Hospitals’ Purchase Of Doctors Leads To Higher Prices, Spending, Study Finds
A new study gives ammunition to what health economists and health insurers have argued for years: When hospitals buy physician practices, the result is usually higher hospital prices and increased spending by privately insured patients. The study, published Monday in the journal Health Affairs, was based on an analysis of 2.1 million hospital claims from workers […]
Healthcare.gov Finished Strong Despite Rocky Start, Enrollment Data Show
Obama administration officials on Thursday predicted health insurance premiums would be stable next year despite concerns that not enough young and healthy people signed up through the online insurance exchanges. “The risk pool is fundamentally large and varied to support that kind of pricing…in every state,” said Mike Hash, director of the office of health […]
Most States To Rely On Federal Website For 2015 Enrollment
Tight deadlines and technical challenges dampen enthusiasm among states to set up their own online insurance marketplaces.
Is Bigger Better? Idaho Hospital Battle A Microcosm Of Debate Over Industry Consolidation
A federal court’s ruling dissolving the merger of the state’s biggest hospital system and biggest doctors’ practice may discourage future ventures.
Obama Sharply Criticizes Republicans As He Announces 8 Million Have Enrolled
President says others have been denied the law’s benefits because many states haven’t expanded Medicaid.
Hospitals Get Into Doctor Rating Business
After some doctors at University of Utah Health Care noticed scathing online reviews about themselves in 2012, the hospital system decided the best way to respond was by posting its patients’ ratings of physicians on the hospital’s own website. The hospital was already randomly surveying patients about their experiences with physicians. Now, when potential patients […]
Medicaid Enrollment Increased By 3 Million From October To February
The number of low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose by 3 million to 62.3 million from October through February as more Americans joined the state-federal insurance program through state and federal online insurance marketplaces, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services. States that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the […]
What Happens Next On The Health Law?
As the first open enrollment period draws to a close, here are seven things to watch for clues about what the health law’s future might hold.
10 States Are Critical To Administration’s Efforts To Enroll 6 Million In New Health Plans
Reaching that number might give Democrats bragging rights and make it more likely that state pools are big enough to keep down premiums.
Nearly 1 Million More Sign Up For Obamacare Plans In February
But the number of enrollees, especially those between 18 and 34, continues to lag expectations.
Business Groups Split On Medicaid Expansion
With several states weighing whether to expand Medicaid under the federal health law, supporters are looking to powerful business groups to help sway skeptical state legislators. But those groups are split on the issue — just like the public at large. Nationally, the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents mostly small employers, remains opposed to the […]
Obama Urges Latinos To Sign Up For Insurance Now
President Barack Obama appealed directly to Latinos on Thursday, telling them time is running out to sign up for health coverage this year and that they should enroll now to avoid problems. Open enrollment in the health law’s online health insurance marketplaces closes March 31 for coverage this year and that date won’t be extended, Obama said […]
Groups Make Final Push To Sign People Up For Obamacare
With less than four weeks to go before the deadline, ads and direct appeals take aim at young people, Latinos and others without insurance coverage.
Tenet Expects 15% Of Its Uninsured To Get Obamacare Coverage
Tenet Healthcare Corp., the nation’s third largest for-profit hospital operator, said Tuesday it expects 15 percent of its uninsured patients to get covered this year as a result of the Affordable Care Act. But the company isn’t counting yet on any higher profits from the shift, Tenet officials said after a conference call with Wall Street […]
Arkansas Medicaid Fight All About The Math, Governor Says
http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js brightcove.createExperiences();Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says his strategy to win over state lawmakers skeptical about continuing the state’s Medicaid expansion is to show them the money. “It’s arithmetic, it’s not even math,” Beebe said Monday at a media briefing sponsored by Kaiser Health News and Health Affairs. The Democratic governor said if the Arkansas legislature opts against going […]
Impact Of Medicare Advantage Cuts On Seniors Sharply Disputed
Experts say that costs may rise for some enrollees, but rates have been largely stable for most.
Health Centers See Threat From ‘Private Option’ Medicaid
Shifting Medicaid enrollees into private plans could mean less money for clinics treating the poor.
Report: Nearly 3.3 Million Americans Have Enrolled in Private Obamacare Plans
The number of young adults still lags, but the pace of signups has increased.
Report: Latinos Could Be Big Winners From Obamacare
Latinos make up a disproportionate share of the nation’s uninsured and most could get coverage from the Affordable Care Act or existing programs if every state expanded Medicaid, according to a federal report released Tuesday. The report said that if all states expanded Medicaid, as many as 95 percent of eligible, uninsured Latinos might qualify for […]
States Accelerate Shift Of Nursing Home Residents Into Medicaid Managed Care
Insurers say that safety is their No.1 concern, but consumer advocates and nursing home owners are wary.
