Search Results

Survey: Few ACOs Ready For Financial Risk

By Jenny Gold August 17, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Few hospitals interested in becoming accountable care organizations are ready to take on financial risk, according to a survey released Friday from The Commonwealth Fund. “We’re really still at the very beginning of the adoption curve of the ACO model,” says lead author Anne-Marie Audet, who researches health system quality and efficiency at Commonwealth. “The […]

Teaching Doctors About The Cost Of Care

By Jenny Gold July 11, 2012 KFF Health News Original

All new doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, promising to care for their patients to the best of their abilities. But what does that mean in terms of the cost of that care, when medical debt accounts for more than 60 percent of personal bankruptcies in the United States? The fee-for-service payment system has long rewarded doctors […]

ACO Rollout Continues With 89 New Networks

By Jenny Gold July 9, 2012 KFF Health News Original

The next round of accountable care organizations is out at last. On Monday, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the selection of 89 new ACOs. That’s more than triple the number of ACOs selected in the previous round. As of July 1, the newly anointed networks became responsible for providing better, cheaper […]

Decision Day: Live Blog

By Jenny Gold June 28, 2012 KFF Health News Original

6:11 p.m.: It’s been a long long day, and Atticus Finch, Esq., the Affordable Care Cat, is pooped. We’re going to wrap up for the day, but thanks so much for joining us here on the KHN live blog. It’s been swell. 6:04 p.m.: Governors from all sorts of states respond to the health law […]

The Downside Of Health Care Job Growth

By Jenny Gold June 7, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Health care employment has been the bright spot in the otherwise lackluster recent jobs reports. As overall employment decreased by 2 percent from 2000 to 2010, employment in the health care sector actually increased by 25 percent. But that’s not necessarily a good thing, according to an opinion piece published in the most recent edition of the […]

Study: Privately Insured Kids Get More Care In ED

By Jenny Gold May 10, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Emergency departments are required to treat everyone who comes through the doors, but that doesn’t mean they treat everyone the same way. Insurance coverage may play a major role in the kind of care a young patient receives, according to a study published in the most recent edition of The Journal of Pediatrics. Children with […]

Ain’t No Sunshine Yet For Docs

By Jenny Gold May 7, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Under the new health law, the payments and freebies given to doctors by drug and medical device companies must be made public on the Web. But not quite yet. CMS has announced that the agency will not require companies to collect transparency data before January 1, 2013.  The new timeline is a delay from the […]

Measuring Health County-By-County

By Jenny Gold April 3, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Wondering how your county measures up on health? The 2012 County Health Rankings are out this week from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The rankings assess the health of nearly every county in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and they allow you to compare […]

Sheriff: State Mental Health Cuts Undermine Public Safety

By Jenny Gold March 22, 2012 KFF Health News Original

As states have struggled to balance their budgets during the economic downturn, mental health programs have frequently weathered significant cuts. Three-quarters of states have cut their mental health budgets during each of the past four fiscal years, for a combined reduction of $4.35 billion, according to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors […]

Health IT Chief Disputes Study On EHR Testing, Costs

By Jenny Gold March 7, 2012 KFF Health News Original

A study published in the journal Health Affairs this week found that doctors who use electronic health records may order more diagnostic testing, and therefore drive up the cost of health care, despite claims to the contrary by the federal government and health IT industry. Now, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology, […]

Study: E-Health Records Don’t Deter Testing, Spending

By Jenny Gold March 5, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Electronic health records have long been touted by Democrats and Republicans alike as a sure-fire way to lower health spending. When doctors have easy electronic access to a patient’s records, advocates argue, they are less likely to order the duplicative and unnecessary tests that drive up the cost of health care in America. But that […]