Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study: PTSD Treatment For Soldiers Improving, But There’s Still Work To Be Done
When it comes to diagnosing and treating posttraumatic stress disorder among soldiers returning from service in Afghanistan, Iraq and other modern battle theaters, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense still have a long way to go to meet the needs of armed service members, according to a new Institute of Medicine study. In […]
Every week, KHN reporter Shefali S. Kulkarni selects interesting reading from around the Web. The New York Times: Keeping Parkinson’s Disease A Secret When Nancy Mulhearn learned she had Parkinson’s disease seven years ago, she kept the diagnosis mostly to herself, hiding it from friends, colleagues — even, at first, her mother, sister and teenage children. […]
Today’s Headlines — July 13, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including continuing coverage of how the nation’s governors are handling the high court’s decision allowing states to opt out of the health law’s Medicaid expansion. The New York Times: Lines Are Drawn Over Opting Out Of Medicaid Plan In the weeks since the Supreme Court ruled […]
Mayo Clinic ‘Affiliations’ Spread The Brand
There’s a lot of jockeying for postion in the health care market as medical centers prepare to implement the provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act. The debate over the health care law has created a lot of uncertainty in the market. Many health care providers are responding by linking with each other to manage […]
Rockefeller, MedPAC: Focus Dual Eligibles Overhaul On Care Over Costs
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to overhaul a demonstration project aimed at changing the way millions of individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid receive health care. In a letter to HHS, Rockefeller asked Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to “take immediate steps to halt this initiative as currently structured […]
Today’s Headlines — July 12, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about yesterday’s House vote to repeal the health law. The New York Times: Repeal Of Health Care Law Approved, Again, By House Waging old battles with new zeal, the House passed a bill on Wednesday to repeal President Obama’s health care overhaul law less […]
Teaching Doctors About The Cost Of Care
All new doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, promising to care for their patients to the best of their abilities. But what does that mean in terms of the cost of that care, when medical debt accounts for more than 60 percent of personal bankruptcies in the United States? The fee-for-service payment system has long rewarded doctors […]
Study: Mass. Global Payment Approach Lowers Costs, Improves Care
There’s some encouraging news in the ongoing struggle to control health care costs without sacrificing quality. The Alternative Quality Contract, a global payment model put in place by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in 2009, has both curbed costs and improved the quality of care, according to a Harvard Medical School study published today […]
Could Grass-Roots Pressure Trigger Change Of Heart In Texas?
Health reform advocates and Democrats in Texas are reacting to Gov. Rick Perry’s vow to turn down both the Medicaid expansion and health insurance exchange mandated in the federal health law. Anne Dunkelberg of the left-leaning, Austin, Texas, think tank Center for Public Policy Priorities said that the Legislature will get to vote on whether […]
Morning Joe’s Scarborough ‘Confesses’ His Son Benefits From Health Law
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640 Push aside that cup of coffee and check this out: TV personality and former House Republican Joe Scarborough revealed this morning that his 24-year-old son is among those benefiting from the health law. Scarborough, a small-government conservative who has criticized presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for being the “the godfather of Obamacare,” was wrapping […]
Today’s Headlines — July 11, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the scheduled House vote on repealing the health law as well as how stakeholders — whether it be certain governors or wall street investors — are responding to the Supreme Court’s decision on the Medicaid expansion. Los Angeles Times: Republicans Focus On Repealing, […]
Report: Nation Isn’t Ready To Meet Elderly Patients’ Mental Health Care Needs
The U.S. is not prepared for the mental health needs of aging baby boomers, according an Institute of Medicine report released Tuesday. A continued lack of specialists and other trained providers including primary care physicians and nurses will likely make it difficult for aging patients to receive treatment for depression, dementia and other conditions. In […]
Today’s Headlines — July 10, 2012
Good morning! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including findings of a new Washington Post poll indicating Americans remain divided on the health law. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, cracks may be emerging in the Republican’s repeal effort. The Washington Post: Americans Still Divided On Health-Care Reform: Poll Americans are as evenly divided as […]
ACO Rollout Continues With 89 New Networks
The next round of accountable care organizations is out at last. On Monday, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the selection of 89 new ACOs. That’s more than triple the number of ACOs selected in the previous round. As of July 1, the newly anointed networks became responsible for providing better, cheaper […]
CBO To Release New Budget Numbers for Health Law Week of July 23
The Congressional Budget Office will release its estimate of the federal budgetary impact of the Supreme Court health law ruling the week of July 23, according to a blog post by CBO Director Doug Elmendorf. “Because such updated projections are the base against which CBO will estimate the budgetary effects of changes in the ACA, […]
Some Employers Waiting Until After Elections To Prepare For Health Law
For one in six employers, the Supreme Court’s health law decision wasn’t enough to convince them to prepare for big changes set to take effect in 2014, according to Mercer, an employer consultant. Mercer surveyed 4,000 employers after the court’s ruling, and found that 16 percent still intended to wait until after the November election to […]
GOP To Make 31st Attempt To Repeal Obamacare Act
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The House Rules Committee takes up a bill Monday called the “Repeal of Obamacare Act.” And just like it says, the bill would wipe away the president’s Affordable Care Act. A vote of the full House is planned for Wednesday. It’s the first legislative response from […]
Today’s Headlines — July 9, 2012
Good morning! Here are some headlines to get your day going: NPR: GOP To Make 31st Attempt To Repeal Obamacare Act The House Rules Committee takes up a bill Monday called the “Repeal of Obamacare Act.” And just like it says, the bill would wipe away the president’s Affordable Care Act. A vote of the […]
The Man Behind The ‘Personhood’ Crusade; Atul Gawande On SCOTUS; ‘No One Dies Alone’ Program
Every week, KHN reporter Shefali S. Kulkarni selects interesting reading from around the Web. Newsweek: Behind ‘Personhood’ Leader Keith Mason’s Anti-Abortion Crusade In the four years since Mason launched the pro-life group Personhood USA, he has been crisscrossing the country to convince voters that the best way to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling that […]
Today’s Headlines – July 6, 2012
Los Angeles Times: Obama Takes The Offensive On His Healthcare Law A week after the Supreme Court upheld most of President Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement, the politics of healthcare held center stage in the presidential campaign, shoving aside the economic debate that has dominated most of the last several months. In a notable shift […]
