Latest KFF Health News Stories
Care At Stake As Congress Nears ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
Lawmakers are close again to delaying a 25 percent cut in reimbursement to doctors who serve Medicare patients. It’s the fifth time this year Congress has faced down the cuts, which could have dire consequences for the program if enacted.
Compared To Other Countries, U.S. Patients Have More Access To Specialists, Less To Primary Care
A new study finds that U.S. consumers report greater access to specialty health care but also have a tougher time seeing a doctor on the day they need help than consumers in many of other Western countries.
AMA Head Readies New Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Push
No matter what the outcome of the midterm elections, the American Medical Association is hard at work on a new proposal to fix the Medicare physician payment system. The AMA wants to stave off cuts of up to 30 percent, slated to begin taking effect Dec. 1. AMA chief Cecil B. Wilson talks with Kaiser Health News to talk about the looming cuts, why it’s increasingly difficult for doctors to see Medicare patients in America and how the AMA will soon try to lobby lawmakers for a permanent fix to the system.
Docs On Pharma Payroll Have Blemished Records, Limited Credentials
Drug companies say they hire the most-respected doctors in their fields to teach about the benefits and risks of their drugs. But ProPublica uncovered hundreds of doctors on company payrolls who had been accused of professional misconduct, were disciplined by state boards or lacked credentials.
The Health Reform (Almost) Everyone Loves
Come with me to the land of happy health reform. It is a place where Republicans and Democrats find common ground, a place where physicians, hospitals and health insurers sit together as partners, a place where criticism is respectful, not rancorous. It is the world of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
A Hole In The Safety Net: Texas Medicaid Cuts Threaten Services For Disabled
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services’ baseline budget request eliminates financing for some disabled people who are waiting to receive services in private homes, group homes or other community settings.
Nurses’ Push For Bigger Role Gets Powerful Ally
An Institute of Medicine report says nurses should take on a larger role in providing health care and calls for removal of government restrictions, which doctors have repeatedly opposed.
States Cutting Medicaid Benefits As They Stagger Under Economic Downturn
The recession’s double whammy – less money and more need – is leaving states with reduced tax revenues and increasing numbers of people enrolling in the federal-state health care program for the poor.
Coordinated Care System Helps Physicians Meet More Patient Needs
In medical home model, a primary-care doctor leads a team responsible for coordinating and managing all of your care, whether it’s making sure you’re on top of routine lab tests to keep your diabetes in check or being available in off hours to handle unexpected problems.
Health Overhaul Brings Ban On Lifetime Benefit Caps
Among the new provisions of the health law that take effect later this month is a ban on something most people don’t even know they have – a lifetime limit on benefits covered by their health insurance.
For-Profit Hospitals Performing More C-Sections
Private medical centers in California are more likely to perform C-sections compared with nonprofit hospitals.
Researchers Say Access To Primary Care Doesn’t Always Guarantee Better Health
Dartmouth researchers examining records of Medicare patients found that having access to a primary care doctor didn’t always result in the best health outcomes.
Medical School Students Facing A New Reality
When today’s medical students graduate
In An Age Of Consolidation, Some Community Hospitals Struggle To Remain Independent
While financial pressures and health reform drive many hospitals to merge, some standalone nonprofit hospitals stubbornly refuse to link up with hospital systems. How long can they survive on their own?
Midlevel Providers Fill Primary Care Doctors’ Shoes
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine, and many operate almost completely independently of physician supervision. And unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners is on the rise.
Future Of Primary Care? Some Say ‘Medical Home’
Martin’s Point in Maine is among those pioneering a concept aimed at making care more efficient.
Bucking The Trend: Primary Care Doc Practices Solo
There’s a catastrophic shortage of primary care doctors who provide basic health care. And the need is expected to grow as more people receive coverage under the new health law.
CT Scans Can Increase Cancer Risk
Several recent studies show the risk of cancer associated with CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed.
Physician-Owned Hospitals Prepare For Bleak Futures
The biggest losers in federal health care reform – the country’s physician-owned specialty hospitals – are on pins and needles. With a ban on new facilities, expansion plans quashed and doctor ownership curtailed, 70 such hospitals in Texas are plotting their next move.
Federal Task Force On Preventive Care Faces New Challenge Under Health Law
Panel’s recommendations on preventive care will determine which services are covered fully by insurance. That could make it a political lightning rod for lobbyists and disease advocates and conflict with its tradition of scholarly dedication to the science of randomized medical trials.
