Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

In Mid-Term Elections, Health Law Is One Of Many Issues On Voters’ Lists

Morning Briefing

Polls continue to show that the overhaul is part of a “smorgasbord” of voters’ concerns, but it is not the dominant issue that many predicted it would be. Meanwhile, news outlets report on how it is playing in Minnesota’s Senate race.

States Offer Mixed Emotions On Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion

Morning Briefing

USA Today reports that, for the Obama administration, there’s both good and bad news from Republican governors regarding their take on expanding the low-income insurance program. But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that red-state allies are emerging in states that initially were strongly opposed to the health law.

Where We Are With Obamacare And Where We’re Going

Morning Briefing

An analysis by a team of New York Times reporters finds that after almost a year, the Affordable Care Act has succeeded in delivering on its main promises but has also fallen short in some ways. Other reports look at how consumers could be in for some surprises when open enrollment begins next month, including the possibility of being billed for two different plans, and how the SHOP exchanges for small businesses have gone live in Illinois and Missouri.

House GOP Probes Missteps On Ebola

Morning Briefing

As the Obama administration seeks to allay anxiety over Ebola, a congressional committee known for partisan fireworks was set to take aim Friday at its response to the disease in the U.S. and its strategy for containing the virus.

CMS Offers $840M In Grants To Doctors, Hospitals

Morning Briefing

The money is meant to help improve the quality of care patients receive. At the same time, family physicians are working to promote the importance of primary care.

Doctors Still Profit From Medicare Referrals Despite Law

Morning Briefing

A federal law since the 1990s has prohibited “self-referral,” in which doctors profit from Medicare-reimbursed procedures they order. But many physician groups have found ways to do it anyway, exploiting a loophole to the law in ways its writers didn’t anticipate, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Rules On Marketplace Forms May Put Immigrants At Disadvantage

Morning Briefing

The Associated Press reports that immigrants and naturalized citizens will not be allowed to use the new EZ application for healthcare.gov. Other outlets report on enrollment efforts in North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Michigan.

What A GOP Senate Could Mean For The Health Law

Morning Briefing

Under the assumption that Republicans will win control of both houses of Congress, economists weigh in on Republican budget plans, which did not include repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Health Law Foes Build Subsidy Challenge

Morning Briefing

Using blog posts, conferences and subpoenas, the Cato Institute and others are ramping up efforts to persuade the Supreme Court to hear a lawsuit challenging subsidies for Americans who purchase health coverage in federal, as opposed to state-run, insurance marketplaces. Other stories look at the role of federally qualified health centers and who should get the credit for the slowed growth of Medicare costs.

Ebola Causes Revenue Drop At Texas Presbyterian Hospital

Morning Briefing

As President Obama reassured the public, the hospital’s parent corporation, Texas Health Resources, said most of the revenue decline came from the ER.

Calif. State Ballot Initiatives Prove To Be Political Flashpoints

Morning Briefing

Also, in North Dakota, voters will consider a “personhood” ballot measure that could have significant repercussions for health care in the states; and, in New Hampshire, Medicaid expansion is becoming a big issue in the state’s gubernatorial contest.