Latest KFF Health News Stories
In Juvenile Detention, Girls Face Health Care Designed For Boys
Up to 90 percent of incarcerated girls have experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse, creating a complex set of health problems that the juvenile justice system is ill-equipped to handle. One woman is on a crusade to change that.
Report: Coverage of Smoking Cessation Treatments Is Spotty Despite Health Law
It’s hard to stop smoking. But a new report suggests it’s even harder to decipher how your insurance plan covers the cost of treatments to help you quit. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act required that all new private health insurance plans completely cover preventive services deemed effective by the United States Preventive Services Task […]
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 26, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a range of stories regarding the future of the “fiscal cliff” negotiations as well as reports about the strategies that might now be used by health law opponents. The Wall Street Journal: Talks Over Fiscal Cliff Stay Stuck In Low Gear Congressional leaders return to […]
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 21, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including articles about regulations for the health law released by the administration Tuesday and the road ahead on implementing the law. The New York Times: Administration Defines Benefits That Must Be Offered Under The Health Law The Obama administration took a big step on Tuesday to […]
Online Access To Docs Increases Office Visits, Study Finds
New research suggests that doctors who communicate online with their patients may not see a drop in office visits.
Administration Releases New Health Law Rules For Insurers, Employers
The proposed regulations deal with several key issues, such as how plans structure their health benefits, the variations on premiums based on age and requirements for wellness programs.
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 20, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest news on the “fiscal cliff” negotiations as well as reports about the health law’s implementation. The Wall Street Journal: Entitlements Split Democrats With deficit talks kicking off in earnest, Democrats are divided on the magnitude of changes they would accept when it comes […]
Uninsured Die At Higher Rates After Brain Surgery, Study Finds
Your chances of surviving brain surgery might be affected by whether you have health insurance. According to the findings of a new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers, uninsured patients died at a higher rate after receiving brain surgery to remove cancerous tumors than those with private insurance. Uninsured patients had a death rate of […]
States Detail Questions About Their Exchange Options
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Friday that he will build a health exchange in his state – as soon as the Obama administration can explain exactly what that means. The Republican governor submitted 50 questions to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about how the state-built online insurance markets are supposed to be set up. “As […]
Survey: Maryland Voters Know Little About Federal Health Law
Although Maryland is a leader in implementing major provisions of the federal health law, many of its voters are still unsure of what changes are actually in store for them. The results of a new poll, released Monday, found that while the majority of Maryland voters support the measure, only 30 percent of survey respondents […]
NFL Medical Records Go High-Tech
The game of football isn’t played without its share of injuries. Look at just one of yesterday’s marquee games: The contest between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers resulted in Ravens’ tight end Dennis Pitta and the Steelers’ running back Isaac Redman receiving concussions. A Steelers’ defensive lineman, Ziggy Hood, also left the game […]
Gerontology Expert: Revive CLASS Act To Help Pay Long-Term Care Bills
As policymakers in Washington struggled to avoid a year-end budget crisis affecting spending on the biggest health programs, gerontologists on the other side of the country were worrying about how to meet long-term care needs of the expanding senior population. At the Gerontological Society of America’s 65th annual scientific meeting in San Diego, Dr. Toni […]
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 19, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest news on the ongoing “fiscal cliff” discourse. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Taxes, Benefit Programs Key Flashpoints In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Negotiations There are numerous hurdles, big and small, in front of President Barack Obama and lawmakers on Capitol Hill as they seek a budget […]
Stuart Altman’s Huge Challenge: Bring Down Mass. Health Costs
The health economist and former presidential adviser is leading a board overseeing the state’s cost-control law.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott Ready To Negotiate State Exchange
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Friday that he’s open to building a state-based health insurance exchange under the health care law — but only if he can find a way to pay for it that doesn’t increase health costs or state taxes. Scott, the former hospital chain CEO who has been one of the most […]
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 16, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports detailing the Obama administration’s deadline extention — now until Dec. 14 — for states to decide how they want to proceed with the health law’s insurance exchanges. The New York Times: Senate ‘Gang Of 8’ Says this Isn’t Its Moment In Deficit Talks After […]
Mississippi Builds Exchange Despite Objections Of Governor, Tea Party
The Mississippi Insurance Department officially told the federal government that it will run its own health insurance exchange and plans to file the exchange blueprint Friday. If the state had not set up an insurance exchange, which is an online marketplace for comparison shopping for health insurance called for by the health overhaul law, the […]
Survey: Most U.S. Primary Care Docs Using EMRs
U.S. doctors are no longer the laggards when it comes to using health information technology in their practices. But they are still more weighed down by paperwork and health care costs than many of their Western counterparts. A survey of nearly 8,500 primary care doctors in ten of the world’s wealthiest countries took a new look […]
All The Newly Single (Uninsured) Ladies
Divorce is usually a painful exercise in splitting up assets. But for many women, it also means losing health insurance protection. A study released this week from the University of Michigan reveals that roughly 115,000 American women lose their private health insurance annually after a divorce and about half of them do not get replacement coverage. […]
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 15, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest details on states’ decisions about pursuing health exchanges as well as other political and policy developments. The Wall Street Journal: At President’s Meeting With Executives, Some Push, Pull And Give President Barack Obama’s meeting with top chief executives Wednesday included a frank exchange […]
