KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally Fixing the ‘Family Glitch’
October 13, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The Biden administration has decided to try to fix the so-called “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act without an act of Congress. The provision has prevented workers’ families from getting subsidized coverage if an employer offer is unaffordable. Meanwhile, Medicare’s open enrollment period begins Oct. 15, and private Medicare Advantage plans are poised to cover more than half of Medicare’s 65 million enrollees. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read.
‘Worse Than People Can Imagine’: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Breeds Chaos in States
By Phil Galewitz Katheryn Houghton Brett Kelman Samantha Liss
November 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As Medicaid programs across the nation review enrollees’ status in the wake of the pandemic, patients struggle to navigate the upheaval.
Muchas familias con cobertura de empleador inasequible ahora son elegibles para subsidios de Covered California
By Bernard J. Wolfson
January 4, 2023
KFF Health News Original
El gobierno federal ha corregido recientemente una controversial norma del Departamento del Tesoro vinculada a la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA), que denegaba la ayuda a muchas familias cuya cobertura basada en sus trabajos se salía de sus presupuestos.
ER Doctors Call Private Equity Staffing Practices Illegal and Seek to Ban Them
By Bernard J. Wolfson
December 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Doctors, consumer advocates, and some lawmakers are looking forward to a California lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare. The case is part of a multistate effort to enforce rules banning corporate ownership of physician practices.
Even Well-Intended Laws Can’t Protect Us From Inaccurate Provider Directories
By Bernard J. Wolfson
July 26, 2022
KFF Health News Original
State and federal laws require health plans to offer accurate lists of participating doctors and facilities, but consumers still struggle to get timely appointments with providers.
Computer Glitches and Human Error Still Causing Insurance Headaches for Californians
By Bernard J. Wolfson
June 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Covered California and Medi-Cal share a computer system for eligibility and enrollment. Nearly a decade since the Affordable Care Act expanded coverage options in the state, enrollees can be diverted to the wrong program — or dropped altogether — if erroneous information gets into the system.
Voluntarios electorales quieren que los latinos sepan que votar es bueno para su salud
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
En los últimos años, las instituciones de atención de salud a lo largo de todo Estados Unidos han realizado esfuerzos para promover el voto, inspiradas por la creciente creencia de que votar mejora la salud de las personas y las comunidades.
Election Canvassers Want Latinos to Know Voting Is Good for Their Health
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
One of the nation’s largest community clinic chains is running a get-out-the-vote campaign in Los Angeles and Orange counties this election, targeting primarily Latino communities, where turnout tends to be low.
Al planificar tu muerte, ¿considerarías que tu cuerpo se usara como fertilizante?
By Bernard J. Wolfson
October 11, 2022
KFF Health News Original
California se ha convertido en el quinto estado que permite este método de eliminación de cadáveres, conocido comúnmente con el nombre más científico de “reducción orgánica natural”.
California Hospitals Seek a Broad Bailout, but They Don’t All Need It
By Samantha Young Angela Hart
May 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As hospitals squeeze Democratic leaders in Sacramento for more money, health care finance experts and former state officials warn against falling for the industry’s fear tactics. They point to healthy profits and a recession-era financing scheme that allows rich hospitals to take tax money from poorer ones.
Health Plan Shake-Up Could Disrupt Coverage for Low-Income Californians
By Bernard J. Wolfson
September 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Four managed-care insurance plans may lose contracts with California’s Medicaid program, which would force nearly 2 million low-income residents to switch their health plans — and possibly their doctors. The plans are fighting back.
Padres con hijos muy enfermos encuentran consuelo y esperanza en la ayuda de hospicio en el hogar
By Bernard J. Wolfson
September 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Si bien el cáncer es una de las principales enfermedades que afectan a los niños en cuidados paliativos, muchos otros tienen defectos congénitos raros, deficiencias neurológicas graves o deficiencias metabólicas poco comunes.
Record Fines Might Mean California Is Finally Serious About Improving Medi-Cal
By Bernard J. Wolfson
April 4, 2022
KFF Health News Original
California regulators issued record fines against L.A. Care, the state’s largest Medi-Cal managed-care plan, for providing inadequate care to its enrollees. But whether the penalties are a sign that the state will make a more forceful effort to improve Medi-Cal’s overall quality of care remains to be seen.
The Time Has Come for DIY Mandates on Covid
By Bernard J. Wolfson
August 2, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Yes, lots of us suffer from pandemic fatigue and have been getting sloppy about precautions in recent months. But with covid an ongoing menace — and governments reluctant to return to sweeping mandates — it’s time for all of us to step up our game.
After Uphill Battle, Company Is Poised for Takeover of Bankrupt California Hospital
By Melissa Montalvo, The Fresno Bee Bernard J. Wolfson
April 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
American Advanced Management, a steadily growing operator of small hospitals, is expected to get the green light from a bankruptcy court next week to take over the shuttered Madera Community Hospital. Some community groups worry about the company’s track record.
Biden Team, UnitedHealth Struggle to Restore Paralyzed Billing Systems After Cyberattack
By Darius Tahir Bernard J. Wolfson Daniel Chang
March 8, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.
No-Bid Medicaid Contract for Kaiser Permanente Is Now California Law, but Key Details Are Missing
By Bernard J. Wolfson
July 19, 2022
KFF Health News Original
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month that authorizes a statewide Medicaid contract for HMO giant Kaiser Permanente. But details still need to be worked out in a memorandum of understanding.
How a Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating a California Medicaid Plan Through Big Changes
By Bernard J. Wolfson
April 14, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Michael Hunn left the clergy and became a hospital and health system executive. He’s been named CEO of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan for low-income residents, and his spiritual background is helping him guide the publicly run plan into the future.
“Peor de lo que la gente cree”, cambios en Medicaid crean caos en los estados
By Phil Galewitz Katheryn Houghton Brett Kelman Samantha Liss
November 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Tanto beneficiarios como defensores de pacientes dicen que los funcionarios de Medicaid enviaron formularios de renovación obligatoria a direcciones viejas, calcularon mal los niveles de ingresos e hicieron malas traducciones de los documentos.
California’s Massive Medicaid Program Works for Some, but Fails Many Others
By Angela Hart Bernard J. Wolfson
March 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Medi-Cal serves more than one-third of the state’s population — offering a dizzying range of care to a diverse population. In the new “Faces of Medi-Cal” series, California Healthline will assess the program’s strengths and weaknesses through the lives and experiences of its enrollees.
