Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s Headlines – Jan. 3, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more analysis of how the “fiscal cliff” deal impacts health programs as well as what the upcoming deficit talks might have in store for entitlement spending. The Washington Post’s Wonkblog: The Fiscal Cliff Cuts $1.9 Billion From Obamacare. Here’s How. The fiscal cliff deal is, […]
Consumers May Draw Wrong Conclusions From Medical Prices
Some health policy experts and consumer advocates are pushing for greater transparency in the pricing of medical good and services. If consumers know the price of an item, so the thinking goes, they’ll make smarter decisions about whether they need it. But a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that consumers’ perceptions […]
Fiscal Deal Kills New Funding For Health Law’s Co-Ops
Going, going, gone. The fiscal cliff deal, approved by Congress on New Year’s Day, eliminates most of the more than $1.4 billion in remaining funding from the federal health law for new nonprofit, customer-owned health plans designed to compete against the major for-profit insurers. That means the Obama administration won’t be able to approve loans […]
Today’s Headlines – Jan. 2, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a number of reports about congressional efforts to avert the “fiscal cliff.” The New York Times: Amid Pressure, House Passes Fiscal Deal Ending a climactic fiscal showdown in the final hours of the 112th Congress, the House late Tuesday passed and sent to President Obama […]
‘Doc Fix’ In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Plan Cuts Medicare Hospital Payments
Updated at 9:30 a.m. on January 2. Legislation passed by Congress New Year’s Day to avert the dreaded “fiscal cliff” would stop a scheduled payment cut in Medicare physician payments. But hospitals, which have to bear a major part of financing for that “doc fix,” are not happy. The bill would require that, over the […]
School Cafeterias Join Fight Against Childhood Obesity
Kathy Del Tonto started cooking school food 30 years ago in the Montrose school district at the foot of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Back then, the cafeteria workers made everything from scratch. “My first kitchen that I managed was a little country school out south of town, and we made our own ketchup and everything,” she […]
HHS Stops Short Of Calling For Safety Regulation Of Digital Records
The Obama administration Friday urged cooperation between software companies and caregivers to prevent patient harm caused by faulty electronic records. But it stopped short of calling for regulation or a federal requirement to report computer mistakes that pose a risk to patients. “We are saying to the vendors: Step up and prove your ability to […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 21, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the House Republicans’ failure to pass Speaker John Boehner’s tax and federal debt plan. The New York Times: Boehner Cancels Tax Vote In Face Of G.O.P. Revolt Speaker John A. Boehner’s effort to pass fallback legislation to avert a fiscal crisis in less […]
The Gun Lobby’s Favorite Part Of The Health Law
Updated at 12:00 noon. Did you know the Affordable Care Act stands up for gun rights? The “Protection of Second Amendment Gun Rights” section (page 19 in this PDF) says the health law’s wellness programs can’t require participants to give information about guns in the house. It also keeps the Department of Health and Human […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 20, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news about the efforts to reach a deal on curbing the federal deficit. The New York Times: Obama And Boehner Diverge Sharply On Fiscal Plan Hopes for a broad deficit-reduction agreement faded on Wednesday as President Obama insisted he had offered Republicans “a fair deal” […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 19, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the “fiscal cliff” negotiations. The New York Times: Hospitals Fear They’ll Bear Brunt Of Medicare Cuts As President Obama and Congress try to thrash out a budget deal, the question is not whether they will squeeze money out of Medicare, but how much […]
Colorado Gov Pitches Plan To Mend Mental Health Safety Net
In a grim coincidence, just days after the mass killing in Newtown, Conn., Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is proposing an $18.5 million plan to strengthen the state’s mental health system. The proposal is the result of five months of work by a group of advisors convened by Hickenlooper in the wake of a mass shooting in July at an […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 18, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about some of the health program specifics involved in offers traded in the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations. The New York Times: Obama’s New Offer On Fiscal Crisis Could Lead To Deal The offer is close to a plan proposed by the speaker on Friday, […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 17, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including weekend updates regarding the fiscal cliff negotiations as well as news regarding states’ decisions on health exchanges. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Movement Seen In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks As Boehner Offers Revenue Boost In return, Boehner is asking for $1 trillion in spending cuts from government […]
Med Students Switch Gears After Sandy KO’s Training Hospitals
After completing a medical rotation in pediatrics, Hannah Kirsch was looking forward to starting another one in psychiatry at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital – but then Hurricane Sandy hit. Kirsch is among about 170 third-year and fourth-year medical students at NYU School of Medicine who were required to change their plans after two of NYU’s […]
Tax Exclusion For Health Benefits Could Be Part Of ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks
As the deficit debate continues, some policy wonks think it’s inevitable that negotiators will address a loophole that allows workers to avoid paying taxes on the value of their job-based health insurance. “The No. 1 tax expenditure is employer-provided health insurance,” said G. William Hoagland, a senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, who […]
Facing Deadline, Most States Say No To Running Their Own Insurance Exchanges
Updated at 5:35 p.m. The Obama administration will have to build and operate online health insurance markets for more than 30 states, something few expected when the federal health law was approved in 2010. With today’s deadline hours away, only 18 states and the District of Columbia had proposed running their own insurance markets, also known […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 14, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, featuring the latest reports on the fiscal negotiations — including how proposals to raise the Medicare eligibility are playing. The New York Times: With Gap Wide And Time Short, Obama And Boehner Meet With time running short to work out a deal to avert a year-end […]
Health Law Could Help Low-Income Mothers With Depression
Maternal depression can make it more difficult for women to breastfeed, keep up with doctors’ appointments and interact with their babies. But some health care researchers are hoping the Affordable Care Act will improve treatment for a condition that affects 11 percent of infants’ mothers on average, but which is more prevalent among low-income mothers. “Low-income mothers were […]
Obama Administration Grilled About Insurance Markets In House Hearing
It was akin to being called to the principal’s office to find out why the pupil was late with her homework. Top Obama administration officials were called before a House subcommittee Thursday to answer questions about the implementation of the president’s landmark health law, and what Republicans say is a lack of clarity over how […]
