Latest KFF Health News Stories
Court Gives Ohio Gov. Kasich Gets Green Light For Medicaid Expansion
Elsewhere, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signs bill to postpone changes to BadgerCare, and Pennsylvania officials seek support for Gov. Tom Corbett’s “Healthy Pennsylvania” plan.
Two Different Rulings On Health Law’s Contraceptive Rule
A judge in Oklahoma ruled against the insurance coverage requirement, while a Washington judge ruled against the Catholic Church.
Fears Of Website Instability As Deadline Nears
Also, The Washington Post looked into the company that built healthcare.gov.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
As Consumers Enroll In Marketplace Plans, Questions Remain For Many
Questions remain about insurance pricing, the cost of reform to taxpayers, and who is and isn’t covered by the employer mandate.
Insurers Unnerved By Rule Changes For Consumers With Canceled Policies
The Obama administration’s announcement last week that consumers whose policies had been canceled could buy catastrophic health plans and were also exempt from the law’s mandate in the first year spurred handwringing in some quarters.
Monday’s Deadline To Buy Coverage Leaves Many Scrambling
People who want policies in place by Jan. 1 face a deadline today, but a series of changes in how the health law is being implemented has complicated the process for consumers and insurers.
First Edition: December 23, 2013
The early morning highlights from the major news organizations examine today’s deadline for enrolling for health insurance that would begin Jan. 1, as well as a variety of other health law stories and several articles on mental health issues.
Manchin Says Health Law Could Be Heading Toward ‘Meltdown’
West Virginia Democrat says that coverage is more expensive and not as comprehensive as people expected and could turn public opinion against it. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn says GOP should start talking about solutions.
President: ‘Screwed Up’ Healthcare.gov But Notes ‘More Than A Million’ New Insured
In his news conference today, President Barack Obama said that the launch of the insurance website was his biggest mistake of the year.
People With Canceled Plans Exempted From Insurance Mandate
In addition, the administration said Thursday that those with canceled plans will be able to buy bare-bones catastrophic plans, regardless of their age, under a hardship exemption.
500,000 With Canceled Health Plans Still Lack Coverage
An estimated 500,000 people who received cancellation notices have not yet signed up for new coverage, administration officials said Thursday. That’s far fewer than the millions that health law critics said would lack insurance after their old policies were terminated because they didn’t meet new standards under the health law.
Get Ready To Pay More For Health Coverage, But It May Not Be Just Health Law’s Fault
Although many blame the health law for all recent health care cost increases, trends that bump up the cost of care were in place before the law was enacted and are being driven up even more by routine costs, some say.
Obama’s Aides Stay On Despite Exhaustion, Health Law Woes
President Obama’s aides are largely staying attached to his administration to help bolster the president’s approval ratings amid the health law’s considerable problems. In the meantime, the law’s proponents are pushing new ways of selling the law.
Report: Examine High-Billing Docs’ Medicare Billing To Root Out Fraud
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general to be released Friday will call for closer scrutiny of doctors’ total billing in an effort to save Medicare millions. Elsewhere, ProPublica looks at fraud in Medicare’s drug plan.
Medicaid Expansion Plans In Pa., Wis. Under Scrutiny
Pennsylvania advocates challenge the penalties and premium costs in Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed Medicaid expansion plan. Meanwhile, more than 70,000 low-income Wisconsin adults would keep their state BadgerCare Plus coverage for three months and a larger and poorer group would wait the same 90 days to enter the program under a GOP plan expected to become law in Wisconsin.
States Report Surges In Health Plan Sign-Ups; California At The Front Of The Pack
The increase has ranged from 30 percent to 40 percent, reports ABC News. In California, an estimated 50,000 people picked a health plan in the first week of December. News outlets also reported on the latest developments in Maryland, Oregon and Minnesota.
Despite Repairs To Health Website, Concerns Remain And Lagging Enrollment Could Create Problems
The Associated Press examines concerns that young people may not sign up for coverage as part of the law. Other news organizations report on a new poll, some of the problems insurers face and security issues.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from California and Texas.
