Latest KFF Health News Stories
Interactive Chart: Medicare Spending By State
The Average Hospital Spending Per Patient measure in the chart below shows how much Medicare spends per patient at hospitals in that state, compared to how much Medicare spends per patient nationally. This measure includes all payments to doctors, hospitals or other facilities for services provided to a patient during the three days before the […]
Today’s Headlines – May 9, 2012
Here are your morning headlines: Los Angeles Times: Senate Republicans Block Proposal To Keep Student Loan Rates Low Republicans also want to avoid raising the rate on college loans, but would pay for it by eliminating a public health fund in Obama’s new healthcare law. The stalemate comes as both parties turn routine legislative votes […]
These Health Law Bets Aren’t A Figure Of Speech
The stakes are high in the Supreme Court’s consideration of the 2010 health law, as countless commentators have observed. In some circles, however, the gambling metaphor has been pushed to its logical conclusion. Bernstein Research stock analyst Ana Gupte laid 50 percent odds recently on chances that the court will strike down the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate along with strict […]
Today’s Headlines – May 8, 2012
Good morning! Los Angeles Times: Congress Returns To Fight For The Presidency Democrats will seek to portray Republicans as protecting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Republicans will use the sluggish economy and Obama’s healthcare law as prime examples of big government failures. … The fight over student loan interest rates, which […]
Study: Residents In Tenn., Fla. And Ga. Saw Biggest Jump In Access Problems
Adults in nearly every state saw their access to health services worsen during over the past decade, with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia having the greatest increase in people reporting having an unmet medical need, according to a study released Tuesday. The three states had at least a 9 percentage point jump in the proportion of adults under 65 who […]
Grand-Aides Could Offer ‘Family-Style’ Health Care Help
Assuming the 2010 health law survives its Supreme Court challenge, about 32 million more people are expected to be eligible for coverage in 2014 through the law’s Medicaid expansion or new health insurance exchanges. If the law is struck down, the number of uninsured will continue to increase. With experts warning of physician shortages and […]
Small Pharmacists Seek Big Clout In Negotiating With Benefit Managers
It’s highly unlikely that during a heated election season House Republicans would want to wade into a debate over antitrust law. But that isn’t stopping independent pharmacists from trying. Buoyed by the fact that more than two dozen House GOP members support legislation (HR 1946) that would allow independent pharmacists to band together in negotiating […]
Ain’t No Sunshine Yet For Docs
Under the new health law, the payments and freebies given to doctors by drug and medical device companies must be made public on the Web. But not quite yet. CMS has announced that the agency will not require companies to collect transparency data before January 1, 2013. The new timeline is a delay from the […]
Today’s Headlines – May 7, 2012
Happy day to you! It may be Monday, but let these headlines take your mind off it: The Washington Post: The Associated Press/Chicago Tribune: House GOP Plan Cuts Social Programs To Stave Off Pentagon Cuts Fully one-fourth of the House GOP spending cuts come from programs directly benefiting the poor, such as Medicaid, food stamps, […]
Obama On The Stump: Don’t Turn Back The Clock On Health Reform
In a pair of speeches on Saturday, President Obama fired up Democratic party faithful in Ohio and Virginia. He spoke about his plans for — and record on — Medicare, health insurance and birth control. And he vowed that the country “will not go back to the days when insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy.”
Rivlin On Medicare And The Debt: ‘We Know What To Do’
Whoever ends up controlling the White House next year – Barack Obama or Mitt Romney — will have to make compromises if they are to solve the nation’s current budget and health care crises. “I think we know what to do,” Alice Rivlin, a former director of the Office of Management and Budget, said Friday afternoon as […]
Health Care Employment Continues Growing Faster Than Other Sectors
Health-care employers continued hiring at a brisk pace last month even as overall employment growth slowed down, today’s jobs report shows. Hospitals, doctor offices and other medical employers added 19,000 jobs in April. That represents a sixth of the total April increase of 115,000 jobs, even though health care makes up only 11 percent of the employment […]
Today’s Headlines – May 4, 2012
Happy Friday! Here are your end-of-week headlines! The Washington Post: Poll: Obama Leads Romney As Campaigns Converge On Virginia The Democratic president has a key advantage in his bid for re¬election: The coalition of Virginians that helped propel him to victory in 2008 — young voters, suburban Washingtonians, women and African Americans — is largely […]
Today’s Headlines – May 3, 2012
Good morning! You’re over the hump, here’s Thursday’s headlines: The Associated Press/Washington Post: Problems Seen For Medicare Provider Payments If Supreme Court Strikes Down Health Care Law Tossing out President Barack Obama’s health care law would have major unintended consequences for Medicare’s payment systems, unseen but vital plumbing that handles 100 million monthly claims from […]
Caring, Long Term: A Way Of Life For 1 In 8 Connecticut Residents
For some unpaid caregivers, caring for relatives comes with little to no support as well as with a cost to their own health and financial well-being. And the need for them is growing.
200 Years Of Surgery In Eight Pages (With Drawings!)
For the 200th anniversary of the New England Journal of Medicine, Atul Gawande — surgeon, journalist, author, researcher, public speaker, father of three — takes a fun spin through two centuries of surgery by going back to the first volume of the publication, then known by the slightly less succinct name of the New England […]
Report: U.S. Has Comparatively High Rate Of Babies Born Early
The United States has a higher rate of babies born too early – and therefore at greater risk of death or health problems – than more than 125 other countries, including Rwanda, Uzbekistan, China and Latvia, according to a report out today. About 12 percent of U.S. babies are born at 37 weeks or less, […]
Costly Heart Procedures Thrive In Some Places, Michigan Study Finds
Why do some doctors keep doing expensive medical procedures after it becomes apparent there are cheaper and equally safe ways to treat patients? A new study of cardiac procedures in Michigan takes a crack at this question, and while it comes up short on definitive answers, it has some interesting findings. The Center for Healthcare […]
Today’s Headlines – May 2, 2012
Good Wednesday morning! Here are your headlines: Politico: GOP: Cut State Bonuses For Children’s Health Care House Republicans want to stop rewarding states for finding and enrolling low-income children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and public health advocates are livid. The Republicans say it’s a smart fiscal move that will better protect […]
When Is A Joint Committee Disjointed?
Over the past two weeks, 18 scathing messages hammering the Obama administration on health care matters have been e-mailed to reporters and congressional staff from an address associated with the congressional Joint Economic Committee – a panel of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate. Isn’t the JEC a bipartisan, bicameral panel that alternates […]
