Phil Galewitz

Visit kff.org to read Phil's bio.

pgalewitz@kff.org
@philgalewitz

In Florida, Drug Importation From Canada Finds New Champions, Old Snags

KFF Health News Original

The state’s governor said the plan has the full support of the White House. But the Trump administration was noncommittal about whether allowing states to buy and import cheaper drugs from up north could be the answer to the nation’s drug-pricing problem.

Glimpsing The Future At Gargantuan Health Tech Showcase

KFF Health News Original

Innovations to help consumers manage their health were on display at the nation’s largest health technology conference that attracted more than 40,000 health industry professionals to Orlando.

Utah’s Novel Plan For Medicaid Expansion Opens Door To Spending Caps Sought By GOP

KFF Health News Original

Utah’s proposal to limit federal and state funding on Medicaid is a radical change. Anti-poverty advocates are concerned that caps could limit how many people are enrolled and restrict services. They also worry other states would adopt a similar plan.

Shrinking Medicaid Rolls In Missouri And Tennessee Raise Flag On Vetting Process

KFF Health News Original

State health officials say several factors, including the improved economy, are behind the 7 percent drop last year in Missouri and 9 percent reduction in Tennessee of Medicaid recipients. But advocates for the poor are worried the states’ efforts to weed out residents who are improperly enrolled has led to people mistakenly forced off the rolls.

Hope You’re Sitting Down: Hospital Charges $4,700 For A Fainting Spell

KFF Health News Original

A 39-year-old man fainted after getting a flu shot at work, and a colleague called 911. He turned out to be fine, but the trip to the ER cost him his whole deductible.

Hospitals Check To See If Patients Are Donor-Worthy — Not Their Organs, But Pockets

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals often contract with market data firms to screen patients’ wealth. That software allows the hospitals to gauge patients’ propensity to donate based on public records, including property and stock ownership and campaign donations.

Medicaid Plans Cover Doctors’ Visits, Hospital Care — And Now Your GED

KFF Health News Original

These private insurers say improving education can help enrollees achieve a healthier lifestyle, so some pay for the tests and find ways to assist people studying for the exams.

Short On Federal Funding, Obamacare Enrollment Navigators Switch Tactics

KFF Health News Original

Enrollment is lagging this year as the Trump administration spends just $10 million on navigators to help individuals enroll in coverage, down from $63 million in 2016.

Under Trump, Number Of Uninsured Kids Rose For First Time This Decade

KFF Health News Original

About 276,000 more children are among the uninsured, a new report finds. Though the uptick is statistically small, it is striking because uninsured rates usually decrease during periods of economic growth.

Midterm Election Boosts Medicaid Expansion, But Challenges Remain

KFF Health News Original

Following the vote, nearly 500,000 uninsured adults in five states are poised to gain Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, say advocates. But many conservatives remain opposed to the expansion.

Gun Store Owner Marshals Voters To Expand Medicaid In Idaho

KFF Health News Original

Idaho is one of four conservative states where voters next month will determine whether to buck the GOP’s resistance to the Affordable Care Act and implement or renew its expansion of Medicaid to adults.

Marketplace Subsidies May Be Option In 2020 For Plans That Skirt Obamacare

KFF Health News Original

The new guidance allows states to ask for waivers from provisions in the Affordable Care Act governing not only subsidies, but also the benefits insurers must offer in all their plans.

Health Care Tops Guns, Economy As Voters’ Top Issue

KFF Health News Original

Nearly three-quarters of voters say that health care is the most important issue for them, but fewer than half are hearing much from candidates about it, according to a poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Medicare For All? CMS Chief Warns Program Has Enough Problems Already

KFF Health News Original

Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, tells private insurance officials that a push by some Democrats to expand Medicare would only increase troubles the program already faces.