Latest KFF Health News Stories
Fourth Florida Insurer Agrees To Cap Cost Of HIV Drugs
A fourth insurer in Florida, Preferred Medical Plan, was hit with a federal civil rights complaint for discriminating against people with HIV. All have now agreed to lower drug costs.
Arkansas Medicaid Plan Offers Mixed Lessons
An influential Texas group says Arkansas’ experiment using federal money to buy private insurance for the poor has cost more than expected and should not be emulated by other states.
Illinois Turning To Insurance Agents For Obamacare Outreach
Get Covered Illinois, the state’s enrollment arm, is spending about $150,000 this winter to help 13 insurance brokerages pay for co-branded marketing materials.
Applying For Pa. Medicaid Expansion? Wait In Line
Only about a third of an estimated 150,000 people who applied for the program so far have been enrolled, say officials.
Nearly Half Of South Florida Hospitals Below CDC Standards On Infections
The ratings are part of a national effort to cut down on the most common infections patients contract in hospitals.
Skipped Care A Side Effect Of High-Deductible Health Plans
High deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs related to health insurance have become a rising concern among consumers and health-care providers.
Payment Disparities Puzzle, Intrigue Charlotte Health Execs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina says it decided to reveal how much it pays hospitals for particular procedures to help consumers hold down costs.
Medicaid Privatization May Pose Risk To Those With Complicated Health Needs
Florida’s decision to privatize government-subsidized healthcare for more than 3 million Medicaid recipients will lower costs and improve care, state leaders say. But the new managed care system is also exposing some Floridians in Medicaid, the state/federal insurance program for children, the poor and disabled, to the uncertainties of the private market for the first […]
Rx For Reform: NC Pharmacists Try To Boost Health And Cut Costs
The federal government has invested $15 million in a North Carolina experiment that gives community pharmacists a new role in patient care.
Patients At Seven Miami-Dade Hospitals Are More Likely To Develop Infections
The data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks six types of frequently occurring infections in hospitals as part of an effort to reduce them.
Missouri GOP Aims To Continue Fight Against Federal Health Law
It is one of 21 states that have enacted laws challenging or opting-out of provisions of the health law, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Pa. Man Hates The Law That Will Pay For His Health Insurance
Self-employed accountant is one of an estimated 600,000 low-income Pennsylvanians who will be eligible for expanded Medicaid beginning Jan. 1.
For North Carolina’s Working Poor, Fears Of Losing Coverage, Owing Uncle Sam
But for those who hover around the poverty line, a slump can put them into the “no help” category in the Carolinas and 21 other states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage.
Some Newly Covered Illinois Residents Still Struggle To Pay For Health Care
Even with insurance, high deductibles can put care out of reach.
Health Exchange Bill Fizzles In Illinois Legislature
Proponents of state-based health exchange bill say residents’ subsidies are now at risk.
Hospitals And Pharmacies Grapple With Rising Drug Prices
Spending on drugs by Ascension, a large Midwestern health care system, has increased $36 million in the last year — with two-thirds of that attributed to costlier generics.
Most Illinois Medicaid Patients Denied New Hepatitis C Drugs
Spending for the medications dropped from $1 million per week to about $200,000 per week after the state imposed restrictions.
Paying On Faith: Ministries Offer Alternative To Health Insurance
The ACA’s coverage mandate spurs growth in health-care sharing ministries, in which members agree to abide by Christian principles and contribute to each other’s medical expenses.
Insurance Exchanges Launch With Few Glitches
More than 100,000 apply for coverage of federal marketplace as year-two health law enrollment period begins.
Employers With Workers In Several States Face Challenge Using SHOP Exchanges
Each state may have different options and regulations.
