Latest KFF Health News Stories
Nev. Jury Orders HMO To Pay $500M In Punitive Damages After Hep C Outbreak
In the meantime, a Texas insurer is accused of overcharging Virginia Tech students for health coverage and reaping more than $9 million in “overstated” claims.
State-Level Debate About Medicaid Expansion Heats Up
Medicaid expansion news from Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio and Florida.
Consumer Groups Warn That Patients Could Face Large Out-Of-Pocket Costs
The Obama administration has opted to delay for some plans a health law provision that caps consumers’ out-of-pocket exposure.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
State Roundup: Minn. Democrats Push Pay Hike For Nursing Home Workers
A selection of health policy stories from Minnesota, Colorado, New York, Delaware, Georgia, Oregon, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Massachusetts and California.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more details and analysis regarding President Barack Obama’s budget plan and how it handles Medicare and other entitlement programs.
Medicare Effort To Cut Readmissions Isn’t Counting Patients Who Come Back To ER
Study suggests that Medicare isn’t counting many discharged patients who come back to the emergency room but aren’t admitted.
Obama Budget Likely To Reignite Talk Of Cost-Cutting Options
News outlets examine how the budget blueprint could address Medicare payments and also include other trims to the program.
Sebelius: ‘Relentless’ Politics Complicates Health Law’s Implementation
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she underestimated how long politics would dog the health law. Meanwhile, a regional official of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tells The Washington Post what’s happening in the field.
Moody’s: Sequestration Increases Pressure On Non-Profit Hospitals
Also in the news, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun auditing some of the physicians who qualify for a Medicare EHR “meaningful use” bonus before they even receive a check — a step that has triggered grumbling from organized medicine.
AP Analysis Reveals Big Jump In Compensation Package For Insurance Exec
The Associated Press analyzed the salary, bonus and other elemens of Aetna’s CEO Mark Bertolini.
Missouri GOP State Senators Poised To Nix Medicaid Expansion
In addition, reports offer insights into how the debate over the health law’s Medicaid expansion is playing out in Tennessee and Ohio.
Adults Younger Than 65 More Likely To Skip Meds To Save Money
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that adults younger than 65 were more likely than older Americans to skip medicines, or not take them as prescribed. Also, about 20 percent of adults, regardless of age, sought lower cost treatments from physicians.
Hospitals, Other Providers Increasingly Using ‘The Cloud’ To Store Images
Health-care providers need to store them somewhere, and increasingly the answer is in the cloud.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Mass., Vermont Pioneer Their Own Health Reforms
Efforts in Massachusetts and Vermont offer insight regarding cost controls and a state initiative to create a single-payer system.
State Roundup: Ga. Smoker Surcharge Could Be Working
A selection of health policy news from Georgia, California, Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota, Kansas, Texas and New York.
House GOP Leader To Introduce Tavenner At Nomination Hearing
Senators are planning to grill Marilyn Tavenner, the Obama administration’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., has said she is “eminently qualified,” and her confirmation is expected.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about about various elements of the health law and how they are being viewed as implementation rolls ahead.
Obama’s Budget Expected To Call For Medicare Cuts
In advance of the release of President Barack Obama’s fiscal blueprint on Wednesday, an adviser warned friends and foes that the plan includes things neither will like. The budget plan is expected to kick off new discussions about trimming entitlements and revamping the nation’s safety net.
