Medicare Penalizes Group Of 751 Hospitals For Patient Injuries
By Jordan Rau
December 21, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Each hospital will have its payments reduced by 1 percent for the year.
Amid For-Profit Surge, Rural Hospice Has Offered Free Care for 40 Years
By JoNel Aleccia
October 20, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Tiny Washington state hospice accepts no federal funds, relies on community volunteers and donations to serve the dying.
Seeking A Peaceful Death Amid The Flames
By April Dembosky, KQED
October 27, 2017
KFF Health News Original
During Northern California’s recent wildfires, dozens of hospice patients who had hoped to spend their last days in the comfort of their homes had to be relocated to evacuation shelters, assisted living facilities and relatives’ homes instead.
Enrollment News To Bank On: Obamacare Is Still Here So It’s Time For Coverage Checkup
By Michelle Andrews
October 24, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Open enrollment for the federal health law’s marketplace plans begin Nov. 1. In most states, the sign-up period ends Dec. 15, about six weeks sooner than past years.
Blue Shield Top Choice On California Exchange
By Chad Terhune
February 10, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Anthem sign-ups are trailing, and UnitedHealth and newcomer Oscar are playing a minor role in coverage thus far, according to unofficial reports.
Study: Some Marketplace Customers Spend 25 Percent Of Income On Health Expenses
By Michelle Andrews
January 15, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Urban Institute researchers found that premiums and out-of-pocket costs are still a major concern for people seeking coverage on the health care marketplaces.
Synthetic Opioid In Development Could Offer Pain Relief With Less Addiction Risk
June 27, 2016
Morning Briefing
Though years away from human testing, the University of Maryland is working on a drug, UMB425, that researchers hope could reduce the side effects of painkiller tolerance and addiction. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports on how chili peppers could help people with chronic pain. And New Hampshire’s new prescribing guidelines raise concerns.
Study: 2 Million Exchange Enrollees Miss Out On Cost-Sharing Assistance
By Michelle Andrews
August 21, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Consumers must enroll in a silver-level plan in order to be eligible for reductions in out-of-pocket spending.
Expensive New Meds, Price Hikes On Old Ones Contribute To Steep Drug Spending Spike
April 14, 2016
Morning Briefing
Total spending in 2015 rose to nearly $425 billion, according to the report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. It estimates that after rebates and other price breaks, manufacturers received $309.5 billion for U.S. prescription drugs last year, up 8.5 percent from 2014.
Washington State Goes After The Young And Uninsured
By Lisa Stiffler, The Seattle Times
January 17, 2014
KFF Health News Original
So-called “young and invincibles” are not rushing to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, so officials are going to find them at concerts, festivals and social-media sites.
Pay For Hospital CEOs Linked More To Technology, Patient Satisfaction Than Quality, Study Finds
By Jordan Rau
October 14, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Harvard researchers find no difference in CEO compensation between hospitals that rate well in providing good care and those that do poorly.
Where You Live Determines How Much You Pay For Health Insurance
By Jordan Rau Julie Appleby
September 29, 2013
KFF Health News Original
In several states, consumers in high-cost areas will pay at least 50 percent more for the same type of coverage as those in lower-cost areas.
Minnesota Ranked Best State For Seniors
By Judith Graham
May 29, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Mississippi, Oklahoma are least healthy states for people over 65, according to a United Health Foundation analysis of 34 measures of health.
Advocates Urge More Government Oversight Of Medicaid Managed Care
By Jenni Bergal
July 5, 2013
KFF Health News Original
The health law’s expansion of Medicaid is putting a spotlight on how regulators monitor the performance of privately-run plans.
Hospital Ratings Are In The Eye Of The Beholder
By Jordan Rau
March 18, 2013
KFF Health News Original
With an expanding number of groups offering a stamp of approval, consumers find a confusing array of quality awards to consider when choosing a hospital.
Table: Caring for Migrant Farmworkers
June 6, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Details about the 156 health centers that get federal funds to provide primary care to migrant and seasonal farmworkers regardless of immigration status.
War On Smoking Offers Some Lessons For Obesity Fight
By Judith Graham
May 5, 2012
KFF Health News Original
But the scope of the nation’s weight problem is much more extensive than tobacco ever was and public health campaigns must address issues as complex as food and beverage choices, television viewing, exercise routines and even the design of cities.
Both Patients And Physicians Can Suffer When Test Results Aren’t Reported
By Michelle Andrews
November 29, 2011
KFF Health News Original
The push for better coordination of patient care, including the adoption of electronic medical records, should help improve the delivery of test results to patients from doctors and to doctors from those who perform the tests.
Insurers See Growing Risks As Well As Revenues In Medicaid Managed Care
By Christopher Weaver
August 29, 2011
KFF Health News Original
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.
Number Of Breast, Cervical Cancer Cases Rose Significantly Over Past 30 Years, Global Study Says
September 15, 2011
Morning Briefing
“The number of cases and deaths from breast and cervical cancer is rising in most countries across the world, especially in poorer nations where more women are dying at younger ages, according to a global study of the diseases” by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Reuters reports. Between 1980 and 2010, breast cancer cases more than doubled worldwide, rising from 641,000 cases in 1980 to 1.6 million cases in 2010, while deaths from breast cancer rose from 250,000 a year to 425,000 a year, according to the study, which was published in the Lancet on Thursday, Reuters notes. The “number of cervical cancer cases rose from 378,000 cases in 1980 to 454,000 in 2010, and deaths from cervical cancer rose at almost the same pace as cases,” the news service writes (Kelland, 9/15). The majority of new cases occurred among women under age 50 in low-income nations, BBC News writes (Briggs, 9/14).
