Latest KFF Health News Stories
Survey: States Progress On Medicaid Upgrades, But Much Remains To Be Done
According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, states are hustling to prepare for coverage changes whether or not they participate in the health law’s expansion.
Votes, Plans Heat Up Medicaid Expansion Issue In States
Lawmakers and officials in Wyoming, Mississippi, Florida, Colorado and California hold hearings, take votes and consider their very different stances on whether to expand their Medicaid programs.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Longer Looks: Mississippi’s Last Abortion Clinic; Rural Docs
This week’s articles come from the Boston Globe, American Medical News, Mother Jones, the National Review and the Los Angeles Times.
States Roundup: Jindal Reverses Medicaid Hospice Cut
A roundup of health policy news from Massachusetts, Louisiana, Georgia, Minnesota, Virginia, California and Kansas.
First Edition: January 24, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about what will come next in terms of addressing the deficit and possibly trimming entitlment programs, now that Congress appears to have temporarily dealt with the debt ceiling.
Debt Limit Plan Draws Future Battle Lines On Entitlement Spending
House Republican leaders believe their leverage in forcing budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs will be greater in the next battles.
Obama’s Inaugural Speech, Medicare View Trigger Reaction, Analysis
President Barack Obama’s inaugural address laid out very specific choices regarding the future of Medicare and other entitlement programs. Some Republicans, such as House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., took a dim view of Obama’s take on these issues.
State Roundup: Legislatures Tackle Health Budget Gaps, Worker Pay
Health policy news from New York, California, Oregon, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida and Kansas.
Supreme Court Dashes Hospitals’ Hopes For Recovering Underpayments
The court’s unanimous ruling rejected the arguments advanced by 18 hospitals that sought to reopen a set of Medicare claims that were more than 25 years old.
Medicaid Patients Could Face Higher Co-Payments, Other Charges
The New York Times reports on a proposal that could increase Medicaid patients’ costs.
GOP-Led State Legislatures Ready Bills To Further Restrict Abortions
Republican legislatures around the nation are readying new legislation to further restrict abortion on the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade — and looking back on how they’ve already significantly restricted the procedure in recent years.
JAMA Studies Examine Hospital Readmissions, Effects Of New Penalties
Research shows that poor coordination among providers can lead to patients returning to the hospital. In addition, the new payment procedures are likely to affect academic medical centers and safety net hospitals.
Medicare Community Care Initiative Helps Lower Readmissions, Study Finds
The pilot project in 14 communities looked at a variety of strategies, including patient coaches, medication-management and better hospital discharge plans.
Viewpoints: A ‘Gift’ To Amgen; Obama Omits Talk Of Grand Bargain; Defending Physician Pay
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the nation.
Sen. Harkin Prepares Sweeping Public Health Legislation To Combat Obesity
In the meantime, Republicans refocus their aim on the health law’s individual mandate. They are also advancing efforts to repeal the “Sustainable Growth Rate” and asking the White House to issue regulations to expose financial relationships between doctors and the health care industry.
Contention, Hearings Dominate State Health Law Implementation Efforts
Lawmakers in Mississippi, Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas, Florida and California are considering the effects of expanding Medicaid and establishing health insurance exchanges — both major tenets of the health law for states.
First Edition: January 23, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including analysis regarding the dynamics of how entitlement programs will fit into the upcoming Capitol Hill budget battles.
Obama’s Vision Includes Safety Net Programs
Drawing on language from his re-election campaign, President Barack Obama used his inaugural address to set out a promise to preserve programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
On Roe Anniversary, Poll Finds Wide Support For Abortion Access
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds that 70 percent of Americans think the landmark Supreme Court case should stand. But those against abortion continue their battle to overturn the decision with a new generation of leaders and state-by-state strategies to restrict the procedure.
