Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Group To Set Priorities for Medical Effectiveness Research
Congress is betting more than $3 billion over the next decade that “comparative effectiveness” research can transform medical care by helping determine the best approach to a particular illness.
The High Cost Of A Good Night’s Sleep
Diagnosing sleep apnea, which has been shown to increase the risk of serious illnesses, is a big business. Critics worry, though, that sleep tests are overprescribed at great cost to the health system.
Texas Insurers Could Send Out $160 Million In Rebates Next Year – Maybe
Texas is one of the 17 states that has asked the federal government to delay the insurance rebate program. But consumers and advocates want the new law to kick in on time in 2012.
National Health Spending Grew Slowly In 2010
But officials say that for the first time in years premiums for people in private insurance plans rose faster than what was spent on their care, according to KHN’s Marilyn Werber Serafini.
Building Health Reform’s Research Arm
KHN’s Shefali S. Kulkarni interviews Dr. Anne Beal, COO of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Collaborative Efforts Can Save Money And Improve Care
Employers, insurers and hospitals are banding together in several areas of the country to tackle cost and quality issues.
Kansas, Oklahoma Insurers Won’t Get A Break On Rebate Rule
Kansas and Oklahoma are the seventh and eighth states to get the thumbs down from the federal government on their requests to phase in new regulations that could result in health insurance rebates to consumers.
Work Insurance Often Offers Coverage For Programs To Stop Smoking
Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.
Connecticut Drops Insurers From Medicaid
The ‘Insurance Capital’ bucks the nationwide trend of states turning to private managed care plans.
Web Reporter Jessica Marcy Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Web Reporter Jessica Marcy says she’ll be examining the different kinds of health care workers — growing in numbers — looking to give more people more care.
Reporter Jenny Gold Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Reporter Jenny Gold says she’ll be watching how states cut health care in their budgets.
Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby discusses what changes could be in store for insurers.
African American Women And The Obesity Epidemic
Four in five African American women are overweight or obese, and they start adding extra pounds years before their white counterparts. Research suggests the problem may have a lot to do with when girls give up regular exercise.
Feds Face Challenges In Launching U.S. Health Exchange
Technical, political and financial obstacles loom as clock ticks toward 2014 deadline for operations.
HHS Gives States Flexibility On Health Law’s ‘Essential Benefits’
States will be given wide latitude to decide what “essential benefits” insurers must offer in policies offered on new health exchanges come 2014, the Obama administration said Friday in a move that pushes off final federal rules on those benefits until sometime next year.
Hospitals Try To Control Readmissions, Even When It Hurts Profits
Patients with multiple chronic conditions benefit from a new clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. But the hospital says it bears too much of the costs to keep discharged patients from returning.
Coverage Of Bariatric Surgery Is Spotty For Obese Kids
Experts in pediatric obesity say that caution is warranted, but some physicians see the operations as offering a safe chance to take off significant weight and avoid harmful disease.
Berwick: Don’t Blame Medicare, Medicaid. It’s The Delivery System
The former Medicare administrator says the U.S. health care system “isn’t built for modern times,” but the health care law will help rein in costs and improve care.
Health Law May Accelerate Growth In Urgent Care Centers
Crowded emergency rooms and a lack of primary care doctors have fueled recent expansions. But the drive to lower costs is also a factor and could bring more customers under the overhaul.
Clock Is Ticking for ‘Doc Fix,’ Medicare ‘Extenders’
In today’s Health on the Hill, Jackie Judd and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey discuss the prospects for an agreement this month on Medicare reimbursement rates, and what happens if nothing is done before the end of the year.
