Latest KFF Health News Stories
The President’s Impassioned Health Law Speech: ‘We’re Going To Keep Fighting’
President Barack Obama was unusually detailed in his defense of the law, emphasizing the scope of insurance coverage for many Americans.
Competition Spurs Oregon Insurers To Lower Proposed Rates
As soon as Oregon this week became the fourth state to publicly list health insurers’ proposed 2014 rates for individual and small group coverage, two plans moved to cut their suggested prices.
Community Health Centers Get $150M To Help Uninsured Enroll In New Coverage
The funding is to hire staff, train existing staff and perform outreach and educational activities. The idea is to help consumers sign up for coverage sold through new online insurance marketplaces that are scheduled to open on Oct. 1 under the Affordable Care Act.
Obama To Talk Health Law’s Benefits For Women, Families
In an effort to rally public support for the overhaul, President Barack Obama will talk about provisions that benefit women as part of a Mother’s Day-themed event.
GOP Leaders Refuse To Name Candidates For Medicare Cost Control Board
House Speaker John Boehner tells reporters that he and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will not nominate anyone to serve on the Independent Payment Advisory Board.
Who Is Responsible For Retired Football Players’ Medical Costs?
The Washington Post reports on how many NFL players fall through the cracks.
Viewpoints: The Threat From ‘Contagion Exhaustion;’ An Economist Sees Humor In Hospital Pricing
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Older Americans Fare Well With Budget Impasse Regarding Medicare, Other Entitlements
The Associated Press explores the generational issues in play regarding Medicare and other entitlement program.
Senate Bill On FDA Oversight Of Compounding Pharmacies Gets Broad Backing As Hearings Move Closer
A bill to give the FDA greater authority over compounding pharmacies like the one behind a deadly meningitis outbreak gets broad — including bipartisan — backing, and a key committee chairman readies a hearing on the legislation.
Feds Offer Positive Signals About Progress On Health Exchanges
USA Today reports that federal officials say the government is meeting deadlines, testing systems and putting the infrastructure in place to get these online insurance marketplaces up and running. Also, Modern Healthcare reports that the National Association of Health Underwriters is urging extensive training for the exchange navigators.
In States That Opt Against Medicaid Expansion, Rural Areas Could Miss Out
Also in the news, updates from Kentucky, where Gov. Steve Beshear announced he will proceed with the expansion; Michigan, where lawmakers advance a plan to expand Medicaid — with conditions; and California, where a compromise proposal continues to be a hot topic.
State Highlights: Feds Sue Fla. Senate President’s Former Co. Over Medicare Billing
A selection of health policy news from Florida, Oklahoma, California, North Carolina and Oregon.
Research Roundup: Out-Of-Pocket Costs On Individual Market
This week’s studies come from Health Affairs, JAMA Internal Medicine, the Urban Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and news sources.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about efforts by the Obama administration to boost health exchange enrollment.
For Obama, Health Law Is Central To Legacy
Bloomberg reports that shortly after President Barack Obama’s re-election, he told senior staff members that the health law would be one of his second term’s highest priorities. In related news, health care will be a focus for Obama this week, and it was a hot topic at a recent dinner between the president and House Democrats.
Will The Health Law Ease Job Lock?
The Wall Street Journal writes how the health law’s coverage expansions could provide entrepreneurs with a new source for health coverage.
California’s Health Exchange Board Given Unusual Degree Of Secrecy Over Contracts
The Associated Press reports that a California state law created a state agency to oversee implementation of the health law and gave it authority to keep what it spent on contractors a secret.
Expiring Patents Drive Drug Spending’s First Time Fall
Patient spending on prescription drugs fell in 2012 — for the first time ever, a new study reports — due in part to expiring patents on brand-name drugs.
Medicaid Expansion Unlikely In Ohio, Texas; California Moves Forward
As the clock continues to wind down on state legislative sessions, the optional expansion of eligibility for the program looks unlikely in those states. But, in California, health care advocates offer a compromise approach on how to move ahead.
Although the government releases a list of what hospitals across the country charge for common procedures in an effort to make health costs more transparent, few patients or their insurers pay that.
