Latest KFF Health News Stories
Can 7 Million People Enroll In Obamacare By March 31?
Experts debate whether the administration can meet its target by March 31. Through November, 364,682 have chosen plans — well off the 7 million target — but officials say they are on track because they expect a surge of signups towards the end of the open enrollment period.
House GOP Appears To Be Warming To $85 Billion Budget Deal
CQ HealthBeat reports that Medicare providers would face an added two years of automatic spending cuts under the agreement.
Issa Slams HHS For ‘Obstructing’ Investigation Of Healthcare.gov
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., says the Department of Health and Human Services is illegally interfering with his panel’s probe of the troubled launch of the federal website.
Health Law Presents New Challenge For Small Businesses
Large numbers of small entrepreneurs have not yet focused on the law, and their responses for employee coverage are expected to vary. Meanwhile, news outlets examine some of the issues around paying premiums and other insurance issues.
A selection of editorials and opinions about the health law.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Frustration With Minn. Insurance Exchange Mounts As Officials Race To Remedy Problems
Problems with Minnesota’s online health insurance exchange — long wait times, technology problems and security issues — are getting extra scrutiny as officials push to fix the website ahead of the new year when coverage is slated to begin for many.
New Enrollment Figures Give Clearer View Of Exchange Efforts In States
Officials in California, Maryland, Illinois, Kansas and Georgia give status checks on their online health insurance exchanges. In the meantime, officials in Oregon are pressuring their website contractor, Oracle, to speed up fixes to the marketplace as insurers consider extending deadlines there.
Michigan To Require Separate Abortion Coverage On Public And Private Policies
The measure became law in an unusual way.
Study: Almost Half Of Psychiatrists Don’t Accept Health Insurance
The findings were published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry.
State Highlights: States Scramble To Change Newborn Screening Programs
A selection of health policy stories from Wisconsin, New York, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, California and Florida.
NY Frustrated By Long Wait For Medicaid Waiver
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he wants to implement changes that would help shore up struggling hospitals that cater to low-income patients in New York City. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott refused Wednesday to say whether he still supports expanding Medicaid eligibility to poor Floridians.
First Edition: December 12, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including ongoing coverage of the health law’s implementation — from details of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ Wednesday Capitol Hill appearance and more information about the most recent enrollment numbers to analysis of policy issues related to the overhaul.
Health Law Continues To Take A Toll On Obama’s Approval Ratings
New polls indicate that, even as the Obama administration hustles to fix healthcare.gov’s troubles, the overhaul appears to be a drag on Americans’ confidence in President Barack Obama.
Enrollment In Federal And State Health Marketplaces Rises To 365,000
The figures announced by federal officials show a sharp rise in the number of people signing up for insurance in November.
Special Treatment? Examining Who On Capitol Hill Has To Get Coverage On The Health Law’s Exchanges
News outlets take a closer look at the circumstances around how members of Congress and their staffs are navigating getting health coverage on the DC insurance exchange — and just who is required to do so and by when.
Group Says Obamacare Plans Discourage HIV Patients From Enrolling
A coalition of AIDS organizations is asking the Obama administration to investigate whether some insurers are trying to discourage HIV-infected patients from enrolling in their policies by failing to cover some AIDS drugs or through what it called “egregious cost-sharing designs.” Other stories explore the law’s impact on African-Americans and small businesses.
House And Senate Budget Negotiators Reach A Deal
Some say the agreement brokered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will create breathing room to allow lawmakers to try to address major federal spending drivers, such as health care and entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.
Sebelius Orders Probe Of Botched Website Rollout
As Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius headed to Capitol Hill to testify, she announced several steps to address the healthcare.gov issues, including asking the department’s inspector general to review the management decisions behind the rollout and pledging to implement his recommendations. Meanwhile, the president’s choice to lead the Internal Revenue Service, John Koskinen, appears headed for confirmation.
State Highlights: Kaiser Permanente Says Some Patient Data Lost
A selection of health policy stories from California, Wisconsin and Virginia.
