Latest KFF Health News Stories
States May Face Showdown With Feds Over Cutting Medicaid Rolls
Arizona has already asked for permission to trim back the program, and other states may follow as enhanced funding from Washington expires.
Female Docs Fall Further Behind On Pay
While more women are choosing medicine as a career, there’s a pretty big gender gap in starting salaries, researchers have found. The explanation used to be that women entered less lucrative specialties, but that’s not the case anymore.
Insurers, Consumer Groups Tussle Over Appeals Rule
The new health law requires beefed-up appeals processes, but insurance companies and advocates are battling over exactly what that means.
Florida Official Sends Back $1M
Even though Florida faces a big budget hole, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said Tuesday the state will forfeit a $1 million federal grant that was supposed to go toward better oversight of health insurance rates.
Lobbyists Challenging Limits On Health Flexible Spending Accounts
Companies that administer or profit from flexible spending accounts are trying to change provisions in the new health law restricting the pre-tax funds used by millions of consumers.
Scholars, Politicians Debating Implications Of Health Lawsuit Decision
After a federal court declared the new health law unconstitutional, it’s still unclear how far the ruling reaches. The Obama administration says that it will continue to implement the law.
Health On The Hill Transcript: With State Fiscal Pressures Mounting, Medicaid Battle Looms
As state fiscal pressures mount, governors are asking Washington to allow them to reduce their Medicaid rolls, something that’s barred under the health care law. Democrats generally prefer to give the states more federal money to help with Medicaid costs, but House Republicans are unlikely to support that, citing deficit concerns.
Analysis: What Does Judge Vinson’s Health Law Decision Mean?
Jackie Judd talks with legal analyst Stuart Taylor about the legal blow today to the new health care reform law. Federal Judge Roger Vinson, in Florida, declared the entire law void.
Text: Judge Vinson’s Decision On Health Law
Here’s text of federal Judge Roger Vinson’s decision declaring the individual mandate, and thus the whole health care law, unconstitutional.
Who Is A President To Turn To? HHS Or The Business Roundtable?
In health care speech, Obama ignores new HHS study on insurance costs and cites 2009 industry report instead.
Text: President Obama Makes Health Law Defense At Conference
President Barack Obama Friday morning addressed a group of people gathered at the Families USA Health Action conference and continued his defense of the health law.
Doctors Continued To Spend Big On Lobbying in 2010
The AMA was the biggest spender for lobbying operations among health care groups last year as it faced a backlash from members angry that the new health law didn’t reverse planned cuts in Medicare reimbursements.
Chart: Lobbying On Health Care Issues Falls In 2010
The passage of the federal health law last March brought an overall decrease in lobbying on health care from the massive effort during the heated congressional debate in 2009. Overall, 10 key health care players spent about $127 million on lobbying last year, down nearly 9 percent from 2009.
House GOP Launch Hearings On Health Law
House Republicans have launched a series of hearings aimed at giving the law the comeuppance they think it deserves.
Assessing Cuomo’s Efforts To Cut N.Y.’s Medicaid Budget
Courtney Burke of the Rockefeller Institute talks about New York’s new governor’s plans to tackle the public health insurance program.
President Obama On Health Law: ‘Let’s Fix What Needs Fixing And Move Forward’
In his State of the Union message, the president also said he’s “not willing … to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition.”
Republican And Tea Party SOTU Response: ‘We Will Work To Replace’ Health Law
Rep. Paul Ryan delivered the official GOP response to the president’s State of the Union address and Rep. Michele Bachmann separately added remarks geared to tea party concerns. Both called for repeal of the health law.
Health Industry And Lawmakers Move Against Medicare Spending Board
The Independent Payment Advisory Board, a key cost-containment provision of the health law scheduled to be created this year, faces an uncertain future.
Meet Two ‘Ordinary Americans’ Recruited by Obama For State Of The Union
Two people who benefited from the health care law provide State of the Union support.
Public Doesn’t Support Cuts To Health Care Programs
Poll finds high support for Medicare and Medicaid, complicating political strategies for election of 2012.
