Latest KFF Health News Stories
Examining The Budget Deal’s Political Dynamics
News outlets sort through the players in this drama to find winners and losers — as well as how some lawmakers and advocates will move forward.
With Budget Battle Now On The Back Burner, GOP Will Step Up Health Law Scrutiny
Difficulties with healthcare.gov and questions about the contractors that built it will be high on the list of issues receiving scrutiny.
Two Weeks In, Healthcare.gov Still Confronts Technical Difficulties
The volume of visits to the site, as well as the platform’s design, are being blamed for the problems. Some experts see the necessary fixes as being projects that could take months to complete.
State Exchanges Wrestle With Provider Directories, Search Tools
News outlets report on some of the challenges and sign-up tallies for state-based online insurance marketplaces in California, Minnesota, Washington and Maryland. Also in the news, progress updates regarding outreach efforts and small businesses that are attempting to use the exchanges.
State Medicaid Decisions Hurt Community Health Centers Serving Neediest
Community health centers in states that have rejected the Medicaid expansion under the health law will lose out on a half billion dollars in new revenue in 2014 that could hamper their ability to serve millions of uninsured people seeking care, according to a study from George Washington University.
State News: Texas To Close High-Risk Pool; Baltimore Probes Complaint Against Aetna
A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Texas, California, Oregon, Missouri and Maryland.
Hospitals Try New Tactics To Reduce Hospital Falls
The nation’s medical workforce grapples with preventing falls in the hospital to improve patient safety. In the meantime, seniors in some places of the country are more likely to fill prescriptions for high-risk drugs, and Miami’s seniors lead the nation in filling Medicare prescriptions.
Sebelius Says She Won’t Resign, Asks Public To Try Exchanges Again
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius doesn’t intend to resign over the health law’s shaky rollout of insurance exchanges, despite GOP pressure. In the meantime, she is also calling on the public to renew their attempts at buying coverage on the exchanges.
Medicaid Expansion Still In Play In Ohio, New Hampshire
Some Ohio lawmakers push back against Gov. John Kasich’s move to bypass the legislature to expand Medicaid, and New Hampshire legislators plan to meet next month to hammer out what leaders hope will be a bipartisan deal to expand the state-federal program for the poor. Meanwhile, likely Virginia voters support expansion 51 percent to 42 percent with the divide falling along party lines, according to a new poll.
Viewpoints: ‘Surrender’ By Republicans; ‘Myth’ Of Income Verification; ‘This Fight Didn’t End’
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Making RomneyCare Work For Other States
This week’s studies come from The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, The New York Times and ProPublica.
First Edition: October 17, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports and analyses of the Capitol Hill deal to raise the debt limit and reopen the federal government, as well as the latest developments regarding the health law’s federal and state health insurance exchanges.
Tuesday Came And Went — Still No Agreement To Reopen The Gov’t, Raise The Debt Ceiling
Differences among House GOP lawmakers are a key factor in this ongoing Capitol Hill drama, as some members continue to push to delay and derail parts of the health law. The current proposal emerging from the Senate includes changes to the overhaul, but most say these provisions would not significantly alter the measure.
Congressional Health Coverage At Center Of House GOP Concerns
Conservatives argue that federal contributions to their health insurance, which the health law requires them to purchase in the new online marketplaces, is an unfair subsidy. But Democrats say the government is just providing the same support that it has in the past and is in line with what other big employers give workers.
5.2M Won’t Get Coverage In States Rejecting Medicaid Expansion
A new report projects that 5.2 million adults will not get health coverage next year because their states aren’t expanding Medicaid under the health law. In Wisconsin, expanding the program becomes an issue in the gubernatorial race, while in North Carolina, county commissioners ask state officials to reconsider their decision not to expand, and in Virginia, supporters of expansion outnumber opponents in a hearing.
Health Law Politics Are Far From Over
The Washington Post reports that the political winds in individual states will impact the health law’s chances for success or failure — maybe even more than the current technical challenges that have been a hallmark of its roll out.
Federal Exchange: Expectations Were Rosy, But Consumer Frustration Taking Root
The Washington Post reports that visits to healthcare.gov dropped 88 percent between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13. In an interview, President Barack Obama said the glitches consumers have experienced must be addressed.
What’s In? What’s Out? Tracking The Health Law Changes And The Budget Talks
After playing a central role in the negotiations, two health law tax provisions — one related to reinsurance and the other a levy on medical devices — appear to be off the table.
California Exchange Draws Strong Interest, While Hawaii’s Finally Opens
Media outlets report on the progress of state-run exchanges, ranging from the nearly 100,000 application starts in California, to Hawaii’s two weeks-delayed launch, to Oregon officials’ concern about sites using sound-alike names.
Sebelius Gets ‘Full Confidence’ From Obama Despite Shaky Exchange Rollout
Amid a Republicans chorus calling for her to be fired, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius got the “full confidence” of President Barack Obama Tuesday.
