Latest KFF Health News Stories
NYC Study: Harlem Has Most ER ‘Super Users;’ Upper East Side, Fewest
About 20 percent of New York City residents visit hospital emergency rooms annually — and in some neighborhoods, the rate is twice that, according to a new report. The study by the United Hospital Fund found dramatic variations in ER use across the city, and it’s one of the first to analyze which people end […]
Romney Adviser’s Firm Says Most States Will Expand Medicaid — If Obama Is Re-Elected
The consulting firm headed by the man planning Mitt Romney’s White House transition –should there be one — says most states eventually will expand Medicaid under the health law, if President Barack Obama is re-elected. A report completed this week by Leavitt Partners, led by Romney adviser and former Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, noted the […]
Today’s Headlines – Sep. 21, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about recent polling results indicating that, despite GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s efforts to frame the Medicare debate, President Barack Obama still has the advantage on this issue. The Wall Street Journal: Headwinds For Romney In Latest Poll Results The three state surveys come […]
Bipartisan Report Focuses On Issues Driving Up Health Care Costs
Among the reasons behind the nation’s seemingly inexorable rise in medical spending are the practice of rewarding doctors and hospitals for volume rather than efficiency of care and the tax break given to consumers for their job-based health insurance, according to a report out Thursday from the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington. […]
Is A Competitive Health Care Model All It’s Cracked Up To Be?
The track records of two programs often cited by Republican candidates suggest a more complicated picture.
Today’s Headlines — Sept. 20, 2012
NPR’s The Two-Way: Census: In 2011, Number Of Poor Americans Increased Young Americans are one of the first to feel the effects of the Affordable Care Act. … According to the Census, once young Americans aged 19 to 25 could be added to their parents’ plans, there was a 3.5 percent increase in the number […]
Insurance Coverage Improves In 20 States, Census Shows
TABLE.khntable { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 280px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; PADDING-TOP: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px; display: block; margin-left: 14px;float: right; } .khntable-title { BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #F5F5F5; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px; BORDER-TOP: […]
HHS Touts Growth In Medicare Advantage Plans, Drop In Premiums
Just days away from a House hearing where Republicans are likely to charge that the 2010 health law’s cuts to Medicare Advantage plans will cause insurers to leave the program and seniors to pay more for coverage, the Obama administration said Wednesday that as a result of the law seniors now have more of these […]
Today’s Headlines – Sept. 19, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a series of reports detailing who makes up Romney’s so-called “47 percent” who get tax breaks and what federal assistance they receive — whether it is Medicare, Medicaid or another entitlement program. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Analysis: Romney Describes Government’s Role As Dramatically More Limited […]
Joint Commission Praises 620 Hospitals For Quality
Updated at 1:10 p.m. on Sept. 20. The Joint Commission, the nation’s major hospital accreditation board, is releasing its annual list of hospitals that have excelled at adhering to basic procedures for treating common illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes. The commission is recognizing 620 hospitals — 18 percent of those it accredits — as “top […]
Family Physicians Reject Suggestions To Have Nurses Lead Practices
With a shortage of primary care providers looming, the idea of using nurses and physician assistants to fill the gap often appears to be gaining traction. But according to a report released Tuesday by the American Academy of Family Physicians, having more nurse practitioner-led medical practices is not a viable solution. “Perceived shortages don’t justify […]
Medicare’s Prominent Place In Pennsylvania Congressional Race
KHN’s Marilyn Werber Serafini talks about how the Medicare issue is playing in the race for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District between Democrat Dr. Manan Trivedi and GOP incumbent Jim Gerlach.
Today’s Headlines – Sept. 18, 2012
The New York Times: Limits Placed On Immigrants In Health Care Law The White House has ruled that young immigrants who will be allowed to stay in the United States as part of a new federal policy will not be eligible for health insurance coverage under President Obama’s health care overhaul. The decision — disclosed […]
Urgent Care Centers Are Booming, Which Worries Some Doctors
Millions of consumers embrace clinics’ convenience, but some physicians warn they’re no replacement for a family doctor.
Today’s Headlines – Sept. 17, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a number of reports about how Medicare and other health policy issues are playing important roles on the campaign trail. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Why It Matters: You’ll Feel It Whether That Health Care law Stays Or Goes The issue: America’s health care system is […]
Recessions Harm Older Workers’ Long-Term Health, Data Show
There are 20 million Americans between 55 and 60. Nearly 1 million are unemployed, according to the Labor Department. Many more lack health coverage, suggests the Census Bureau’s new report on income, poverty and health insurance. Thanks to the lousy economy, the whole group is at higher risk for long-term health problems and earlier death, suggests new research from Wellesley College. Wellesley economist Phillip B. Levine and colleagues mashed mortality and […]
Workers’ Poor Health Costs Employers $344 Billion, Study Finds
Health costs aren’t just about how much employers pay to provide health insurance: Workers’ poor health costs employers $344 billion annually in lost productivity and absenteeism, a research group estimates. “Employers haven’t looked at the impact of health on absence from work or on performance while at work,” says Thomas Parry of the Integrated Benefits Institute, a […]
Today’s Headlines – Sept. 14, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories detailing the politics stirred up by GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s return to Capitol Hill, as well as reports about new poll numbers and the latest about how health issues are playing on the campaign trail. The Wall Street Journal: Spending Package Passes […]
Kansas Wrestles With Whether To Decide Which Health Insurance Benefits Are Essential
Officials say if the state wants to determine what benefits are available on all plans sold on the health exchanges, the governor needs to act by Sept. 30. But he wants to wait until after the presidential election.
Long-Term Care A Big Time Worry in California, Study Finds
It turns out Republicans and Democrats do have something they can agree on this election season – they’re worried about how to pay for long-term care when they or a family member can no longer live at home. A new poll released Wednesday by The SCAN Foundation and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research […]
