Oscar Wants To ‘Revolutionize’ Health Care. But Will It Even Survive Covered California?
By Dan Diamond, California Healthline
August 10, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Covered California made it official last week: After two years in the wilderness, UnitedHealthcare will return to the state’s individual insurance market and begin selling health plans on California’s exchange later this year. Not much can overshadow news about the nation’s largest insurer — except maybe a story about one of the smallest. Hi, Oscar. […]
5 Reasons Feds Are Overhauling Regs On Medicaid Outsourcing
By Jay Hancock
May 28, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Management of the joint state-federal program for low-income people has changed dramatically, and federal officials are seeking to make sure it meets the needs of enrollees.
Radical Approach To Huge Hospital Bills: Set Your Own Price
By Jay Hancock
May 13, 2015
KFF Health News Original
A small consulting firm is disrupting hospitals’ business as usual by encouraging employers to pay much less than what hospitals bill — based on its analysis of what is reasonable.
Advocates Cry Foul Over Move To Terminate Immigrants’ Health Coverage
October 1, 2014
Morning Briefing
Two immigrant groups bring civil rights complaints with the Department of Health and Human Services to block the cancellations for about 115,000 people who bought coverage through healthcare.gov but whose immigration status the government hasn’t been able to verify.
60,000 With HIV Left Uninsured In States Not Expanding Medicaid
By Jenny Gold
March 4, 2014
KFF Health News Original
The Affordable Care Act is generally a win for people living with HIV and AIDS, about 30 percent of whom are uninsured. It offers new health insurance options — both private and public — to a group that had been largely locked out of the individual insurance market because of rules about preexisting conditions. In […]
Missing Paperwork Puts At Risk Coverage For Tens Of Thousands
September 16, 2014
Morning Briefing
According to the Obama administration, as many as 115,000 people could lose the new insurance they obtained under the health law because they did not prove they were legal immigrants or U.S. citizens who were eligible for that coverage. Another 363,000 people must submit documentation to verify their incomes by Sept. 30 or lose their subsidies. These two numbers combined represent about 10 percent of the people who signed up through the online insurance marketplaces.
Hispanic Outreach Group Slow To Enroll Uninsured In Miami-Dade
By Patricia Borns, Miami Herald Daniel Chang
March 17, 2014
KFF Health News Original
A Washington-based group won a $646,000 grant to sign up Miami-Dade Hispanics for Obamacare, but its lack of local ties and a slow start has hindered its success.
Wait Times Of 115 Days, Hidden Patient Lists Detailed In VA Report
May 29, 2014
Morning Briefing
The inspector general’s preliminary findings reveal that 1,700 patients at the veterans center in Phoenix were not on the official waiting list and that the average wait for new patients who did get appointments was nearly four months.
Hill Plan Would Reward Medicare Doctors For Quality
By Mary Agnes Carey
February 7, 2014
KFF Health News Original
But finding a way to finance the SGR replacement may be even more difficult.
Monthly Premiums For A ‘Benchmark’ Silver Plan In Federally Run Insurance Marketplaces
September 29, 2013
KFF Health News Original
This chart lists sample premiums in the 36 states where the federal government is running the online insurance marketplaces.
FDA Targets Teens In New Anti-Smoking Campaign
February 4, 2014
Morning Briefing
The $115 million multimedia effort, which includes ads highlighting yellow teeth and wrinkled skin to show the costs of smoking are not just financial, is scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday.
Affordable Care Act Brings More Money, More Stress To Illinois Clinics
By Joel Hood, Chicago Tribune
October 18, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Health centers expand thanks to federal grants, but increased competition could hurt smaller facilities.
Missouri, Illinois Health Insurance Exchanges Gear Up Quietly
By Virginia Young, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
September 23, 2013
KFF Health News Original
In Missouri, a decidedly low-profile campaign stems from a voter referendum last year barring the governor from moving forward on an exchange. In Illinois, officials partnered with the federal government to build the marketplace. Nonetheless, neither exchange has given any cost information to consumers.
Immigrants Contribute More To Medicare Than They Take Out, Study Finds
By Jordan Rau
May 29, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Immigrant workers are helping buttress Medicare’s finances, say researchers, because they contribute tens of billions of dollars a year more than immigrant retirees use in medical services.
Senate President Lays Blame With Sebelius If Florida Fails To Expand Medicaid
April 26, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News sat down with Florida Senate President Don Gaetz in his office in Tallahassee last week to discuss the debate over expanding Medicare in the Sunshine State.
Maryland Offers Glimpse At Obamacare Insurance Math
By Jay Hancock
April 24, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Maryland’s CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield pitches a 25 percent average hike in premiums for individuals, down from 50 percent.
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.
Hospital CEO Bonuses Reward Volume And Growth
By Jay Hancock
June 16, 2013
KFF Health News Original
As the country tries to rein in skyrocketing health costs, hospital leaders are still rewarded for expansion and profits. A KHN investigation, in collaboration with ABC News, looks at employment contracts and incentive pay at nonprofit hospital systems.
Medicaid Helps Hospitals Pay For Illegal Immigrants’ Care
By Phil Galewitz
February 12, 2013
KFF Health News Original
California gets the lion’s share of funding for a program that critics say leads to ‘anchor babies.’
Doctors And Dentists Lure Patients With Money-Saving Deals Online
By Ankita Rao
January 8, 2013
KFF Health News Original
Dollar-conscious consumers are turning to websites like Groupon for price breaks on medical, dental and vision care.
