Latest KFF Health News Stories
Honeywell’s Wellness Program Faces Legal Test
Lawyers for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit, arguing that a company can ask employees to undergo voluntary testing but can’t impose a penalty on those who decline to submit to health screening tests.
Health Law Boosts Earnings For Many Insurers
Last fall, the nation’s biggest health insurers were cautious about the overhaul’s coverage expansion and prohibitions against denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. But a year later, many have raised earnings expectations, and investors see less uncertainty.
Health Law Weighs Heavily For Some Democratic Candidates
Obamacare has been a buzzword in ads in many key Senate elections, and, in anticipation of an expected run-off, groups are making media buys in Louisiana, that will, among other things, hit Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu hard for her support of the health law. Meanwhile, other TV advertisements go beyond the campaign and seek to raise awareness about the law itself and to encourage people to sign up for coverage.
McConnell Says Full Health Law Repeal ‘Not In The Cards’ Even If GOP Controls The Senate
Although there’s uncertainty about what would be included on a Republican-controlled Senate’s to-do list, The Washington Post notes that the outcome of this election will have a significant impact on the health law’s future direction.
HHS Secretary Meets With Insurance Execs Before Open Enrollment Season Begins
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell met with 12 industry leaders in advance of the Nov. 15 kick-off of the health law’s second sign-up period. Also in the news, Burwell taps a top Treasury aide, Alastair Fitzpayne, to be the next HHS chief of staff.
Why Mississippi’s Health Law Relationship Failed
News outlets examine how the health law’s implementation unfolded in Mississippi and other southern states.
Supreme Court To Decide If It Will Hear Insurance Subsidies Case
The GOP says language in the health law bars consumers in 36 states from using federal tax subsidies to purchase health coverage on the federal exchange. The justices, who are scheduled to consider the question this week, could announce their decision to take up the case or not as soon as Nov. 3, according to Bloomberg.
Some Small Firms Drop Coverage Due To Health Law Options
Some employers increasingly view the health law’s online marketplaces as an attractive option for their workers, and WellPoint said Wednesday that its small business plan membership is declining more quickly than expected.
Rural Hospitals In Non-Medicaid Expansion States Face Challenges
Some states with large rural populations opted out of expanding Medicaid even though large numbers of rural residents are uninsured, California Healthline reports. Meanwhile, a second wave of people with unverified immigration status will lose coverage this month, and Fox News reports on the increasing popularity of cheap, one-year insurance policies that are being sold as an alternative to those purchased on government exchanges.
First Edition: October 30, 2014
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: States Move On Ebola Because Obama Didn’t; Copper Plans’ Hidden Costs
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
State Highlights: Support For Calif. Rate Regulation Grows; Minn. Employee Wellness Lawsuit
A selection of health policy stories from California, Kansas, Minnesota, South Carolina and Florida.
Nation’s Largest Digital Medical Records Company Wants To ‘Correct’ Perceptions
In addition, Modern Healthcare reports that, although electronic health records can lead to reduced costs and greater efficiency, if used incorrectly they become a liability issue for health care providers.
CMS: New Medicaid Managed Care Regulations On Track For January 2015 Release
Modern Healthcare reports that the rules are intended to address beneficiaries’ access to care, among other things. Additionally, CQ Healthbeat reports on news related to the federal matching rate for Medicaid technology upgrades to enrollment and eligibility systems.
Medicare Agency Gets Scrutiny In Insider-Trading Investigation
Elsewhere, a whistleblower lawsuit alleges some false diagnoses were created to bilk the government of $1 billion or more.
Obama Rejects Needs For Health Care Worker Quarantines
The president says quarantines like that imposed by New Jersey could undermine efforts to get health care workers to volunteer to help in Africa.
MNsure Audit Finds Shortcomings In Controls For Spending, Premium Collections
Elsewhere, Colorado Health News reports on why some consumers will get less tax help in purchasing their coverage through the state’s online insurance marketplace, and a small business exchange is launched in Illinois.
WellPoint, Aetna Raise 2014 Forecasts
There is a downside for Aetna. Even as the insurer posted higher membership and revenue, its medical costs also increased. Meanwhile, HCA’s third-quarter earnings rose as the hospital operator continued to experience a rebound in admissions and other positives generated by the health law.
Medicaid Directors Urge Congress To Intervene On Specialty Drug Costs
In an eight-page letter to key congressional leaders, state Medicaid directors said the high-cost of pharmaceuticals like the Hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi and other new drugs require “an immediate federal solution.” Meanwhile, Sanofi and Gilead Sciences Inc., the maker of Sovaldi, reported lower-than-expected sales in the third quarter.
As Election Nears, Polls Tighten And GOP Plans For Senate Control Take Shape
Also in the news, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who is locked in a tight challenge for her Senate seat, is sticking to her support for the health law despite attack ads.
