Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care Spending In Massachusetts Rises Faster Than State’s Goal
Massachusetts spent $632 million more on health care last year than it aimed to, according to a report from the state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis.
Doctor-Owned Hospitals Are Not Cherry-Picking Patients, Study Finds
The newest research goes against a variety of studies that have shown these facilities owned by physicians take some of the most profitable patients while leaving other hospitals with more complex and costly cases.
We’re Enjoying The Holidays, New Stories Coming Jan. 5
Our staff is taking some time off to enjoy the holiday season. We’ll be back with new stories January 5. John Fairhall Editor-In-Chief
Study Finds Savings Low For Employers Capping Their Payments For Treatments
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) In an effort to slow health care spending, more employers are looking at capping what they pay for certain procedures — like joint replacements — and requiring insured workers who choose hospitals or medical facilities that exceed the cap to pay the difference themselves. But a […]
Burwell Meets The Press: Managing Expectations On Ebola, Healthcare.gov, ACA Year 2
http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js brightcove.createExperiences(); We’re working on it. No matter what the topic – from improving consumers’ experience with healthcare.gov, the health law’s Medicaid expansion, narrow networks and even Ebola — Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell told reporters Thursday her agency is on it. During a breakfast with reporters sponsored by Kaiser […]
Federal Officials Unveil Streamlined Marketplace Website
Consumers using the federal healthcare.gov website when open enrollment begins next month should expect a faster website with a shorter application form and features making it easier to use on mobile devices, Obama administration officials said Wednesday. In a briefing with reporters, they showed off a live version of the updated site and said it […]
Study: Robotic Surgery More Costly For Ovarian Problems
We’ve heard it before — the robots are coming to save the day. But for certain medical procedures, that day may not be as close as you’d think. A study published today in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology suggests that robot-assisted surgeries to remove ovaries or ovarian cysts were more expensive and had more complications […]
Republicans Focus On Contraception To Woo Women Voters
But a new pitch by Republican candidates to make the birth control pill available without a prescription could have unintended financial consequences for women.
Long-Acting Contraceptives Help Reduce Teen Pregnancy Rates, Study Finds
Teenage girls who are given access to long-acting contraceptives such as IUDs or hormonal implants at no cost are less likely to become pregnant, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine released Wednesday. The findings come just two days after the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that health providers should consider […]
Deadline Today For 300,000 To Prove They Should Get Subsidies
KHN’s Julie Rovner was on WBUR’s Here and Now Tuesday morning to talk about the 300,000 people who stand to lose their health law subsidies if they don’t prove by today that they are eligible to get them. Listen to audio of the interview below:
California To Launch Medicaid-Funded Teledentistry
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill that would require Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, to pay for dental services delivered by teams of hygienists and dentists connected through the Internet. California is among the first states to launch such teledentistry services, which are intended to increase the options for […]
After Glitch, CVS Gives 11,000 Birth Control Refunds
CVS Health will pay refunds to about 11,000 women whom it accidentally charged co-payments for generic prescription birth control – a violation of the federal health law – due to a price coding glitch affecting Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The company found that the charges resulted from an error that affected people […]
California Program Trains Young Men To Change Their Lives By Saving Others
On Thursday’s PBS NewsHour, KHN’s Sarah Varney reported on an innovative program in Oakland, Calif., that trains at risk youths to be emergency medical technicians. Watch the video below and read more on the NewsHour website.
Consumer Group Sues 2 More Calif. Plans Over Narrow Networks
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Insurers Cigna and Blue Shield of California misled consumers about the size of their networks of doctors and hospitals, leaving enrollees frustrated and owing large bills, according to two lawsuits filed this week in Los Angeles. “As a result, many patients were left without coverage in the course […]
Report: Difficulties Likely To Persist In Enrolling Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders
Language and cultural issues, along with immigration concerns, could still pose major barriers to enrolling Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in health insurance plans this fall, according to a report released Wednesday by Action for Health Justice, an advocacy coalition that aims to educate these populations about the health law. The report argues that […]
Lawsuit Accuses Calif. of Denying Care to Medi-Cal Applicants
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) California’s lingering backlog of Medi-Cal applications has left hundreds of thousands of people unable to access the health care they are entitled to receive, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by a coalition of health advocates and legal services groups. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County […]
Frustrated AMA Pitches ‘Action Plan’ On Digital Records
Saying that electronic health records distract doctors, take time away from care and make physicians less productive, an influential doctors’ group called on vendors and government agencies to work with them to develop better, easier-to-use technology. The American Medical Association asked the Obama administration to abandon its “all or nothing approach” requiring Medicare providers to go digital […]
No Time To See The Doctor? Try A Virtual Visit
Patients looking for convenient medical appointments can now see UCLA Health System doctors using their cell phones, computers or tablets. It’s part of an ongoing effort at UCLA and elsewhere to extend alternatives to the in-person doctor visit to busy consumers outside rural areas. The doctors are available through LiveHealth Online, an already-existing service designed for […]
California Exchange Seeks To Enroll 500,000 More People
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Covered California, the Golden State’s online health insurance marketplace, announced Monday that it will be spending close to $100 million as it aims to enroll 500,000 new people during the second round of open enrollment, which begins in two months. The state also will be trying […]
Apparent Retail Glitch Triggers Copays For Birth Control
CVS Health is investigating a potential glitch in its drug pricing system that appears to have charged women copayments for prescription birth control – though the scope of the error is unclear. The problem came to the attention of Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., after one of her staffers attempted to buy generic prescription birth control […]
