Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospital Shifting Away From Billing For Individual Services
Bundled payments may be the “wave of the future,” the Wall Street Journal suggests. Meanwhile, health care providers are working to get patients more involved in decisions about their care.
Enrollees’ Data May Be Compromised As A Result Of Access Health CT Breach
The Connecticut health insurance exchange data breach has been traced back to an employee of the company that runs the call center.
Is Healthcare.gov Floating Toward The Cloud?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud is picking up steam in the Obama administration’s attempt to revamp the federal online insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, news outlets also report on the latest developments regarding exchanges in Colorado and New Hampshire.
Politics Continue To Swirl Around State Medicaid Expansion Debates
A group of Democratic senators has written a letter to Republican governors in states such as South Dakota, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Nebraska urging that they set politics aside and pursue the health law’s expansion of the state-federal low-income insurance program. Meanwhile, the issue is also front and center in primary elections.
HHS Identifies — But Doesn’t Recover — Overpayments To Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare auditors found the government overpaid the plans hundreds of millions of dollars but in 2013 opted to scrap such reviews, the Center for Public Integrity writes. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare looks at Medicare’s difficult job in dealing with safety failures.
State Highlights: Improving Chronic Care In Las Vegas; Standoff Over N.C. Medicaid
A selection of health policy stories from Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington
Viewpoints: ‘Triage’ At The VA; GOP Can’t ‘Fix’ Health Law; Mental Health Problems In L.A. Jail
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about efforts on the state level and within the health care system to address health care costs and advance other system reforms.
Senate OKs Sylvia Mathews Burwell To Be Next HHS Secretary
The Senate confirmed Burwell’s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services 78 to 17, with only Republicans casting votes against her.
CBO: Only 4 Million To Face Fines For Lacking Health Coverage
That is down about 2 million from an earlier projection by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, reflecting the calculation that more of the nation’s 30 million uninsured will qualify for exemptions under the law.
Reporters Reflect On Health Law Battles
Huffington Post gathers five reporters who followed the passage and implementation of the health law to share their insights. Meanwhile, the journal Health Affairs examines how accountable care organizations have given little attention to surgery, focusing instead on managing chronic conditions, and a new study looks at premium increases before the health law.
Senators Reach Bipartisan Deal To Fix VA
The agreement, announced Thursday by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., gives authority to the acting VA chief to fire senior officials and to allow veterans who have experienced long waits or who live further than 40 miles from a VA facility to seek care elsewhere. If passed by both houses, the bill would also authorize VA to spend $500 million hiring new doctors and nurses.
Viewpoints: Tea Party Missing The Lesson; Health Care Not An Ordinary Market; Va.’s Medicaid Battle
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Pa. House Committee Advances Bill To Expand Medicaid Eligibility
States continue to debate issues related to the health law’s Medicaid expansion provision.
Healthcare.gov To Get Makeover
The Wall Street Journal reports that the federal health insurance website is slated for an overhaul that will likely result in the scrapping of major parts of it that caused problems during last fall’s launch. Its tight timeline is among the issues raising new concern. Meanwhile, news outlets also report on small business exchanges as well as developments regarding state online marketplaces in Connecticut, Kansas, Washington and Colorado.
State Highlights: Rural Telemedicine; Two Iowa Planned Parenthoods Closed
A selection of health policy stories from South Dakota, Washington state, Iowa, Arizona and Georgia.
Research Roundup: Funding For Safety-Net Hospitals; Insurance Competition
This week’s studies come from Health Affairs, The Annals of Internal Medicine, The Commonwealth Fund, Avalere Health and the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the Senate confirmation of Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Senate To Vote On Confirmation Of Burwell As HHS Chief
The Senate is scheduled to proceed with consideration of the Obama administration pick to take over the Department of Health and Human Services.
House GOP Leaders Press White House On Veterans’ Health Care Scandal
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is pushing President Barack Obama to do more while some senators are attempting to develop a bipartisan bill that would address delays in the delivery of health care for military veterans.
