Latest KFF Health News Stories
Suing A Nursing Home Could Get Easier Under Proposed Federal Rules
Many families must sign a binding arbitration agreement when a loved one is admitted to a nursing home, pledging not to sue if something goes wrong. Proposed rules would ban that requirement.
For Former Foster Kids, Moving Out Of State Can Mean Losing Medicaid
Youths who have aged out of the foster care system can lose their Medicaid eligibility when they move to another state. Advocates and some members of Congress want to fix that.
The North Carolina Experiment: How One State Is Trying To Reshape Medicaid
With legislation that passed last month, North Carolina is trying to build a hybrid managed care, accountable care model – with doctors, hospitals and insurance companies all sharing some risk. Advocates worry it could eclipse gains made by Medicaid in the state in the past.
Seniors Who Don’t Consider Switching Drug Plans May Face Steep Price Rise
For beneficiaries, staying in their current plans could prove costly so advocates urge them to check out the alternatives.
No Ready-Made Rx For Rising Drug Costs
Lawmakers, insurers and others have floated proposals to combat the spike in prescription drug prices, but will any of them gain traction?
Nursing Homes’ Residents Face Health Risks From Antibiotics’ Misuse
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges homes to improve their policies in fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
The clinics have agreed to disclose more fully which health insurance plans consider them “in network.”
Dementia Also Takes Toll On Unpaid Caregivers, Study Shows
The research shows 77 percent of those with dementia receive routine help with household tasks or personal care such as bathing and dressing. Only 20 percent of the 33 million people without dementia received similar help.
HHS: Remaining Uninsured Worry About Costs Of Coverage
The Obama administration expects 1 million more people to be enrolled in marketplace coverage by the end of 2016.
Medicaid Spending Soars — Mostly In Expansion States
New report finds the annual increase in Medicaid spending is the largest in at least two decades, spurred by the federal health law expansion.
A Looming Tax On High-End Health Plans Draws Fire From Many Sides
A plan to tax high-value health insurance plans is meeting stiff resistance from both sides of the aisle in Congress despite calls to make employers more demanding health coverage shoppers – and the $87 billion in revenue the tax could generate over the next decade.
Don’t Just Renew Your Medicare Plan. Shopping Around Can Save Money.
Enrollment for private Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans begins Oct. 15 and consumer advocates urge seniors to check out prices to find the best deals.
Biking Behind Bars: Female Inmates Battle Weight Gain
Women in prison often eat to relieve stress or boredom. The resulting weight gain can make other physical and emotional problems worse. In one prison, spinning helps keep the pounds and rage at bay.
Bipartisan Effort Revises Health Law Provision For Small Businesses
The new law, signed by President Barack Obama last week, eases some of the requirements for employers with 51 to 100 workers and counterintuitively may help bolster coverage.
Dueling Recommendations About Need For Pelvic Exams Leaves Women Confused
The nation’s internists urge doctors to quit performing the invasive exam for most women, but gynecologists argue that it is important.
Birth Centers Boost Deliveries While Easing Labor Pains
Staffed by midwives and bolstered by Obamacare, low-tech birth centers away from hospitals are up almost 60 percent since 2010.
Most Who Leave California Exchange Get Other Insurance Coverage
A small percentage of people who drop coverage through Covered California become uninsured, perhaps because of cost concerns, according to new data.
Medical Prices Higher In Areas Where Large Doctor Groups Dominate, Study Finds
Researchers report that prices for a dozen procedures and tests were 8 to 26 percent higher in counties with the highest level of physicians concentrated in large group practices.
California’s Right-To-Die Law Sparks Reaction
Scott Shafer of KQED and The California Report hosted a special radio broadcast on California’s landmark aid-in-dying law, and talked to reporter April Dembosky, advocates and critics of the law, and the husband of the woman whose lobbying — and death — sparked the debate.
Leslie Michelson’s Checklist For Avoiding Diagnostic Errors – The KHN Conversation
Michelson, who runs a Los Angeles-based company that helps patients research their medical options and has written a book about how to avoid bad care, offers advice on how to navigate the health care system.
