Latest KFF Health News Stories
Public Support Of Health Law Drops Sharply
Many Democrats lost faith that the law would help them, a bad sign for the Obama administration as it tries to maintain support among voters.
Managing Asthma With More Than Medicine
Truly treating childhood asthma takes a team of doctors, health educators and parents. They are trying this approach in Philadelphia, where the prevalence of the disease in the African-American community is especially high.
Seniors Get a Break On Medicare Part B Premiums
KHN staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports that most beneficiaries face only a small boost in their monthly premiums next year, and some will enjoy decreases, Obama administration officials announced.
State Medicaid Spending Skyrockets
KHN staff writer Phil Galewitz reports that the combination of rising enrollments and the end of federal stimulus funds is forcing a huge spike in state spending on Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor.
Super Committee Dems Ready A $400 Billion Medicare Plan
Health on the Hill: Jackie Judd speaks with Politico Pro’s Matt DoBias about the super committee’s public hearing Wednesday when it heard from Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf. Democrats on the panel are near a $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion proposal to cut the deficit that includes about $400 billion in cuts to Medicare.
Between A Hygienist And A Dentist, A Hard Sell
Proposal to create mid-level dental care providers gains traction in Kansas as a university pledges to train the new professionals. But the idea faces stiff opposition from some dentists.
Can A Small Business Insurance Marketplace Take Root In Florida?
Florida Health Choices was created in 2008 to promote competition and transparency in the health insurance market and to bring prices down for small businesses. But it is still not operational.
Big-Name Drugs Are Falling Off The ‘Patent Cliff’
Patents expired and Medicare beneficiaries turned to generics, saving Medicare billions of dollars.
In Mass., Conflicting Emotions About Controlling Health Care Costs
Pollster Robert Blendon discusses the first comprehensive look at public opinion on costs since the state’s health reform law was passed in 2006.
Letters To The Editor: Readers’ Thoughts On Children’s Hospitals Series
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. This installment offers a selection of comments on KHN’s recent “Building Ambitions” series that explores the world of funding for children’s hospitals.
Minnesota Appeals Court Hears Case Challenging Health Law
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul Minnesota heard arguments against the constitutionality of the health law’s mandate for individuals to buy insurance.
HHS Releases Final Regulations For ACOs
KHN staff writers Jenny Gold and Phil Galewitz report on the new rule, which will make it easier for health care providers to participate in the new models of delivering health care.
Oregon Wants To Grade Its ACOs
Oregon’s Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat and a physician, is pushing for a way for the state’s health plans to coordinate care better for patients.
Medicare Releases Patient Safety Ratings For Hospitals
Publication of the new Medicare data on HHS website is a step in the government’s plan to link payments to quality.
The CLASS Act has been vilified by Republicans and defended by Democrats. Here’s a small sample of some of those comments.
Viewpoint: CLASS Long-Term Care Insurance Is Dead, But What Comes Next?
Howard Gleckman writes that, with the demise of the CLASS Act, it is critical to act quickly and develop a consensus plan to address the nation’s long-term care problem.
CLASS Dismissed: Obama Administration Pulls Plug On Long-Term Care Program
KHN staff writers Julie Appleby and Mary Agnes Carey report that federal officials have effectively shut down part of the health care law aimed to help consumers pay for long-term care.
Clock Starts Ticking Saturday For Medicare Enrollment
Medicare’s open enrollment season begins
Tips To Cope With Health Benefits ‘Open Season’ Decisions
While insurance companies are required to accept all applicants of any employer, no matter what pre-existing health conditions are present, there may be some sticker shock on what your premium will be in January.
Chasing The Stars, Insurers Improve Quality — And Revenue
Only a handful of Medicare Advantage plans win five stars for quality. But the bonuses attached to the federal rating system are reshaping the competitive landscape for insurers.
