Latest News On U.S. Congress

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Federal Appeals Court Takes Up Case That Could Upend U.S. Health System

KFF Health News Original

The Affordable Care Act is again being put to the test after a lower court judge ruled the massive health law unconstitutional. Could the case ricochet back to the Supreme Court in the throes of the 2020 presidential campaign season?

Pelosi Aims For Feds To Negotiate Drug Prices, Even For Private Insurers

KFF Health News Original

A draft plan spearheaded by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would allow the federal government for the first time to negotiate prices for 250 drugs for Medicare and apply those prices to all payers, including employers and insurers.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Dems Debate Health Care

KFF Health News Original

Democratic presidential candidates disagreed on how to fix health care in their first debate Wednesday, although they all called for boosting insurance coverage and lowering prices. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is keeping health care in the news, too, with a new plan to make medical prices more available to the public. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about bipartisan progress on catch-all legislation to address “surprise” medical bills. Plus, Rovner interviews NPR’s Jon Hamilton about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

‘Medicare For All’ Emerges As Early Divide In First Democratic Debate

KFF Health News Original

On the first of the Democrat’s two-night debate, only New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered full support for a single-payer system that would banish private health insurance.

The Values Of Health Care

KFF Health News Original

Julie Rovner, the chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alan Weil of Health Affairs at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival to discuss how consumers’ values impact the politics surrounding the national debate on health care.

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Politics Heading Into 2020: Live From Aspen!

KFF Health News Original

How big an issue will health really be in the 2020 election? Will the Republicans find their political footing on the issue? In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times report from the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colo. Joining them are Chris Jennings, who advised Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on health policy, and Lanhee Chen, who advised GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio.

Non-English Speakers Face Health Setback If Trump Loosens Language Rules

KFF Health News Original

A rule proposed by the Trump administration would leave patients with limited English proficiency with fewer guarantees of a written notice that free translation services are available. It also would no longer require directions on how patients can report discrimination they experience in a medical setting.

Sen. Alexander Details His Plan To Fix Surprise Medical Bills

KFF Health News Original

A legislative package from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) would handle surprise medical bills by having insurers pay them the “median in-network rate,” meaning the rate would be similar to what the plan charges other doctors in the area for the same procedure.

Senators Agree Surprise Medical Bills Must Go. But How?

KFF Health News Original

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is scheduled next week to mark up a massive legislative package on curbing health costs, but some of the details remain unresolved, including what formula to use to pay doctors and hospitals involved in surprise medical bills.

In Combating Surprise Bills, Lawmakers Miss Sky-High Air Ambulance Costs

KFF Health News Original

The median cost of an air ambulance bill is more than $36,000 and seldom covered by insurance, sparking many consumer complaints. Yet none of the proposals introduced or circulating in Congress to fix surprise medical bills address these services.

KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Who Will Pay To Fix Problem Of Surprise Medical Bills?

KFF Health News Original

Lawmakers and patients want to eliminate “surprise” out-of-network medical bills. Hospitals, doctors and insurers say they want to eliminate them, too, but their opposition to one another’s proposals could complicate legislative efforts. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about reproductive health and health care sharing ministries.

Watch: A Status Update On Efforts To Address Surprise Medical Bills

KFF Health News Original

KHN correspondent Rachel Bluth appeared on “PBS NewsHour Weekend” to talk with host Megan Thompson about the continuing problem of surprise medical bills and how the issue is playing on Capitol Hill.