 2017.
States are considering whether to allow insurers to continue offering current plans that are sold on the individual market and that don’t meet the standards of the health law. The president suggested that fix last week.
Senate Gives Final Approval To Bill Tightening Control Over Drug-Compounding Pharmacies
The Senate gave final approval to a bill Monday that gives federal regulators greater oversight of compounding pharmacies like the ones responsible for a deadly meningitis outbreak last year. The president is expected to sign the bill.
