Latest KFF Health News Stories
Birth Control Coverage Mandate Triggers Numerous Legal Challenges
Lawsuits have been filed by Catholic dioceses as well as private employers who say this provision of the health law conflicts with their religious beliefs.
State Leaders Seeking Cash, Legislation To Improve Mental Health Care
State and local leaders in Minnesota, Florida, Illinois are trying to find money to provide more mental health care for their residents as officials in Massachusetts look to new legislation to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill.
Viewpoints: Debating P4P; ‘Tactical Retreat’ By GOP; The Virtues Of Across-The-Board Spending Cuts
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
First Edition: January 28, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how the health law’s implementation could impact the marketplace.
GOP Vows To Stick To Principles, Including Medicare And Medicaid
At the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee, party members said they needed to adjust their tone, but not their conservative positions, including on entitlements.
Medicaid Expansion Raises Possibilities, Problems For States
California Gov. Jerry Brown describes implementing this health law provision as “incredibly complex,” while Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder sees it an opportunity to address gaps in the mental health system. In Arizona, meanwhile, the expansion is framed as an immigration issue.
Poll: 6 in 10 Oppose Cutting Medicare To Lower Deficit
A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that most of the public wants deficit reduction, but they want it without cutting major social programs like Medicare and Medicaid. On health care, the public favors requiring drug makers to give the government ‘a better deal’ on medications for low-income seniors and making higher-income seniors pay more for coverage to reduce the deficit.
Anti-Abortion Protestors Marking Roe V. Wade Anniversary With D.C. March
Meanwhile, a coalition including business interests, state officials and educational institutions is gelling around efforts to fight the health law’s contraception mandate.
Some States Reconsider Funding For Mental Health Care
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings in Connecticut, state lawmakers and governors talk about boosting mental health care.
Senate Hearing Urges Action On Obama Mental Health Care Agenda
During a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Democrats and Republicans alike expressed concerns about gaps in the system.
Medicare Foots $120 Million Bill For Ineligible Patient Groups
According to two government reports, the Medicare program was billed for more than $33 million in inmate care and more than $91 million for illegal immigrant care between 2009 and 2011. Medicare generally does not pay for services for either of these patient groups.
State Highlights: N.Y. Plans For Big Budget Hole After Medicaid Cuts
A selection of health policy news from New York, Texas, Vermont, New Mexico, California and Puerto Rico.
Lawmakers Target Fiscal Cliff’s Provision Aiding Amgen For Elimination
The fiscal cliff legislation approved earlier this month excluded Amgen’s Sensipar, which is used by kidney dialysis patients, from Medicare price controls for an additional two years.
Viewpoints: Medicare Obligation Is Heavy Future Obligation; Mental Health’s ‘Elephant In The Room’
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country about health policy.
Research Roundup: Does Higher Rx Drug Spending Lower Medicare Costs?
This week’s studies come from the Journal of the American College of Radiology, Health Affairs, Journal of Nursing Care Quality, JAMA Surgery and the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
First Edition: January 25, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including various state-level reports about how budget issues are impacting health policy decisions.
House GOP Seeks Steep Spending Cuts, But Delays Day Of Reckoning
In the next budget battle chapter, House Republicans plan to demand spending cuts that would balance the budget in 10 years and require significant changes to Medicare and other safety-net programs.
Employer-Insurer Coalition Asks HHS To Pare Essential Benefits
Employers, insurers and health providers worry that requiring expansive coverage in the policies sold in health insurance markets could make insurance unaffordable.
WellPoint Profits Up 38% As Insurer Girds For Big Changes In 2013
WellPoint’s 4th quarter earnings surged even as the company offered a cautious outlook for 2013 as it prepares to sell policies in new online health insurance marketplaces and expands its Medicare Advantage business.
SGR Fix On House Subcommittee’s To-Do List
The GOP leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee are “determined” to solve the “Sustainable Growth Rate problem” this year. Meanwhile, House Democrats are reviving a bill to prevent some workers from avoiding Medicare taxes.
