Latest KFF Health News Stories
More Elderly and Disabled Medicaid Patients Headed for Managed Long-Term Care
Some patient advocates and nursing homes object, but health plans say they can reduce states’ costs.
Text: President Obama’s Proposed 2012 HHS Budget
Text of President Obama’s proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services.
How Group Health Is Holding Costs Down: A KHN Interview With CEO Scott Armstrong
One of the lesser-known provisions of the new health law calls for federal loans to help fund health cooperatives. Scott Armstrong, the CEO of Group Health, says that co-ops can improve patient care and contain costs.
Heavyweight Budget Fight: Entitlements Vs. The Deficit
Funding entitlements and a push to tame the budget deficit are fighting for the hearts and minds of lawmakers as the Obama administration readies its 2012 budget.
Chopping Block Politics Threatens Biomedical Jobs
For most of the past decade, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have competed over who could pour more money into the National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. But the party is over.
FAQ: The Shrinking Medicare Doughnut Hole
Beginning this year, seniors who hit the coverage gap will get substantial discounts on both brand-name and generic drugs.
Some Seniors Are In For Sticker Shock On Drug Premiums
Starting this year, affluent Medicare beneficiaries will begin paying more than the standard premium for their Part D coverage.
Administration Seeks To Calm Republican Governors’ Fears On Implementing Health Law
An Obama administration memo details flexibility to determine which insurers can participate in health insurance exchanges, tailor Medicaid programs and even offer health savings accounts.
Text: GOP Governors Letter To Sebelius: ‘Flexibility On Exchanges’
On Monday, 21 Republican governors sent a sharply worded letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, asking for six specific changes that would give states more control over the health law’s insurance exchanges.
Intellectual Backer Of Insurance Mandate Faults Alternatives
While some lawmakers and wonks are busy cooking up alternatives to the controversial federal mandate requiring people to have health insurance starting in 2014, one early backer of the approach insists it remains the best way to get more people covered at the lowest cost.
Health Programs On The Chopping Block As States Gird For Drop In Federal Aid
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are at risk of losing access to health services as states prepare to make yet another round of budget cuts.
Text: House Democrats Call for Justice Thomas’s Recusal on Health Law Constitutionality
In a letter to Justice Thomas, 74 House Democratic members write that “the only correct path” is for the judge to recuse himself from deliberations on cases involving the new health care law.
Text: Republican Governors Ask For Faster Review Of Health Overhaul Lawsuits
On Wednesday, 28 GOP governors sent a letter to President Obama asking him to foster faster review of the health care overhaul lawsuits so the Supreme Court can rule on their constitutionality “as soon as possible.”
Vermont Gov. Proposes Single-Payer Health Plan
Shumlin’s bill would set up state-run insurance coverage, but many details
Health On The Hill Transcript: Democrats On Defense As Republicans Plan Attack On Health Law
House Republicans are holding committee hearings this week on the health law’s provisions governing Medicare, abortion and small business.
Sebelius Vows To Ensure CLASS Program Is Financially Viable
HHS is considering a number of options to make sure healthy, less costly people are attracted to the long-term care program and costs are held in check.
Alternatives To Mandating Insurance? Maybe
Some experts are proposing alternatives to mandating that nearly all Americans purchase health insurance – a requirement in the health law – including offering discounts for early buyers and instituting eligibility periods to use subsidies.
Ignoring Health Law Is ‘Risky Posture’ For States: KHN Interview With Alan Weil
State health policy expert Alan Weil offers his take on how states are wrestling with the implementation of health reform
Federal Judge In Mississippi Throws Out Challenge To Health Overhaul
A federal judge in Mississippi dismissed a challenge to the health law Thursday, only days after another federal judge ruled the law was unconstitutional because of its insurance mandate.
Blumenthal To Leave Obama’s Health IT Office
Harvard researcher paved the way for a $27 billion effort to push doctors and hospitals into the digital age.
