Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medical Debt Collection Company Accretive Settles Suit With Minnesota
Chicago-based Accretive Health agrees to pay $2.5 million and end operations in the state for at least two years to settle charges that it violated federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care even if people cannot afford to pay.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including forward-looking reports about what the Medicaid expansion might look like if the GOP controls Congress and the White House, as well as how insurers are planning to use an expected tax reform effort to nix fees their industry will otherwise face under the health law.
Health Law’s Insurance Rebates, Exchanges And Mandates Continue To Draw Headlines
News outlets report on a variety of health law implementation issues.
Federal Court Blocks Contraception Coverage Mandate For One Business
A U.S. district judge in Colorado issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking the Obama administration from enforcing the birth control coverage requirement on one employer based on the owner’s religious beliefs. The judge issued a three-month temporary injunction, allowing for further legal review of the case brought by a Catholic small business owner.
Some AIDS Experts View Health Law Coverage Expansion With Hope
Meanwhile, the Obama administration announced it would add new funds to increase access to HIV/AIDS care, but questions remain about whether it will be enough to address waiting lists for the drug assistance program. Also in the news, reports on treatment developments.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Court Backs Obama Adminstration Crackdown On Drug Company Execs
The Wall Street Journal reports that a federal appeals court OK’d the Obama administration’s policy to hold drug company executives accountable for corporate wrongdoing.
White House Projections Include Steep Reductions In Medicare, Medicaid Spending
The Wall Street Journal reports on some of the savings details included in the White House’s annual “mid-season” review.
McKesson Settles Rx Drug Pricing Case With 29 States
The nation’s largest drug wholesaler by revenue will pay $151 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged the company inflated prescription drug prices for state Medicaid programs.
Several news outlets mark the end of the International AIDS Conference with commentaries.
Concierge Medicine Buys Patients More Of Doctors’ Time And Attention
The Los Angeles Times reports that a growing number of California physicians are turning toward this type of practice.
Conn. Nursing Home Strike May Hurt Care
The CT Mirror reports workers are protesting cuts to their benefits, but some say care is suffering because of the strike.
Mass. Cost Control Legislation Seeks To Reconcile Wide Coverage, High Costs
The federal overhaul is often compared to Massachusetts’ effort, but that state has yet to find a way to curtail health spending.
Drawing Health Policy Distinctions Between Obama, Romney
The National Journal notes the two presidential candidates offer clear contrasts when it comes to their positions regarding health insurance. Meanwhile, Roll Call notes that the reported differences in opinions among the Supreme Court justices when they reviewed the health law continue to reverberate during this campaign season.
State Roundup: Ore. Medicaid Experiment To Launch
A selection of health policy stories from New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, the District of Columbia, Iowa, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio and New York.
Planned Medicare Payment Reductions Trigger Hospital Action
Hospitals are sharpening their efforts to stop a scheduled 2 percent across-the-board cut in payments to Medicare providers. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers may be stepping back from efforts to block the health law’s birth control coverage mandate.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including recent reports about both the policies and politics related to the health law’s implementation.
Already-Stressed Hospitals Worry About Funding Reductions For The Uninsured
Cuts in aid for emergency care for illegal immigrants is a primary concern for these hospitals, according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, Politico Pro reports on how some Republican governors are playing a Medicaid expansion “waiting game,” and the Washington Post reports on the next wave of NFIB’s strategies to undo the health law.
Health Care Issues, Objectives Reverberate Across The Campaign Season Landscape
The Los Angeles Times takes a look at how social and religious issues — including abortion and contraception — are fitting in to the current campaign season. Also in the news, how the health law is playing in the North Dakota Senate race and how much money one health care lobbying organization has on hand for campaign contributions.
Federal Government, Insurers Partner In Fight Against Health Fraud
HHS and private insurance companies will share raw data and investigations to try to stop billions of dollars in fraud.
