Latest KFF Health News Stories
KHN Video: Transgender Surgery Covered By Insurance
After being uninsured, Palm Springs resident Devin Payne signed up for a Covered California plan under the health law. In May, the 43-year-old single parent underwent gender reassignment surgery and is looking forward to being reimbursed by her insurance company.
Allynne Noelle: Ballerina Gets Insured
Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, 32, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
Restaurant Owner Struggles To Afford Health Insurance
Sandra Lopez, 41, owns Las Fajitas, a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
Budget Referees Make It Harder To Evaluate Obamacare Costs
The Congressional Budget Office will no longer evaluate the fiscal implications of some parts of the Affordable Care Act, partly because of all the changes made during implementation. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and The Fiscal Times’ Eric Pianin discuss.
Teresa Martinez: Waiting For Medi-Cal
Teresa Martinez, 62, from East Los Angeles makes $10,000 a year working as a hairdresser in a Koreatown salon. With her modest income she is likely to be eligible for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion.
Obama Announces 8 Million Have Enrolled In Marketplace Plans
The president also announced that 35 percent of people who enrolled on the federally run healthcare.gov marketplace are under age 35.
Teledentistry Boosts Kids’ Dental Treatments
Teledentistry is changing the dynamics of dental care delivery to children in low-income communities. Mireya Rodriguez, a dental hygienist in alternative practice, conducts dental screenings at Head Start preschool centers in Los Angeles,
Obama: ‘The Affordable Care Act Is Here To Stay’
It a statement in the White House Rose Garden, the president Tuesday touted over 7 million sign-ups for health insurance on the health law’s marketplaces.
Health Outreach Project Educates Students On California Campuses
Largely low-income and minority California State University students want health insurance but many are afraid they can’t afford it. Outreach workers are scrambling to sign them up.
Lawmakers Weigh Changes To Medicare
The House this week held a hearing on payment shifts in Medicare Advantage plans and has scheduled a vote Friday on a proposal to revamp the system for paying doctors. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro’s Jennifer Haberkorn discuss the issues.
How Proposed Part D Changes Are Playing On Capitol Hill
Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are proposing to remove some drugs from Medicare’s prescription drug plans and limit how many plans insurers can offer. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and CQ Roll Call’s Emily Ethridge discuss.
Once limited to filling and dispensing drugs, pharmacists in California are increasingly providing direct care to patients.
Former Foster Youth Stay Insured Until 26
Former foster youth in California are eligible for Medi-Cal until age 26 under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Marcy Valenzuela has been without health insurance for the last four years. By the time she was 18, she had lived in several foster placements, had become addicted to drugs and spent time in juvenile hall. The 25-year-old is getting her life back on track, starting with her health.
Video: Obama Says 9 Million Have Enrolled Under Health Law
President Obama used Tuesday night’s annual State of the Union address to urge more Americans to enroll in the new insurance exchanges.
What If I Don’t Like The Coverage Offered By My Employer?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews outlines the health insurance options for people offered coverage at work.
Coverage Options For Young Adults Who Have A Mental Illness
A reader asks: Where can my son with a mental illness find coverage once he turns 26 and can’t be on our family insurance anymore?
Obama: Insurers Can Extend Canceled Policies Into 2014
Video: President Obama announced Thursday that insurers will be permitted to extend canceled insurance policies into 2014, due to the difficulties consumers are having enrolling in new insurance coverage through the new online marketplaces.
Obama Seeks To Reassure Consumers Frustrated With Healthcare.gov
“Nobody is madder than me” about the problems consumers have had with the federal insurance marketplace, Obama said in a Rose Garden speech, “which means it’s going to get fixed.”
Options For Consumers When COBRA Coverage Runs Out
A reader asks: Can COBRA health insurance coverage be extended beyond 36 months?
In Most States, Policies Will be Sold Outside The Health Law Marketplace
Those plans must also provide the same “essential benefits” as the plans set up for the exchanges and have similar out-of-pocket standards.
