Latest KFF Health News Stories
In a new KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read 2010’s Insuring Your Health stories. See Andrews answer your health insurance questions via video. $6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On Unnecessary Medical CareNovember 1, 2011 The conclusion comes from a […]
When A Plan Overpays For A Service, Is A Patient Responsible For A Refund?
Experts say that overpayments occur for a variety of reasons and they can create headaches for providers and patients alike.
Medical Questions About Gun Ownership Come Under Scrutiny
High-profile law in Florida prohibiting doctors from asking patients about guns was overturned in the courts. But the 2010 federal health law restricts insurers, employers and HHS from asking.
Dispelling Some Rumors About Medicare And The Health Law Limiting Care
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions, including two about whether some older seniors are denied access to surgeries and whether the health law restricts the number of prescription drugs for patients.
Insurers Are Again Selling Child-Only Health Policies After Interventions From States, Study Finds
Many companies stopped selling the plans that cover just children after the federal health law prohibited them from rejecting kids with preexisting medical conditions.
Federal Retiree Weighs Whether To Keep FEHB Or Switch To Medigap
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions about federal workers’ best deal on supplementing Medicare and signing up for Medicare if you’re living abroad.
Shingles Vaccinations Not Covered For Some Medicare Beneficiaries
Answers to readers’ questions about how seniors can qualify for coverage for the inoculations, whether parents are required to keep young adults on their plan and getting pregnancy care for dependents.
HHS Says Health Plans Cannot Discriminate Against Transgender People
In a letter, federal officials say employers, insurers and others cannot deny coverage or benefits based on “gender identity.”
Health Law Has Gaps In Men’s Care
At the urging of women lawmakers and advocacy groups, the overhaul provides coverage for some specific preventive care, especially for sexual and reproductive health, but men’s coverage is more limited.
Health Law Prompts Review Of Some Medigap Plans; Defining Who Gets Dependent Status
In responses to readers’ questions, columnist Michelle Andrews looks at efforts to curb spending by Medigap insurance. In addition, she explores how health plans determine who can be on your coverage.
Even After Changing Policies, Some Consumers May Get A Rebate
Readers ask for guidance on questions involving health insurance rebates, coverage for same-sex spouses and benefits for pregnancy.
New Guidelines On Obesity Treatment Herald Changes In Coverage
The recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that people who are obese get “intensive, multicomponent” intervention offers support for consumers, but it is not clear that employers and insurers welcome the change.
New Screening Tool Could Increase The Use Of Virtual Colonoscopies
Medical experts seek ways to raise the number of consumers who get tested, and a procedure that doesn’t include the normal preparation might be less troublesome.
Proposed Changes To Psychiatric Manual Could Impact Addiction Diagnosis
Supporters say the new guidelines will make it easier to address drug or alcohol problems before they become serious. But others worry that one of the tools to evaluate such problems falsely suggests there is a natural escalation from non-use to occasional use to risky use to addiction.
In a new KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read 2010’s Insuring Your Health stories. See Andrews answer your health insurance questions via video. Some Hospitals Turn To Post-Discharge Clinics To Help Hold Down ReadmissionsDecember 20, 2011 A study […]
Peeking In On Your Doctor’s Notes
The movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam.
Advocate of health overhaul uses a comic-book style narrative to describe the federal law and its provisions.
Insuring Your Health – 2013 Archive
In an ongoing KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read More Insuring Your Health stories from: 2012 | 2011. WATCH Michelle Andrews answer your health care questions via video. New Coverage May Spur Younger Women To Use Long-Acting ContraceptivesFebruary 18, 2013 […]
Insuring Your Health – 2012 Archive
In an ongoing KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read 2011’s Insuring Your Health stories. See Andrews answer your health insurance questions via video. When Employers’ Health Plans Disappear, Workers Often Have Few Options December 31, 2012 For some people, […]
Health Law Forces Changes To Reduce Hospitals Readmissions
20 percent of Medicare patients are back in the hospital within 30 days, a trend that endangers patients and raises health costs.
