Latest KFF Health News Stories
Rushed Medicine; Exercising Your Way To A Smarter Brain
Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web. Newsweek: The Doctor Will See You–If You’re Quick Something in the world of medicine is seriously amiss. Unhappy patients gripe about their doctors’ brusque manner and give them bad marks on surveys and consumer websites like HealthGrades and Angie’s List. […]
Maryland’s First Green House Project Nursing Home Aids Low-Income Seniors
What was once a novel idea for longterm care for the elderly — small, homey facilities of 10 to 12 residents each — is now a model cropping up around the country. On Thursday The Green House Project— an alternative to senior institutional care created by Dr. William H. Thomas, a geriatrician and self-described ‘nursing […]
Today’s Headlines – April 20, 2012
Happy Friday! Here are your morning headlines: Los Angeles Times: House Passes 20% Tax Cut For Businesses Despite a veto threat from President Obama, the Republican-led House approved a 20% election-year tax cut for most companies intended to entice them to pick up the pace of hiring and, thus, boost the economy. Democrats, though, said […]
Growth In Health Costs Limited As Americans Avoid Hospital Stays
Americans continued to seek moderate amounts of medical care in the first quarter, helping insurer UnitedHealth Group beat profit expectations amid signs of continued restraint in health-care spending. In an early look at medical-cost trends for 2012, the nation’s biggest private insurer said today that an increase in outpatient treatments from January through March was partly offset by a lack of growth […]
Today’s Headlines – April 19, 2012
Good morning! Here are your a.m. headlines … The New York Times: In A Shift, Medicare Pushes Bids The Obama administration said Wednesday that it would vastly expand the use of competitive bidding to buy medical equipment for Medicare beneficiaries after a one-year experiment saved money for taxpayers and patients without harming the quality of […]
Survey: Key Groups Unaware Of Health Law Benefits
Despite the millions of people who have gained insurance coverage as a result of the health law, a survey released Thursday shows outreach efforts for two popular provisions are missing key parts of their target audience. TABLE.khntable { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 300px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; PADDING-TOP: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; […]
Some Women’s Groups See Another Agenda In Attacks On Contraceptive Coverage
Opponents of the Obama administration’s contraception coverage mandate emphasize religious freedom, but others say the real issue is birth control.
Unusual Alliances Form In Nebraska’s Prenatal Care Debate
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. In Republican-dominated Nebraska, government leaders often line up together, but lately a political tornado has ripped through this orderly scene. A political showdown over taxpayer funding of prenatal care for illegal immigrants has produced some unusual political splits and alliances in the statehouse of the Cornhusker […]
Today’s Headlines – April 18, 2012
Good morning! Hold on to your coffee cups, here are your a.m. headlines to start your day off: Politico: Jobs, Funding Related To Health Care Law At Risk It’s likely that some in the health reform workforce would get reabsorbed into other Health and Human Services offices, where a number worked prior to the health […]
To determine the quality of care the nearly 1,200 federally funded health centers provide to more than 20 million people, Kaiser Health News used the U.S. Freedom of Information Act to obtain data showing how individual health centers performed in 2010 based on six patient care measures: controlling blood sugar of diabetics and blood pressure […]
Interactive Chart: Quality Of Care At Community Health Centers
Look up how your local community health center scores on six measures of clinical performance, as evaluated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Smart Shopping Can Relieve Pain From Dentists’ Charges
If you need dental work, chances are you’ll pay a big chunk of the bill out of your own pocket, even if you have dental insurance. Dental coverage often maxes out at just a few thousand dollars a year or less and typically covers only half of the cost of major procedures like crowns and […]
Today’s Headlines – April 17, 2012
Reuters/Chicago Tribune: U.S. Cites Assurant Unit Over Health Premium Hike U.S. officials on Monday cited two health insurers for excessive premium increases, under consumer protection rules of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law that could soon be nullified by the Supreme Court (4/16). The Wall Street Journal: Romney Woos Conservative Leaders Mitt Romney, while ramping […]
Wash. Abortion Coverage Bill Placed On Hold
A bill that would require insurers to cover abortion services is off the table this year in Washington state. A special session of the Washington legislature ended Wednesday without the Reproductive Parity Act reaching a vote. The bill would require private insurers that provide maternity coverage to also cover abortion. Advocates now hope to reintroduce […]
Today’s Headlines – April 16, 2012
The New York Times: GOP Lawmakers And Romney Face A Delicate Tango With Representative Paul D. Ryan’s budget plan, Republicans have already set the agenda on the key issue that divides the two parties in an age of austerity: how to manage the federal budget and its related entitlement programs. Mr. Romney has eagerly embraced […]
Critics Say Proposed Rule Would Make Millions Ineligible For Health Insurance Subsidies
The policy would have the greatest impact on women and children.
Nursing Aides Receive New Worker Protections
Think dangerous jobs, and a police officer entering a dark hallway or a firefighter running into a burning building might come to mind. But even more risky? Nursing aides, who have an occupation with the nation’s second highest rate of work-related injuries or illness. Nursing aides and other health care workers can slip or fall or strain […]
Diagnosing Autism In Minutes; Finding New Uses For Old Drugs
Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web. Time: Can Autism Really Be Diagnosed In Minutes? Autism is an extremely complex diagnosis. Parental insight, physician observations and hours of data can factor into determining whether a child actually has the condition or is just a little on the […]
Today’s Headlines – April 13, 2012
Happy Friday! Here are your morning headlines … Reuters/Chicago Tribune: Sebelius Seeks Civil Rights Support For U.S. Healthcare Law A top U.S. administration official asked civil rights activists on Thursday to help defend President Barack Obama’s embattled healthcare law, saying the reform package faces an “enemy” determined to set American health policy back half a […]
Today’s Headlines – April 12, 2012
The Washington Post: ‘Buffet Rule’ Vs. Ryan Plan: Who Should Chip In More The great moral debate of the 2012 campaign is turning out to be as inspiring as drunks arguing over a bar tab. The basic argument is this: “Who’s not paying their fair share?” Democrats have pointed the finger at millionaires, and this […]
