Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health On The Hill Transcript: Backlash Grows Over Contraception Rule In Health Law
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about an Obama administration rule that would require many religious-affiliated groups to cover birth control in their insurance plans. House Speaker John Boehner has suggested Congress could take legislative action to stop the rule
Hospitals Mine Their Patients’ Records In Search Of Customers
Hospitals say they are promoting needed services, such as cancer screenings and cholesterol tests, but they often use the data to target patients with private health insurance, which typically pay higher rates than government coverage.
Planned Parenthood Vs. Komen: Women’s Health Giants Face Off
The breast-cancer charity is pulling about $700,000 in breast cancer screening and service grants from Planned Parenthood.
Hospitals Seek To Attract Business With Patient Perks
The rewards range from free parking and gift-shop discounts to wellness seminars and even social mixers.
In Quest to Grow, Catholic Hospital System Pares Religious Ties
Catholic Healthcare West today ends its governing board’s religious affiliation to ease concerns from possible new partners. Some of its hospitals will remain Catholic.
For Hospitals, There’s No App For That
Hospitals are usually eager to embrace the latest medical technology, but the road to deploying tablet computers has been bumpy.
Top Maternity Hospitals In Mass. Stop Early Elective Deliveries
A growing number of hospitals in Massachusetts are saying no to elective inductions and C-sections before 39 weeks. The change is happening quietly and some new mothers don’t like it.
Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau says he’ll be keeping an eye on how Medicare proposes to change how it pays hospitals after changes in the health law.
KHN Used CMS Readmission Rates And Patients’ Income For Analysis
The examination found that hospitals with the largest share of poor patients were 2.7 times as likely to have high readmission rates.
Medicare Penalties For Readmissions Could Be A Tough Hit On Hospitals Serving The Poor
Federal officials are seeking to make sure patients get the care they need after discharge. But the new policy is likely to disproportionately affect hospitals that treat the most low-income patients, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis.
The Revolving Door Of Readmissions
Ralph Rust’s decade-long struggle to stay out of hospitals involves some of the factors that cause patients to be readmitted frequently. For years he was hospitalized as often as three times a month.
Interactive: Readmission Rates And Poverty Levels For Individual Hospitals
This interactive chart compares the heart failure readmission rates and patient population poverty levels for more than 3,000 hospitals.
Both Perry and Obama can claim political victories with the Medicaid waiver the feds granted to the Lone Star state. But public hospitals have the most to gain from the new system.
Hospitals Adopt Drug Industry Sales Strategy
“Sales calls” on doctors’ offices help to fill beds, but also elicit criticism.
When ‘Critical Access’ Hospitals Are Not So Critical
A Medicare program intended to preserve “critical access” to rural hospitals may have grown beyond that goal, possibly keeping open hospitals that should close.
Florida Grappling With Questions About Taxes For Indigent Care
A special panel appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott has been meeting to figure out a way to scale back what taxpayers at the local level contribute to hospital costs in some parts of the state.
Hospitals Gear Hiring To Health Law And Industry Changes
Defying the economy, hospitals are hiring, but many are looking more for administrative staff and clerks than care givers.
Colleges Face Challenges With Influx of Military Veterans
The demand for new services rises as veterans flock to schools around the country and need help for health, psychological and social issues that college officials generally haven’t dealt with.
Where ‘Hospital Food’ Takes On A New Meaning
A Minneapolis clinic gives its patients what they need to stay healthy: screenings, immunizations, prescriptions. And, in an uncommon twist, food.
Florida Politics Creating Bumps On Health Information ‘Highway’
Florida is one of the first states to help doctors and hospitals adopt a new way of transferring patient information. But Gov. Rick Scott objects to the Health Information Exchange Network, which was built with federal stimulus money.
