Latest KFF Health News Stories
Making Sense Of Premium Rates In Insurance Marketplaces
KHN Reporter Phil Galewitz was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday where he talked about health insurance rates in states’ health law marketplaces. Read more: State Premium Watch: Pricing In The New Insurance Marketplaces KHN reporters will be returning to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal each Monday throughout the summer. Tune in each week to stay informed about the […]
Cascading Hospital Closures Loom Over Brooklyn
The New York City borough is close to losing two hospitals, prompting fears that their shuttering could overwhelm nearby facilities and hurt care for residents — and that other closures may not be far behind.
Physician Payments Sunshine Act Goes Into Effect Without Initial Concerns
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, an Affordable Care Act provision requiring doctors and medical companies to disclose their financial relationships, went into effect Aug. 1. Physicians say they are now working to find a balance between necessary transparency and what some perceive to be burdensome filing. “We want to spend our time seeing patients, not doing paperwork,” said […]
Health Costs Are Still Tame, Insurer Results Show
Some give all the credit to Obamacare. Others cite the poor economy or employers forcing workers to bear more of the cost of their medical expenses. Whatever the reason, health-cost increases stayed tame through the first half of the year, insurers say. Thursday’s report from Cigna was the last dispatch on second-quarter financial results from […]
Thursday Marks Start Of Florida Shift To Medicaid Managed Care
This story comes from our partner, The News Service of Florida. More than two years after Florida lawmakers passed a controversial plan to transform the Medicaid system, it’s showtime. As of Thursday, about 9,300 central Florida residents who need long-term care — the vast majority of them seniors — will become the first participants in […]
Definition Of ‘Full Time’ Becomes A Sticking Point In Obamacare
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Of all the contentious claims about the Affordable Care Act, few have been more contentious than over the impact it’s having on employers. It’s hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on a television without seeing a story about some boss cutting workers’ hours or saying they […]
Georgia Seeks Delay On Health Insurance Rate Approval
This story comes from our partner Georgia Health News. Georgia’s insurance commissioner has asked for an “emergency delay’’ of a deadline for approving proposed premiums in the state exchange – an online marketplace – set to roll out under the health reform law. The commissioner, Ralph Hudgens, cited ‘‘massive rate increases’’ in the insurers’ proposals […]
Moratorium Targets Houston Ambulance Service Providers
This story was produced in partnership with The federal government has announced a six-month moratorium to halt enrollment of Houston-area ambulance service providers in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program in a bid to combat waste. The moratorium, announced last week, marks the first use of a new law created by the Affordable Care […]
KHN Reporters Answer Health Law Questions
Kaiser Health News’ reporters Mary Agnes Carey, Jay Hancock and Sarah Varney talked about a variety of issues related to the health law’s implementation on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday morning. KHN reporters will be returning to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal each Monday throughout the summer. Tune in each week to stay informed about the latest developments […]
WellPoint Sees Small Employers Dropping Health Coverage
As the nation prepares to roll out the next phase of Obamacare, the second biggest medical insurer said Wednesday that it expects to lose members in health insurance plans sponsored by smaller employers. At the same time, WellPoint expects membership gains in self-insured employer plans and in the kind of individual plans that will be […]
GAO: Current Insurance Costs For Individual Policies Vary Widely
Will premiums go up or down under the health law? It’s been one of the most contentious questions in recent weeks, as states examine the rates submitted by insurers applying to sell coverage through new online marketplaces that open for enrollment Oct. 1. Critics of the law have argued that new rules, benefit requirements and taxes will drive […]
Study: Doctors Look To Others To Play Biggest Role In Curbing Health Costs
When it comes to controlling the country’s health care costs, doctors point their fingers at lawyers, insurance companies, drug makers and hospitals. But well over half acknowledge they have at least some responsibility as stewards of health care resources. In a study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic researchers […]
State Budget Officials In Alaska For Annual Gathering
It may be the dog days of summer, but it’s peak conference season. And as much of the nation melts under a heat wave, one conference stands out for both its location and its attendees. The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) — representing the state officials who count the pennies and balance the accounts — is […]
Obamacare Delay Is A Relief For A Family Business
The owner of Angelo’s restaurant says he’s happy to have a reprieve from the health law
Medicare Announces Plans To Accelerate Linking Doctor Pay To Quality
The government, in a draft rule, says it will double the penalties and bonuses offered some group practices with 100 or more professionals. It also moves up deadlines for practices with 10 professionals.
Humana Fills Blank Spots In Mississippi Obamacare Map
Filling a potential coverage void, Humana Inc. said Friday it will sell health insurance in 36 Mississippi counties that might have otherwise been left out of a marketplace for subsidized policies sold under the Affordable Care Act. “I’m elated,” said Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who had been working to make the deal happen. “I’m […]
Nurse Practitioners Slowly Gain Autonomy
States hope they will be better able to care for the federal health law’s 30 million newly insured patients by relaxing decades-old “scope of practice” laws that determine what care nurse practitioners can deliver.
Survey: Latino Groups Worry About Money For ACA Enrollment
The Obama administration is counting on Latinos to help make the Affordable Care Act a success, but there may be troubles ahead: Hispanic health centers and community organizations say they don’t have the funding or resources to carry out the complicated sign up process for the 10 million Latinos who will be eligible for new […]
Tavenner Wasn’t Consulted On Delaying Health Law’s Employer Mandate
Marilyn Tavenner said at a House subcommittee meeting Wednesday that she was not consulted on the Obama administration’s decision to postpone a key part of the health law requiring employers offer health insurance plans to their workers. Tavenner, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said she was “made aware” that the Obama administration […]
House GOP Unconvinced Health Insurance Exchange Information Will Be Secure
Updated July 18, 10:40 a.m. With the NSA’s phone call monitoring and Edward Snowden on many minds, it’s not exactly a comfortable time for the government to roll out a massive computer project dealing with personal data like income, Social Security numbers and ethnicity. But Henry Chao, a lead technology information officer from the Centers for […]
