Latest KFF Health News Stories
State Highlights: Calif.’s Drug Medi-Cal Program Probed
A selection of health policy stories from California and Texas.
First Edition: September 30, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the readiness of the health law’s online marketplaces and other key provisions the day before their Oct. 1 launch date even as the looming government shutdown becomes more of a reality.
House Votes To Delay Health Law, Repeal Medical Device Tax
Senate Democrats say they cannot accept the provisions in House GOP’s newest bill to fund the government. Without agreement between Senate and House, the government could shut down Tuesday.
In Campaign-Style Speech, Obama Defends The Health Law
In his Thursday appearance at a suburban Maryland community college, President Barack Obama dismissed as “crazy” the arguments being advanced by the overhaul’s opponents and accused some GOP lawmakers of attempting “blackmail” to stop its implementation.
Government Shutdown Increasingly Likely; Health Law Continues To Be Flashpoint
The Senate is expected to approve on Friday a continuing resolution that provides funding to keep the federal government operating but strips out language passed by the House that would defund the health law. This move will set up heightened conflict with the House, where some conservative Republicans are standing firm in their pledge to oppose any measure that does not further their goal of dismantling Obamacare. In the background, the countdown to a government shutdown continues.
Concerns about the roll-out of the marketplaces are examined in several states.
Manchin May Buck Democrats On Individual Mandate Delay
News outlets are reporting that Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday he’d be willing to support a year-long delay in the health law’s individual mandate if it came before the Senate — and then walked those comments back. Some other Democrats support modest tweaks to the law, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Health Law Confusion, Division Among American Public Persists
USA Today examines how the health law is viewed in Colorado as a case study of the confusion that surrounds it. As further evidence of that confusion, one new poll finds that people without insurance are divided on how much the overhaul will impact them just as another concludes that half of Americans say Republicans should stop their effort to derail the measure as part of the current budget battle.
GE Uses Clout To Change How Hospitals, Doctors Work
The New York Times looks at the impact one big employer can have on the medical system in a community. Also, The Wall Street Journal examines the health law’s efforts to set up accountable care organizations and the impact on hospitals.
Technical Glitches Delay Online Signups For Small Businesses And Spanish Speakers
The Obama administration acknowledged glitches Thursday that will delay online enrollment for small businesses and Spanish-language speakers in the 34 states that elected to not set up their own insurance marketplaces. The postponements amount to a few weeks in the six-month open enrollment period and will not affect the Jan. 1 start date for coverage.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Looming Caregiver Shortage For Aging America
In the meantime, California stakeholders debate how that state should shape home care in the future.
In State Politics, Anti-Obamacare Attacks Continue As Outreach Ramps Up
Some state officials tout their anti-Obamacare credentials as enrollment efforts pick up on the eve of the Oct. 1 opening of new online marketplaces.
Parsing The Premiums In New Obamacare Exchanges
Media outlets analyze the data on premiums for 36 states released this week by the Obama administration — looking at the impact of competition on prices and assessing which regions — and which consumers — might be winners or losers in the new online marketplaces.
Research Roundup: Managed Care For Dementia Patients
This week’s studies come from JAMA Internal Medicine, the Employee Benefit Research Institute, The Kaiser Family Foundation, the Congressional Budget Office and news outlets.
Notices About Medicare Advantage Changes Coming
Medicare Advantage plans are informing seniors of changes to their plans by mail this week. Meanwhile, KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks about what Obamacare changes older Americans can expect.
First Edition: September 27, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest updates on the congressional brinksmanship related to ongoing budget battles and efforts to defund the health law, as well as reports about President Barack Obama’s campaign-style speech about the law and details on another implementation delay.
Health Law’s Success Or Failure To Unfold In Individual Stories
How people judge the health law will depend on whether they get insurance that proves affordable and adequate through the new exchanges, The Washington Post reports. In the meantime, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds that three out of four California residents of modest income believe wrongly that they’re not eligible for government help to buy insurance.
D.C.’s Obamacare Insurance Exchange Hits Technology Snag
The District of Columbia’s online health exchange will not be able to immediately calculate a person’s subsidy to help them buy coverage or sign up for Medicaid when the health law exchange opens Oct. 1. Instead, such determinations will be done offline as officials try to fix the problems. D.C.’s online health exchange technology problems follow similar ones in Colorado and Oregon.
New Details Emerge On Health Law Spending, Effects On Business
News outlets examine how some businesses are dropping their cheapest health plans and steering employees to the new health insurance online exchanges. Others explore how insurers are responding to new rules and the cost of the Obamacare exchanges.
