Latest KFF Health News Stories
Boston Children’s Hospital Creates ‘Living’ Practice Guidelines
Boston Children’s Hospital says it has found a way to create best practice guidelines that have reduced costs and variation in care while improving patient outcomes
2 Studies Assert Lower Spending Growth Is Due To Structural Health Changes
Two new studies assert that the country’s unusual slowdown in health spending growth rates may be due more to structural changes in the health care system than to the lagging economy, and thus could continue even after business picks up.
Health Exchange Marketing, Consumer Assistance Efforts Take Center Stage
News outlets report on the steps being taken by state and federal governments, as well as by insurers, to reach out to consumers about insurance options that will be available in the new online marketplaces.
Fla. Legislature Adjourns Without Medicaid Expansion Deal
Also in the news, the Arkansas model for expansion appears likely to win approval from the Obama administration.
Caregivers Juggle Medical Tasks
The Boston Globe reports on how the role of caregiver is changing in the health care marketplace.
Health Providers With Hepatitis B Are Covered By Disability Law
The Associated Press reports on this news develoment.
White House Medicare Proposal Draws Ire From Advocates, Liberals
The Hill reports that President Barack Obama’s plan to combine Medicare’s doctor and hospital costs is unpopular among advocates for the elderly and some liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, Medpage Today details how the creation of the health law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board is on hold because of the slow growth of Medicare spending. The board is supposed to be a backstop if Medicare spending tops a target growth rate.
Do Children’s Health Concerns Fall Through The Health Law’s Cracks?
MedPage Today takes a long look at how the health law impacts children’s health programs.
GOP Leaders Poised To Exploit Health Law Problems
Politico reports that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., says Republicans must be ready to offer voters frustrated with the health law’s implementation a better alternative, while House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., plans another vote on the health law’s repeal.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
The Race To Make Abuse-Proof Painkillers; States Lead On Compounding Pharmacy Regulation
News outlets look at developments in pharmaceuticals: the race to make painkillers that are difficult to abuse, state action on regulating compounding pharmacies and comparison shopping for birth control prescriptions.
Employers Seek To Avoid Health Insurance Mandate
The Wall Street Journal reports that some employers are pushing back against the requirement that companies must provide insurance to employees who work 30 hours a week or more. Also in the news, the Associated Press reports on states’ concerns about cost shifting in plans for people with medical problems and The Hill details a concern by some activists that the health law could become a tool for deporting workers who are in the country illegally.
State Roundup: Brighter Calif. Budget Outlook Could Mean New Safety Net Cut Fights
A selection of health policy stories from Texas, California and Oregon.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that Florida answers “no” — at least for now — to the question of pursuing the health law’s Medicaid expansion.
Medicaid Expansion: Sparring Puts Some Red States In Limbo
News outlets report that several Republican governors who came out in favor of the expansion are battling with conservative lawmakers as legislative sessions wind down.
Big Insurers Are Tentative About Health Law’s Marketplaces
Reuters reports that some of the nation’s largest insurers are wary about jumping into the online marketplaces slated to open for enrollment in October. Meanwhile, CQ Health Beat tracks worries from some officials about consumer outreach.
Subsidies And Federal Exchanges At Heart Of New Health Law Court Challenge
News outlets report on a variety of health implementation issues, including the latest lawsuit filed by the law’s opponents. Other stories detail cost and coverage wrinkles and advances.
Pentagon Scolds UnitedHealth For Delays In Military Families’ Treatment
According to Bloomberg, the rebuke came after military families began experiencing long lag times in obtaining referrals from the insurance company.
Obama ‘Comfortable’ With Morning-After Pill Sales At 15
President Barack Obama said he is “very comfortable” with the Food and Drug Administration rule announced this week to make the so-called morning-after pill available without a prescription to women and girls who are at least 15 — younger than the current policy of 17. He also defended the Justice Department’s decision to appeal a judge’s ruling to make the Plan B pill available to all ages.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
