A Wish List For Medicare
By Mary Agnes Carey
January 30, 2013
KFF Health News Original
If you could make one change to Medicare, what would it be? Ask three former directors of the program and you’ll get plenty of ideas. Bruce Vladeck, who was head of what was then known as the Health Care Financing Administration, or HCFA, for former President Bill Clinton, wants more market-based competition and less pricing […]
Judge OKs Administration Plan On ‘Morning After’ Pill
June 13, 2013
Morning Briefing
A federal judge Wednesday accepted the Obama administration’s plan to make the Plan B One-Step “morning after” pill available over the counter to buyers of all ages, winding down a decade-long fight on the pill.
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 20, 2012
By Lexie Verdon
December 20, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news about the efforts to reach a deal on curbing the federal deficit. The New York Times: Obama And Boehner Diverge Sharply On Fiscal Plan Hopes for a broad deficit-reduction agreement faded on Wednesday as President Obama insisted he had offered Republicans “a fair deal” […]
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 21, 2012
By Lexie Verdon
December 21, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the House Republicans’ failure to pass Speaker John Boehner’s tax and federal debt plan. The New York Times: Boehner Cancels Tax Vote In Face Of G.O.P. Revolt Speaker John A. Boehner’s effort to pass fallback legislation to avert a fiscal crisis in less […]
Medicare Silver Bullets: What’s The Best Way To Control Costs?
December 12, 2012
KFF Health News Original
KHN asked a range of health policy experts the following question: If you could make only one change to Medicare to control costs, what would it be and why?
CBO: Obama’s Budget Would Reduce Medicare Spending By $364B
May 20, 2013
Morning Briefing
The Congressional Budget Office estimated Friday that President Obama’s budget would reduce Medicare spending by $364 billion over the next decade and would reduce future budget deficits. The White House and Congress will likely soon need to work on a long-term budget solution as the nation again hits its debt limit.
Spending, Taxing Remain Sticking Points As ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Looms
December 18, 2012
KFF Health News Original
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey speaks with Jackie Judd about negotiations on Capitol Hill to avoid the “fiscal cliff” and just how close — or far apart — Democrats, Republicans and the White House seem to be on cutting spending and letting some tax cuts for the rich expire.
Health Providers With Hepatitis B Are Covered By Disability Law
May 6, 2013
Morning Briefing
The Associated Press reports on this news develoment.
Obama Administration Plans Appeal Of ‘Plan B’ Ruling
May 2, 2013
Morning Briefing
The Obama administration signals that it will challenge a federal judge’s order that would make an emergency contraception drug available over-the-counter to women of all ages. The move comes a day after the FDA said the contraception should be available in that way to anyone older than 15.
Consumers May Draw Wrong Conclusions From Medical Prices
By Shefali S. Kulkarni
January 3, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Some health policy experts and consumer advocates are pushing for greater transparency in the pricing of medical good and services. If consumers know the price of an item, so the thinking goes, they’ll make smarter decisions about whether they need it. But a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that consumers’ perceptions […]
Avoiding The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Likely Means Changes In Medicare
By Mary Agnes Carey
November 13, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Congress would probably look for cuts in the health care program for seniors and the disabled as it seeks to find ways to curb federal spending.
Today’s Headlines – Jan. 2, 2013
By Lexie Verdon
January 2, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a number of reports about congressional efforts to avert the “fiscal cliff.” The New York Times: Amid Pressure, House Passes Fiscal Deal Ending a climactic fiscal showdown in the final hours of the 112th Congress, the House late Tuesday passed and sent to President Obama […]
Medicare Changes Loom As ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Negotiations Pick Up
December 5, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Health on the Hill: KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Republican and Democratic proposals and possible cuts in federal health care spending.
Hospitals Get New Grades On Safety
By Jordan Rau
November 28, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Updated at 9:35 a.m. The Leapfrog Group is out with its second round of hospital safety ratings, and what a difference a few months has made. In the results released Wednesday, 103 hospitals that Leapfrog had given a “C” or lower in its first round of ratings in June got an “A” in the updated Hospital […]
Federal Judge Criticizes FDA Regarding Plan B Contraception Decision
May 8, 2013
Morning Briefing
Judge Edward R. Korman said the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts to delay his ruling regarding the so-called morning-after pill was “nonsense” and would hurt poor and minority women.
Emergency Departments Are On The Frontline Of The Flu
By Jenny Gold
January 15, 2013
KFF Health News Original
More patients with the flu are seeking care at the emergency room this year, and despite the 112 million Americans who have gotten a flu shot, it remains to be seen if this year’s version will be just bad or historically bad.
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 19, 2012
By Lexie Verdon
December 19, 2012
KFF Health News Original
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the “fiscal cliff” negotiations. The New York Times: Hospitals Fear They’ll Bear Brunt Of Medicare Cuts As President Obama and Congress try to thrash out a budget deal, the question is not whether they will squeeze money out of Medicare, but how much […]
Hospital Ratings Are In The Eye Of The Beholder
By Jordan Rau
March 18, 2013
KFF Health News Original
With an expanding number of groups offering a stamp of approval, consumers find a confusing array of quality awards to consider when choosing a hospital.
States: Calif. Counties Stand To Lose $2.5B In Medicaid Shift; Push For Hospital Payment Equity In Mass.
May 30, 2013
Morning Briefing
A selection of health policy stories from California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Idaho, Oregon and Florida.
