Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospice, Palliative Care Aim To Ease Suffering
Palliative services are designed to help patients and their families sort through their options – ome of which may help restore the patient, while others may increase suffering for a minimal health benefit.
Some Small Businesses See Burden In “Cadillac” Tax
A proposed tax on high-cost insurance plans could make it more difficult for small businesses to purchase health coverage. Even though many businesses don’t offer rich benefits, their plans may be costly because the covered employees are predominantly older, sicker or female, three categories that currently result in higher premiums. Other provisions in health overall legislation could mitigate the impact of the tax, however.
Full Speech: Obama On Insurance Reform
President Obama presented his new proposal on health reform Wednesday afternoon. Read his full speech here.
Excerpts Of President Obama’s Remarks: ‘This Is Where We’ve Ended Up’
The White House released selected remarks in advance of the President’s speech later this afternoon.
Post-Health Summit, Obama Sends Letter To Pelosi, Reid, Boehner, McConnell
The President’s letter to congressional leaders highlighted what he called areas of agreement between the Democrats and the Republicans on health reform proposals.
Parity Law Expands Mental Health Access
Many patients seeking mental health treatments, such as Denise Camp of Baltimore, have been forced to pick up a bigger share of the cost than they do with other medical bills. But a law that went into effect Jan. 1 prohibits such double standards.
Transcript: Health On The Hill
House and Senate Democratic leaders continue to determine support in their chambers for moving health care legislation by using the budget reconciliation process, which would allow the measure to be approved in the Senate by 51 votes rather than a filibuster-proof 60 vote margin.
Bipartisan Agreement: Health Insurers Shouldn’t Revoke Coverage
While Democrats and Republicans are at odds over much of health reform, they do agree that insurers should not be allowed to retroactively cancel health insurance policies. Capitol Hill watchers say the practice could be outlawed within a few months.
Catholic Directive May Thwart End-Of-Life Wishes
A directive passed last November in Tulsa, Okla., raises fresh questions about the ability of patients to have their end-of-life treatment wishes honored – and whether and how a health care provider should comply with lawful requests not consistent with the provider’s religious views.
Transcript: White House Health Summit, Afternoon Session
The White House transcript of yesterday’s remarks from the health care summit convened by President Barack Obama.
Transcript: Health On The Hill: After The Summit
A health care summit between President Obama, Republicans and Democrats ended with the president laying out some areas of consensus between the two parties but many disagreements remain.
Transcript: White House Health Summit, Morning Session
The White House released the first set of this morning’s remarks from the health care summit convened by President Barack Obama.
Democrats Face Internal Battles Over Health Care
Democrats can’t use reconciliation to pass a bill until they end disputes within their own ranks.
Health Care No Stranger To Congressional Budget Reconciliation Process
To get health reform passed, Democrats could use a process called budget reconciliation, which allows them to advance the bill with a simple majority. Republicans say the process was not designed for such a large bill, but reconciliation has often been used to move major health policy.
Timeline: A History Of Reconciliation
For 30 years, major changes to health care laws have passed via the budget reconciliation process. Here are a few examples.
The Antitrust Exemption For Health Insurers: Meaningful Or Not?
With comprehensive health care legislation foundering, House Democrats are turning to a narrower piece of legislation they hope has populist appeal: repealing the antitrust exemption for health and medical liability insurers. Policy makers disagree on the effect the repeal would have.
Analysis: Health Lobbyists’ Powerful Impact On Reform Bills
A Center for Public Integrity analysis shows that more than 1,750 a diverse list of companies and organizations hired about 4,525 lobbyists to influence health reform bills in 2009.
Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan
In November, 1993, Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., introduced what was considered to be one of the main Republican health overhaul proposals: “A bill to provide comprehensive reform of the health care system of the United States.” Titled the “Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act of 1993,” it had 21 co-sponsors, including two Democrats (Sens. Boren and Kerrey). The […]
State Regulators Criticize Obama Plan To Create Federal Authority Over Health Insurance Rates
Three veteran state insurance commissioners said they’d welcome federal advisory help, but draw the line at giving the government authority over rates, a power they say states should retain exclusively.
Just days before a bipartisan White House summit on health care, President Obama unveiled a proposal that closely tracks the Senate-passed health legislation with some modifications.
