Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Programs Facing Cutbacks After Super Committee’s Failure
It’s a mixed verdict, however. Medicaid will be spared, and the Medicare hit will be limited to providers. But other programs, from disease prevention to public health surveillance, face big automatic cuts in 2013.
Health On The Hill: Why The Super Committee Struck Out And The Impact On The ‘Doc Fix’
Politico Pro’s Matt DoBias and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey examine what led to the super committee’s failure to cut a deal and discuss what it means for hopes of a permanent “doc fix.”
Local California Republicans Quietly Embrace Medicaid Expansion
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the No. 3 Republican in the House, has made it clear that he wants President Obama’s health overhaul law repealed. But conservative lawmakers in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., and elsewhere in the state are expanding insurance coverage for low-income adults.
Despite Deep Opposition To Health Law, Ga. Contemplates Exchange
Georgia is not alone. A number of Republican states, including some in the South, are hedging their bets and planning health insurance marketplaces to avoid a version designed by Washington.
Health Leaders Prepare For Round Two Of Cuts
No matter what the super committee does, health groups expect another debate on spending after the election and they want to redirect the talks to costs’ root causes.
Legal Questions And Answers That Will Decide The Health Law’s Fate
With Stuart Taylor as a guide, Kaiser Health News provides a decision tree to help readers see how the sweeping health law’s implementation could proceed – or not – based on each of the legal arguments the Supreme Court will hear.
Super Committee Urged To Alter Coverage For Some Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries
State Medicaid directors and health insurers press panel to move people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid into private health plans for more efficient care.
The Walmart Opportunity: Can Retailers Revamp Primary Care?
Just as Walmart and other retailers shook up the pharmacy business by offering $4 generic drugs, the industry now aims to apply its clout to tackle unpredictable costs, a lack of primary care doctors and inefficient management of chronic illnesses.
In Capitol Hill Speech, Paul Decries ‘Corporate Medicine,’ ‘Government Intervention’
GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul discussed how, in his view, the federal government has undermined the nation’s health care system.
Texas Lawsuit Identifies Problems In Medicare Hospice Provisions
Complaint filed in federal court alleges one of the nation’s largest hospice companies and HMO firms defrauded the government by inappropriately shifting patients into the program for terminally ill.
South Carolina’s Waiting Game On Health Insurance Exchange
The state is likely to decide against creating its own exchange, opting instead to let the federal government build the marketplace, one of the central features of the health law.
Interest Group Wish List: A Window Into The Challenge For The Super Committee
To help give a sense of the enormity of the pressure faced by panel members, KHN has examined just one of many areas the committee must consider. Here is a sampling of the advice and requests from health care interests.
Analysis: Keys To The Supreme Court’s Health Law Review
In this analysis, Stuart Taylor writes that the case is “especially momentous” because it will determine the future of the health law — President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The ruling also will likely occur during the midst of the 2012 presidential election season.
Scoreboard: Tracking Health Law Court Challenges
Kaiser Health News tracks the status of more than two dozen cases as they work their way through the federal courts.
Affluent Seniors Could Take A Hit On Medicare
Both Democrats and Republicans are eyeing proposals to require well-off Medicare beneficiaries to pay more for their coverage as the super committee looks for ways to hold down spending.
Targeting Wealthy Medicare Beneficiaries
More than half of 15 major deficit reduction proposals put forth in 2010 and 2011 call for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries to pay more for their coverage.
Florida Politics Creating Bumps On Health Information ‘Highway’
Florida is one of the first states to help doctors and hospitals adopt a new way of transferring patient information. But Gov. Rick Scott objects to the Health Information Exchange Network, which was built with federal stimulus money.
Mary Agnes Carey talks about what Medicare changes would be part of the latest proposal from super committee Republicans to strike a deficit reduction deal.
Romney’s Plan Would Fundamentally Change Medicare
Although the GOP presidential candidate is offering to let beneficiaries stay in the traditional fee-for-service program, critics say his plan could shift more cost to individuals.
Helping Low-Income Veterans Maintain The Best Possible Quality Of Life
The Veterans’ Affairs Aid and Attendance program can help wartime veterans remain at home or assist them in paying for long-term care. A large number of veterans across the country who qualify for this aid, however, somehow are slipping through the cracks. A Washington state pilot program is correcting this problem.
