Latest KFF Health News Stories
Missouri’s Medicaid Applicants Get Put On Hold
Call center wait times climb even as the application backlog mounts and the state reports the single largest monthly drop in Medicaid enrollment in June.
Putting Teeth In Health Reform
Many North Carolina dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients because of the low reimbursements, while the federal health law defines children’s dental insurance as an essential benefit” but doesn’t require parents to buy it.
Low-Income Patients Face Hurdles To Care At Public Hospital In Miami
Jackson Health System offers free and reduced-cost treatment for those who qualify, but advocacy groups complain it fails to meet requirements for charity care.
Health Law May Benefit More Small Businesses In The Fall
Special online markets weren’t widely available in Obamacare’s first year.
Freestanding ERs Target Suburbs, Rural Panel Told
Freestanding emergency departments have been proposed in Georgia as a potential solution for struggling rural hospitals.
One-Third Of Georgia’s Medicaid Applicants Still In Limbo
The state has one of the largest numbers of children who are Medicaid-eligible but still uninsured.
Affordable Care Act Exemptions Mean Millions Don’t Have To Sign Up
Exemptions allow medical bill-sharing groups to help members pay costs – without Affordable Care Act insurance.
Pediatricians In Florida Could See Relief From Low Medicaid Payments
A possible resolution of a lawsuit against Florida health and child-welfare officials could mean that physicians will receive what they consider to be adequate compensation.
Illinois To Boost Medicaid Funding For Contraception
Officials seek to increase access to services since the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the health law’s birth control mandate for some employers.
Most Insurance Exchanges Just Got Bigger. Covered California Is Getting Smaller.
Several experts, however, credited the exchange with one big win: Creating more options for shoppers.
‘Pastoral Counselors’ Help Fill Mental Health Gap In Rural States
Six states allow these counselors
Some States Bristle At Lack Of Authority Over Medicare Advantage Plans
When Congress created the option for beneficiaries to join the private Medicare Advantage plans, it gave oversight to federal officials, preempting state insurance laws and procedures.
Missouri Lags Behind In Insurance Pricing Transparency
Consumers in most other states have more information about, and control over, health insurance prices and plans.
With Health Law, ERs Still Packed
Emergency-room visits have increased at many hospitals. A shortage of primary-care doctors is one reason.
For Aging Inmates, Care Outside Prison Walls
As the number of elderly inmates needing long-term care rises, some states are looking for alternatives beyond prison walls.
Vermont Is ‘Single-Payer’ Trailblazer
Vermont plays the maverick again in trying to be the first state to implement a single-payer health care system.
HHS Report Finds Medicare Advantage Plans Exaggerate Members’ Diseases To Make More Money
The study urges changes in federal policies that allow higher payments for sicker patients.
The HHS is contacting hundreds of thousands of people with subsidized health plans bought under the ACA to verify their eligibility,
Pitfalls Emerge in Health Insurance Renewals
Automatically renewing your Obamacare policy could cost you thousands.
King County’s Wellness Plan Beats the Odds
Most employee wellness plans have few participants and little effect on health care costs. A program in King County, Washington, is an exception.
