Hospitals Sue HHS Over Lengthy RAC Appeals
May 27, 2014
Morning Briefing
The hospitals are demanding the agency fulfill its requirement to decide Medicare payment appeals within 90 days, instead of the current 16-month average. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry scored a victory Friday in its efforts to limit hospitals’ access to lower-priced drugs through the 340B drug discount program.
What To Say When Mom Or Dad Has Cancer
By Carrie Feibel, KUHF
July 30, 2013
KFF Health News Original
The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston offer emotional and practical support for families dealing with the disease.
Tough Medicare Decisions Await Bipartisan Budget Panel
By Mary Agnes Carey
October 18, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Lawmakers have until Dec. 13 to reach agreement under legislation ending the shutdown of the government and raising the debt ceiling.
Some Medical Schools Shaving Off A Year Of Training
By Sandra G. Boodman
January 14, 2014
KFF Health News Original
The chance to finish medical school early is attracting increased attention from students burdened with six-figure education loans. Medical school administrators and policymakers see it as a way to produce doctors faster and as a response to the looming shortage of primary care physicians.
Promises To Fix Mental Health System Still Unfulfilled
By Jenny Gold
December 13, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Even for those with the will and drive to pursue treatment, the process remains difficult, frightening and full of holes. On the federal level, little has come from the task forces and promises that followed the Newtown shootings.
How Palliative Care Helps: One Iowa Family’s Journey
By Jenny Gold
December 16, 2013
KFF Health News Original
‘This is their life. They’re the boss,’ says Dr. Tim Ihrig of the palliative care department at UnityPoint hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa. ‘It’s an honor to be on this journey.’
Adding To Health Insurance Confusion, Other Groups Try To Cash In
By Lynn Hatter, WFSU
November 4, 2013
KFF Health News Original
With the federal exchanges still not working well, some uninsured people are turning to local groups to figure what to do. In Florida, a lack of coordination among different agencies is leaving room for dubious outfits to enter the scene.
Ark. Court Reverses $1.2B Medicaid Ruling; Fla. Overhaulings Child Welfare
March 21, 2014
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on health care news in Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri and Washington.
Investor Group To Buy Claims Manager For $4.4B
February 18, 2014
Morning Briefing
MultiPlan processes 40 million health insurance claims annually.
Covered California Faulted For Failing To Reach More Spanish Speakers
By Anna Gorman
December 1, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Dismal enrollment numbers in October spark cry for action.
Readmissions Penalties By State: Year Two
August 2, 2013
KFF Health News Original
This chart lists state averages of readmission rates and the number of hospitals in each state that will be penalized.
Methodology: How Value Based Purchasing Payments Are Calculated
By Jordan Rau
November 14, 2013
KFF Health News Original
The Kaiser Health News story and data on Medicare’s quality payment programs are based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) containing the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing and Readmissions Reduction Program adjustment factors for individual hospitals.
FAQ: Seniors On Medicare Don’t Need To Apply To The Health Law Marketplaces
By Mary Agnes Carey
September 23, 2013
KFF Health News Original
The online exchanges that open Oct. 1 are not aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, but the 2010 health law does affect seniors in other ways.
A Guide To The Lawsuits Challenging Obamacare’s Contraception Coverage Requirements
By Kelsey Miller
September 17, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Various legal challenges to the health law’s contraception coverage mandate are continuing to wind their way through the system.
With Time Running Out, Florida Medicaid Expansion Is In Doubt
By Phil Galewitz
April 26, 2013
KFF Health News Original
House GOP leaders question whether feds can deliver on $50B promise to cover poor residents.
Study: Consumers Saved $2.1B On Individual Coverage Under Health Law
By Julie Appleby
June 6, 2013
KFF Health News Original
People who bought their own health insurance last year saved $2.1 billion because of the federal health law, mainly because of a provision that limits how much of their premium can go to insurers’ administration and profits, says a report out today from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the […]
With A Little Planning, Women Can Get Emergency Contraceptives For Free
By Michelle Andrews
June 25, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Like other types of birth control, these medications are required to be covered as a preventive benefit without cost sharing in many health plans. But to do so, women must get a prescription for the soon-to-be over-the-counter pills.
As Missouri Marketplace Opens, Focus Is On Recruiting Young Adults
By Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
October 1, 2013
KFF Health News Original
They can expect to be bombarded by messages from both proponents and critics of the law.
A Former ‘Young Invincible’ Looks Forward to Health Insurance
By Sarah Varney
October 3, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Brad Stevens, 54, learned the hard way that being uninsured was risky as accidents and illness took a toll. Soon, he’ll qualify for California’s expanded Medicaid program.
Schizophrenia, Suicide And One Family’s Anguish
By Jeff Cohen, WNPR
July 24, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Homer Bell was 54 years old when he committed suicide in April in a very public way — he laid down in front of a bus in his hometown of Hartford, Conn. It was the culmination of three decades of suffering endured by Bell and his family because of his illness, schizophrenia. Harold Schwartz, the […]