Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Veteran Started Vaping THC To Cope With Chronic Pain. Then He Got Very Sick.
A Navy veteran from Cleveland tried vaping marijuana to deal with his chronic pain. He landed in the hospital, becoming one of over 2,400 Americans who have suffered serious lung injury from vaping.
ACA Repeal Threatens A Black Lung Provision Popular In Coal Country
The Affordable Care Act simplified and speeded up the complex process that allows coal miners who have black lung to get special benefits. Many in coal country want this reform to stay if the rest of the law is repealed.
To Address Doctor Shortages, Some States Focus on Residencies
Some states are spending millions of dollars to train medical students, only to see them leave because of a shortage of residency positions.
Aetna Breaks Ties To Man Who Sold Policies To Hundreds Of Homeless
Aetna is ending its relationship with a Charlotte insurance agent who used the Affordable Care Act to sell premium-free policies to hundreds of homeless people while the N.C. Department of Insurance continues its review of the arrangement. The state has scheduled a Sept. 3 “informal administrative conference” on the sales, which sparked questions and criticism […]
Former Medicare Chief Named Top Health Insurance Lobbyist
Marilyn Tavenner, a former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will lead America’s Health Insurance Plans, becoming the most prominent insurance industry lobbyist in the nation.
Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges Are Off To A Rocky Start
Only 10,700 employers nationwide have enrolled their workers in coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP exchanges.
He says they’re better off having some insurance coverage, even if they have high deductibles. But advocates say they lose access to free clinics and can’t afford to use their coverage because of the deductibles.
Beware: Your Insurer May Define A Health Emergency Differently Than You Do
Once stabilized, you must transfer to an in-network hospital or you may be responsible for the entire cost of your care.
Paperwork Inconsistencies Causing Thousands To Lose Obamacare Subsidies
The problems are affecting consumers all over the country, say enrollment agents.
Obamacare Ruling Could Kill Coverage For 413,000 In Georgia
No tax credit means no health insurance at all for tens of thousands of Georgians.
Prescription Drug Price Battles Show No Sign Of Letting Up
A pair of new cholesterol drugs is renewing a battle between pharmaceutical companies, which charge huge sums of money for new blockbuster drugs, and payers for those treatments, which include insurers, Medicare and Medicaid.
New St. Louis Dental Clinic Looks To Close Gaps In Coverage
The state Legislature approved funding this year to allow about 250,000 low-income adults with Medicaid to receive dental services.
Texas’ Tough Abortion Restrictions Mostly Upheld By Appeals Court
Abortion rights groups say the ruling would leave only eight clinics open statewide.
More Patients, Not Fewer, Turn To Health Clinics After Obamacare
Patients are flocking to community health clinics for care in North Carolina and elsewhere. Clinic leaders think health law advertising has driven up demand, especially for people in the Medicaid gap.
Pennsylvania Governor Plans State Insurance Exchange To Protect Subsidies
It is unclear whether the Republican-dominated General Assembly has to approve Wolf’s plan, which is designed protect residents’ subsidies should the Supreme Court void subsidies in states that rely on the federal exchange.
More Than 1.3M Floridians May Lose Their Obamacare Subsidies, More Than Any Other State
The subsidies are at the center of a Supreme Court case challenging the health law. In King v. Burwell, the plaintiffs argue that the language of the health law restricts the subsidies to states that established their own exchanges.
Could Medicaid Have Helped Miami Man Avoid Amputation?
Travails of an uninsured man with diabetes put him on the front lines of the fight raging in the Florida Legislature this week over Medicaid expansion.
Missouri Consumer Group To Review Health Plan Rate Hikes
Consumers Council will lead the effort with financial backing from a state foundation.
For Millions In Georgia, A Toothache Not Treated By Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act has done little to reduce the number of Americans who lack dental coverage.
South Florida Lawmakers Discuss Medicaid Expansion At Forum
With a special legislative session set for next week, state lawmakers and hospital representatives discussed the future of health care in Florida, including Medicaid expansion.
