Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront From ER Patients With Routine Problems
Proponents say the policy saves time and money, but critics fear people will be discouraged from seeking emergency room care when they need it.
Health On The Hill: Congressional Leaders Reach Deal On 10-Month ‘Doc Fix’
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the agreement Senate and House negotiators reached today on the “doc fix,” which avoids a cut in Medicare physician payment rates for the rest of the year.
Really, America, Most Mass. Residents Like Health Reform
Latest WBUR poll shows that 62 percent of residents support Massachusetts’ health reform law, despite the drubbing it’s taken during the Republican presidential primaries.
Alaska Takes Biggest Step Yet Toward Health Insurance Exchange
Alaska has opposed the federal health law so adamantly that it is the only state that chose not to even apply for a $1 million grant the federal government was passing out to states to plan a health insurance exchange. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be an online marketplace to buy insurance in Alaska.
Candidates Court Seniors On Medicare
The top contenders are casting themselves as protectors of the program, even as they embrace ways to cut spending growth that have proven radioactive in past elections.
Health Care In Massachusetts: ‘Abject Failure’ Or Work In Progress?
GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s health care reform in Massachusetts is denigrated by his fellow GOP contenders and some others, but the law isn’t nearly as controversial in his home state, where it remains to be seen just how the law will transform the health care system there.
Experts Question Medicare’s Effort To Rate Hospitals’ Patient Safety Records
The new data identify many major teaching institutions as having high rates of serious complications. But officials say the measures are faulty.
FAQ: The Obama Administration’s Compromise On Contraception Benefits
The Obama administration, stung by fierce opposition from Catholic leaders to a new rule requiring that insurance plans offer free contraception, announced revised regulations Friday. Kaiser Health News summarizes common questions and answers to explain the new policy.
The White House Fact Sheet On The Contraception Compromise
This fact sheet was released by the White House in advance of President Barack Obama’s Feb. 10 comments about mandated health insurance coverage for contraception.
Rules Requiring Contraceptive Coverage Have Been In Force For Years
Employers have pretty much been required to provide contraceptive coverage as part of their health plans since December 2000. That’s when the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that failure to provide such coverage violates the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act. But controversy over a new rule requiring even religious employers to cover contraception remains.
HHS Unveils Requirements For Consumer Insurance Labels
The rules detail standard, easy-to-understand information that insurance plans will be required to provide consumers.
Consumers Hit By Higher Out-of-Network Medical Costs
Insurers switch to new way to calculate reimbursement that shifts more of the expenses onto patients.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Backlash Grows Over Contraception Rule In Health Law
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about an Obama administration rule that would require many religious-affiliated groups to cover birth control in their insurance plans. House Speaker John Boehner has suggested Congress could take legislative action to stop the rule
Minnesota Plans For Exchange, Even Without New Law
Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, said that authorization will be needed at some point from the state legislature for an exchange. But he also suggested that much work could be done ahead of legislative action.
Hospitals Mine Their Patients’ Records In Search Of Customers
Hospitals say they are promoting needed services, such as cancer screenings and cholesterol tests, but they often use the data to target patients with private health insurance, which typically pay higher rates than government coverage.
As Komen Defends Itself, Planned Parenthood Rakes In Substitute Funds
Leaders of the breast-cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure tried in vain Thursday to contain the controversy stemming from its decision to end its grants to Planned Parenthood.
States Under Pressure As Health Law Deadlines Approach
Critics say Washington is moving too slowly on regulations and guidance.
Planned Parenthood Vs. Komen: Women’s Health Giants Face Off
The breast-cancer charity is pulling about $700,000 in breast cancer screening and service grants from Planned Parenthood.
War Savings May Be Key To Long-Term ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
Health On The Hill: KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey tells Jackie Judd that both Democrats and Republicans have floated using savings from the drawdown of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to hammer out a bargain on the Medicare “doc fix.” But Wednesday’s meeting of House and Senate conferees focused on policy; more discussions about funding will come Thursday.
The National Alzheimer’s Plan: An Opportunity For Action
Alzheimer’s expert Dr. Rachelle Doody writes that the recently released draft framework for a national Alzheimer’s plan is somewhat vague even as it contains excellent goals and begins to focus the minds and resources of key stakeholders on these issues.
