Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: December 13, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about how proposals to cut Medicare and other entitlement programs are playing with Democrats, and how a new poll shows overwhelming support from the public for a compromise deficit deal.
State Roundup: Health Centers Moving Into Contaminated Tracts
News outlets report on state health news in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
Feds Seek Dismissal Of Contraception Mandate Challenge Filed By Archdiocese Of Atlanta
In related coverage, religious colleges involved in a separate challenge to the birth control mandate will go to court this week to argue their standing to bring a lawsuit.
Analyzing The Medicaid Expansion Balance Sheet
As states contemplate the financial implications of pursuing the health law’s Medicaid expansion, the recent Health and Human Services decision to not fund partial expansions continues to draw reactions.
Family Health Insurance Costs Up 62 Percent Since 2003
The total cost of family health insurance, for both employers and employees, hit $15,000 last year, up 62 percent since 2003 — and worker wages rose only 11 percent in that time, a new Commonwealth Fund report says.
States Still Have Time To Build Exchanges, Some Experts Say
Politico Pro reports that some exchange experts aren’t buying the argument that states have too little time to set up insurance markets. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports on the fragmented regulatory landscape that insurers selling products in those new markets will face.
Texas Governor Calls For Late-Term Abortion Ban
Citing what he called fetal pain, former GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry urged state lawmakers to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. He said his ultimate goal was to eliminate abortions altogether.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Liberal Democrats Pledge To Protect Medicaid
Some Democrats argue that cuts to Medicaid, which provides health insurance coverage to low-income Americans, should not be part of the fiscal negotiations.
Fiscal Talks Continue With New Round Of Proposals, Finger-Pointing
With the deadline looming, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boener, R-Ohio, traded new fiscal offers but appeared no closer to a deal. Boehner is pushing for more specifics on how Obama would cut safety net programs, while the White House continues to press for tax increases for the wealthy.
First Edition: December 12, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that GOP lawmakers want to see details on the safety net cuts President Barack Obama would offer as part of the “fiscal cliff” talks while some liberal Democrats want to leave Medicaid out of it.
HHS To States: Partial Medicaid Expansion Won’t Get Full Federal Funding
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was all or nothing on the health care law’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility, disappointing some Republican governors who were considering smaller growth in the state-federal program for the poor and elderly.
Six States Get An Early Greenlight From HHS On Health Exchanges
The Obama administration also gave conditional approval on Monday to six states — all led by Democratic governors — that were the first to meet the health law’s rules for setting up health insurance marketplaces.
Medicaid Contractors, Government Employees Doing The Same Work, GAO Says
In the meantime, Medicare data could be better used to stop fraud, the Government Accountability Office says in a separate report.
In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks, Medicare And Medicaid Savings Ideas Draw Scrutiny
The Wall Street Journal asks when cuts to these programs will start affecting beneficiaries and causing access issues. Other savings ideas floated face a burden of proof. Also, The Hill reports that the White House is cooling to the idea of $100 billion in Medicaid cuts floated earlier this year. In the background, news outlets offer reports about progress or lack thereof in averting the looming cliff.
Employers Complain About Health Law’s Costly ‘Sleeper Fee’
The Associated Press reports on a $63-per-person charge, which will be levied for three years beginning in 2014 to “cushion” the cost of covering people with pre-existing conditions and to stabilize the insurance market. Large employers say it works out to tens of millions in added costs which are likely to be passed onto workers.
Examining Americans’ Health: Longer, But Sicker, Lives; Childhood Obesity Drops
A new report finds Americans may be living longer thanks to medical advances, but they may also be sicker. Meanwhile, childhood obesity may be dropping in several cities around the nation.
Low-Cost Concierge Care, Social Media Among Changes In Practice Of Medicine
News outlets examine trends such as doctors’ use of social media to explore medical information and the growth of relatively low-cost concierge medicine, where patients may pay $50 a month for unlimited doctors’ visits and calls.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
News outlets report on a variety of state health news developments.
