Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care Prices: Many Moving Parts Veiled By Confidentiality Agreements
Unlike Medicare, private insurers do not publish their payments, and experts say the prices they pay hospitals for the same procedure vary widely.
Flaw In Federal Software Lets Employers Offer Plans Without Hospital Benefits, Consultants Say
Problems with a government calculator that companies use to prove that their insurance meets health law standards could allow substandard policies, consumer advocates say.
Census Bureau: Health Costs Inch Up As Obamacare Kicks In
Health and social spending as measured by the Census Bureau grew by only 3.7 percent from the second quarter of 2013 to the same quarter of 2014.
Family Insurance Premiums Rise Modestly For 3rd Year, Survey Finds
Employer-sponsored insurance was largely stable in 2014, with no significant change in the percentage of firms offering health benefits.
Rural Enrollment Presents Continuing Health Law Challenges
State Obamacare decisions are key factors in how outreach strategies are taking shape for the next open enrollment period.
Rural Doctor Shortage Worsens As Newly Insured Washington Residents Seek Care
In one Olympic Peninsula community, a clinic turns away 250 callers a week.
Health Care Spending Forecast To Increase Modestly In Next Decade
Federal actuaries say the economic rebound and increasing number of people with insurance will push up spending.
Victory In Mass. Health Costs May Be Temporary
This story is part of a partnership that includes WBUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) Two years ago, Massachusetts set what was considered an ambitious goal: The state would not let that persistent monster, rising health care costs, increase faster than the economy as a whole. Today, […]
States To Help Pay Obamacare Tax On Insurers
Some say the government is taxing itself as states, federal government cover fees for Medicaid health plans.
Infertility Patients Finding Creative Financing Help
Some clinics offer shared-risk programs that offer a set price and sometimes a money-back guarantee.
Federal Judge Blocks Texas Restriction On Abortion Clinics
This story is part of a partnership that includes Houston Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) In a highly anticipated ruling, a federal judge in Austin struck down part of a Texas law that would have required all abortion clinics in the state to meet the same standards as […]
Consumers Will Owe Uncle Sam If They Got Health Insurance Subsidies Mistakenly
The Treasury Department has clarified its rules as a deadline looms for people asked to confirm their citizenship or immigration status.
Beware Of Higher Charges If You Go To An Out-Of-Network Emergency Room
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from charging more for out-of-network emergency care, but your bill could be higher if you’re admitted to the hospital.
In Texas, New Doctor-Restrictive Abortion Law Could Kick In Monday
This story is part of a partnership that includes Houston Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) A federal judge in Austin, Texas, will issue a decision in the next few days about whether clinics that perform abortion in the state must become outpatient surgery centers. The Texas […]
Freestanding ERs Target Suburbs, Rural Panel Told
Freestanding emergency departments have been proposed in Georgia as a potential solution for struggling rural hospitals.
Health Care Giants Battling For Control Of Pittsburgh’s Market
As the line between insurance companies and health care providers blurs, these onetime allies are venturing into each other’s business and becoming competitors.
Some States Bristle At Lack Of Authority Over Medicare Advantage Plans
When Congress created the option for beneficiaries to join the private Medicare Advantage plans, it gave oversight to federal officials, preempting state insurance laws and procedures.
HMO, PPO, EPO: How’s A Consumer To Know What Health Plan Is Best?
The alphabet soup that distinguishes different types of insurance plans is supposed to help guide consumers, but instead the choices are becoming very confusing.
Missouri Lags Behind In Insurance Pricing Transparency
Consumers in most other states have more information about, and control over, health insurance prices and plans.
Hospitals Reconsider Charity For Patients Who Decline Health Coverage
Some fear helping some people with their bills might keep them from getting government-subsidized insurance plans.
