Latest KFF Health News Stories
Full Text: Obama’s Health Care Proposal
Read the full text of President Obama’s health care proposal, which he will bring to his Thursday health ‘summit’ with Congressional leaders.
Dental Coverage Cuts Leave California’s Poor In Pain
While the recession may be easing, California and other states across the country continue to face eye-popping budget deficits. As a result, states are cutting deep into public health programs, and dental benefits for Medicaid recipients top the list.
Doctor Shortage Fuels Nurses’ Push For Expanded Role
Nurse practitioners – like Irene Cavall in North Carolina – are gaining support in their drive to play a larger primary care role. But the powerful AMA is waving a yellow caution flag before state regulators and legislators.
Missing HSA Money Raises Oversight Questions
Thousands of people are learning that money they squirreled away in health savings accounts is gone. Many thought the money was sitting safely in banks. But now it appears it was stolen.
Community Health Centers Providing Return On Investment
The federal stimulus package that sent nearly $2 billion to community health centers appears to have paid off in economic returns.
Transcript: Health On The Hill: What A Difference A Year Makes
President Obama has scheduled a bipartisan summit for Feb. 25 to discuss ways to pass health care overhaul legislation this year. On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders in both chambers are trying to resolve differences between House and Senate-passed health care bills and make progress on the issue once lawmakers return from the President’s Day recess.
Will Health Care Savings Be Used To Reduce The Deficit?
As health care legislation falters, health groups worry that proposed spending cutbacks might be used to narrow the budget gap, not expand coverage.
Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate
The last time Congress debated a health overhaul, when Bill Clinton was president, several senators who now oppose an individual mandate actually supported a bill that would have required it. In fact, says Len Nichols of the New America Foundation, the individual mandate was originally a Republican idea.
High-Tech Medicine Contributes To High-Cost Health Care
The U.S. leads the world in creating state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic treatments with the potential to work miracles for patients. But is the overuse of pricey technologies in preventive medicine driving up health care costs unnecessarily?
Medicare Pay Fix For Doctors Hitches Ride On Jobs Bill
Physicians are the immediate beneficiaries of a provision in the jobs bill that would postpone a 21 percent cut in the amount Medicare pays them.
How Health Overhaul Would Affect The Uninsured
As a part of our “Are You Covered?” series, KHN and NPR also examine how the health overhaul would impact the uninsured.
As Focus Shifts To Jobs, The Uninsured Seek Solutions
Nurse practitioner Mary Mackie reviews a patient’s file with a health counselor in the temporary site of the New Orleans Faith Health Alliance. (Debbie Elliott/NPR) The national debate over health care appears to be taking a back seat to jobs creation – but the problem persists for people who have jobs but no health insurance. […]
Facing Shortage, Kansas Seeks To Increase Doctor Training
Kansas is going to need more doctors to meet the growing needs of an aging population, officials here say.
For Senior Care, Sometimes It Does Take A Village
Nearly three years ago, Harry Rosenberg and his wife, Barbara Filner, met with nine of their neighbors about starting an aging-in-place “village” in Bethesda, Maryland. The idea: If neighbors could help one another with basic services such as transportation and simple home maintenance and with friendly visits, people could stay in their homes longer as they aged.
Sebelius To GOP: ‘Don’t Get Wrong Impression’ About Obama Health Summit
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that President Obama’s Feb. 25 bipartisan summit is to “get Republicans to re-engage in the process. It is not acceptable that half the legislative body pushed away from the table months ago and said ‘we do not want to participate.'”
Millions More Children Added To Medicaid, CHIP Rolls In 2009
A new study shows that, compared to last year, an additional 2.6 million children are now enrolled in the federal-state coverage programs, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Should Health Insurance Companies Be Allowed To Sell Individual Policies Across State Lines?
With health care legislation stalled, the GOP is touting its plan which includes allowing Americans to buy health coverage from another state. Democrats include a version in their bills. Critics say this would erode consumer protections.
Government Health Spending To Top Private Sector By 2012
A new study by federal officials finds that state, local and federal health spending has steadily increased. And, the nation’s health spending as a share of the economy jumped in 2009 by 1.1 points to 17.3 percent.
The Debate Over Selling Insurance Across State Lines
With health care legislation stalled, the GOP is touting its plan which includes allowing Americans to buy health coverage from another state. Democrats include a version in their bills. Critics say this would erode consumer protections.
Obama’s Budget Increases Funding for Medical Research That Compares Treatment Options
The president has long championed comparative effectiveness research, saying it would provide crucial information to determine which regimen or drug should be used. But critics fear that could lead to an effort to cut costs and restrict patients’ choices.
