Latest KFF Health News Stories
Trade Group, Other ‘Association’ Health Plans To Face Rate Hike Scrutiny
Insurers who offer “association health plans,” which are often sold through trade groups or other organizations of affiliated members, will face the same scrutiny of premium rate hikes as other types of insurance, federal officials said Thursday. The decision came in a rule clarifying that insurers offering association health plans will be required to provide justification […]
Consolidation Trend Continues As UnitedHealth Picks Up Calif. Doctor Group
If you live in Orange County, Calif., the chances that your doctor’s checks are cut by a UnitedHealth Group company are on the rise. The insurer, the nation’s largest by revenue, is acquiring the management arm of Monarch HealthCare, a 2,300-physician group, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Modern Healthcare. It’s the […]
Today’s Headlines – Sept. 1, 2011
Good Morning! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including California lawmakers shelving their effort to pass a bill to regulate health insurance rates and Florida’s aggressive efforts to shut down “pill mill” clinics. Los Angeles Times: Bill To Regulate California Health Insurance Rates Is Shelved A bill that would allow California officials to […]
Today’s Headlines – August 31, 2011
Good morning! It’s the last day of August, time to start thinking about fall … and these stories! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including details about the GOP tax expert who has been named to help run the deficit-reduction “super committee” as well as the health policy ideas Republican governors are offering […]
Changes To Medigap Plans Meet Resistance
Health law proposed revisions to help save Medicare money but group of insurance experts studying the issue is raising concerns.
Economists Caution: ACOs May Not End Wasteful Health Spending
Expensive technologies like proton beam therapy and hot chemo baths are among the reasons America’s health care spending is rising at an unsustainable clip and making the federal deficit so hard to tame. But two of the nation’s top health care economists are expressing doubts that accountable care organizations — one of Obama administration’s most-hyped […]
Today’s Headlines – August 30, 2011
Good morning! Today’s headlines include a report about a new federal and state program that will apply scrutiny to any health-premium increase of more than 10 percent. The Wall Street Journal: Steep Rises In Health Premiums Scrutinized A new federal and state program on health-insurance rates will determine whether bad publicity alone is enough to stop insurers […]
Poll: Employees Don’t Want Changes In Their Health Insurance
Employees love to gripe about rising health care costs, but a new poll finds most are not willing to sacrifice to pay less for their insurance. Only 27 percent of people with insurance provided through their employer said they would accept a more restricted list of doctors and hospitals in their networks, according to the latest […]
N.C. Employers Embrace Medicaid Medical Home Network
North Carolina employers are trying to find out if there really is no place like home. As in medical homes, that is. For the first time, people with job-based insurance in the state will soon be offered a chance to tap into a well-known medical home network that has primarily served Medicaid enrollees since 1998. […]
Today’s Headlines – August 29, 2011
Good Monday morning! We back to work after hunkering down for the weekend’s hurricane. Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more coverage of GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry’s thoughts on health policy and politics. Here’s what we’re reading: The Associated Press: Deficit Panel Members Had Moments Of Independence Even lawmakers most […]
Insurers See Growing Risks As Well As Revenues In Medicaid Managed Care
At least 20 states are expanding their Medicaid managed-care programs in an effort to contain health spending and prepare for a huge expansion of the program beginning in 2014.
Candidate Perry’s Prescription: Medical Malpractice Reform
Just a few weeks into his campaign, Texas Gov. and presidential candidate Rick Perry isn’t talking a whole lot about health care, except to criticize President Obama for last year’s law. And he’s not considered a health care expert. But he’s is passionate on one point: Fixing the nation’s health care system must include a […]
Who Is Influencing Health Care?
Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web. Salon / Global Post: What’s Happening To A Model Healthcare System? Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh once vowed to flee to Costa Rica if President Barack Obama’s health care reforms took effect. Limbaugh might have overlooked a couple of critical […]
Today’s Headlines – August 26, 2011
Friday! Getting ready for a hurricane? Here are some stories to distract you: Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about presidential politics and health reform — most notably, Rick Perry’s assault on Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts record. The Wall Street Journal: Health Law Puts Governors In Pickle Texas Gov. Rick Perry, […]
Big Virginia Hospital System Cuts Management Jobs
With its well-regarded hospitals dominating Northern Virginia and $2.3 billion in net operating revenue last year, Inova Health System must be the envy of many hospital groups. But in a sign that even the strongest players feel pressure to save money and operate more efficiently, Inova this week trimmed many of its mid-level management positions. […]
Today’s headlines – August 25, 2011
Good morning! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new Congressional Budget Office report and the usually unlikely assumptions it makes — including the end of Medicare physician payment fixes. The Washington Post: Budget Deficit To Hit $1.3 Trillion This Year, Congressional Analysts Report The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says […]
Portman May Be Pivotal to ‘Super Committee’ Success
Even as skeptics dismiss the “super committee” as a prescription for more gridlock, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is seen by many seasoned observers as a key figure in helping bridge the partisan divide and facilitate the chance for a deal.
Caveat Emptor: New Budget Projections Assume End Of ‘Doc Fixes’
Updated at on Aug. 25 at 3:48 p.m. New figures released by the Congressional Budget Office today include a budget assumption that almost never comes true: The imposition of steep Medicare cuts for physicians. The CBO’s new baseline projections of the federal budget find reason to be hopeful, estimating that cumulative deficits will reach $3.5 trillion between 2012 and […]
Hospitals Have Got Your Back, Maybe a Little Too Quickly
Back surgery is one of the best documented examples of expensive medical treatments that drive up health care costs while not always helping patients, and sometimes even hurting them. The latest Medicare data show that hospitals frequently order MRI back scans for patients who haven’t even tried recommended treatments such as physical therapy. An MRI often prompts surgery. […]
Today’s Headlines – August 24, 2011
Good morning all you early risers! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that Medicare tries bundled payments and HHS may give states a second chance to avoid a federally-run health insurance exchange. Politico: The Perils Of The Supercommittee The event is an early glimpse of what the 12 supercommittee members could […]
