Latest KFF Health News Stories
Doctors In Small Practices Slow To Dump Paper Records
Despite carrots and sticks from the federal government, some physicians are leery about moving to electronic health records.
Utah Health Exchange Is Geared To Small Business Employees-The KHN Interview
Patty Connor, the director of the state’s exchange, says officials designed it for a specific audience but if it has to be expanded to meet federal requirements, the state will do it.
Health On The Hill: Democrats, Republicans Stake Out Positions On Debt Limit
Jackie Judd and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey discuss what congressional leaders said
Health Law Provision Could Cost Delaware Hundreds Of Insurance Jobs
Cigna and other insurers are upset coverage for Americans living abroad is not exempted from health law.
S.C. Doctors Fear 5% Medicaid Cut May Cause Patients To Lose Access
State officials, who note that the state payments are above the national average, say they are monitoring the situation.
A Dozen States Slice Medicaid Payments To Doctors, Hospitals
Some experts fear that the cuts could lead to rise in number of doctors who refuse to take Medicaid patients.
Managed Care Enters The Exam Room As Insurers Buy Doctor Groups
Large health insurers are trying to curb rising costs by gaining control over those who provide care: doctors.
New Rules Provide Relief For Sleep-Deprived Medical Residents
New rules limiting the shifts first-year medical residents can work in hospitals take effect today, but they won’t end the debate over the pros and cons of 24-hour workdays.
Consumers Add Their 2 Cents To Health Law’s Plan Labels
Focus groups evaluate standardized, plain English forms that plans may have to provide customers starting next March.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Obama Tries To Aid Deficit Talks With Meetings
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about President Obama’s separate meetings with Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid in which the trio is trying to find common ground on Medicare cuts to help lower the deficit.
Growing Hospice Care Costs Bring Concerns About Misuse
Although the benefit is intended for patients who have no more than six months to live, 19 percent now receive hospice services for longer.
Former HHS Secretary Leavitt Says Most States Aren’t On Track To Meet Exchange Deadline
“The clock is running out,” says the health care consultant who has been working with states on the issue.
Berenson: Take Small Steps Now To Lower Medicare Costs
Robert Berenson, an Urban Institute fellow and former official at the Department of Health and Human Services, says a number of small Medicare initiatives are “low-hanging fruit” that could be pursued now in order to control the program’s spending.
HHS Scales Back Rules On Health Insurance Appeals
Administration disappoints some patient advocates with new regulations setting up review process that consumers can seek when plans deny coverage.
McKinsey Stands By Contested Health Insurance Survey
Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Monday stood behind the findings of its controversial survey that found as much as 30 percent of employers could drop their health coverage. It also released the methodology for the survey.
Effort To End Surgeries On Wrong Patient Or Body Part Falters
Experts thought simple steps, such as marking the surgical site and taking a timeout to confirm the details, would end the problem. But it turns out to be more complicated to change the culture of hospitals and doctors.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Democrats, Republicans Stake Out Positions In Budget Talks
PBS Newshour’s David Chalian talks with Jackie Judd about the latest developments in the budget negotiations being led by Vice President Joe Biden and the role of Medicaid and Medicare in those talks.
‘Double’ Chest Scans Increase Costs And Exposure To Radiation
Many hospitals are performing unusually large numbers of a type of CT scan experts say should be done sparingly.
Health Law Expands Medicare To Montana Asbestos Patients
The provision could help cover the hundreds of people diagnosed with the condition, but Republican efforts to repeal the law raise concerns for patients.
Rockefeller Says He Will Fight ‘To The End’ Against Medicaid Cuts-The KHN Interview
W.Va. senator is working to raise defenses against efforts in the deficit reduction talks to reduce funding for the health care program that covers the poor and disabled.
