CMS Outlines 5 Goals For Advancing Health Equity, Expanding Coverage
October 21, 2021
Morning Briefing
Agency leaders held a webinar Wednesday to discuss how to improve health care, accountability and costs. Other news is on alternative payment models, UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare Advantage payments, Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system and more.
Justice Department Alleges Kaiser Permanente Coerced Medicare Claim Upcoding
October 27, 2021
Morning Briefing
Modern Healthcare reports on a new complaint from the Justice Department that alleges Kaiser Permanente coerced employees to upcode claims for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Northside Hospital, Cigna, Encompass, Betsy DeVos at the Theranos trial and more are also in the news.
KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken
By Sarah Jane Tribble Lauren Weber
December 12, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Health Enters the Presidential Race
January 25, 2024
Podcast
New Hampshire voters have spoken, and it seems increasingly clear that this November’s election will pit President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump. Both appear to be making health a key part of their campaigns, with Trump vowing (again) to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Biden stressing his support for contraception and abortion rights. Meanwhile, both candidates will try to highlight efforts to rein in prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Somers of the National Health Law Program about the potential consequences for the health care system if the Supreme Court overturns a key precedent attempting to balance executive vs. judicial power.
As Pandemic-Era Medicaid Provisions Lapse, Millions Approach a Coverage Cliff
By Phil Galewitz
February 2, 2023
KFF Health News Original
States are trying to reach millions of Medicaid enrollees to make sure those still eligible remain covered and help others find new health insurance.
Readers Speak Up About Women’s Health Issues, From Reproductive Care to Drinking
April 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The New Speaker’s (Limited) Record on Health
October 26, 2023
Podcast
The House finally has a new speaker: Mike Johnson (R-La). He’s a relative newcomer who’s been a lower-level member of the House GOP leadership. And while he’s an outspoken opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage, his record on other health issues is scant. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health appears on track to be getting a new director, and Georgia’s Medicaid work requirement experiment is off to a very slow start. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
Seniors Face Crushing Drug Costs as Congress Stalls on Capping Medicare Out-Of-Pockets
By Harris Meyer
January 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
While many private insurers cap what members pay in health costs, Medicare does not. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have proposed annual limits ranging from $2,000 to $3,100. But there’s disagreement about how to pay for that cost cap.
Becerra Has Long Backed Single-Payer. That Doesn’t Mean It Will Happen if He’s HHS Secretary.
By Victoria Knight
March 1, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has been on record throughout his career for this type of health care system. But the president doesn’t support it, which is the position that counts.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang
July 3, 2024
Podcast
The Supreme Court has issued its final opinions for the 2023-24 term, including decisions affecting abortion access, the opioid epidemic, and how the federal government functions. In this special episode, Sarah Somers , legal director of the National Health Law Program, joins KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss how the justices disposed of the term’s health-related cases and what those decisions could mean going forward.
Readers and Tweeters React to Racism, Inequities in Health Care
June 2, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': LIVE From KFF: Health Care and the 2024 Election
October 17, 2024
Podcast
The Affordable Care Act has not been a major issue in the 2024 campaign, but abortion and reproductive rights have been front and center. Those are just two of the dozens of health issues that could be profoundly affected by who is elected president and which party controls Congress in 2025. In this special live episode, Tamara Keith of NPR, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Cynthia Cox and Ashley Kirzinger of KFF join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss how health policy has affected the campaign and how the election results might affect health policy. Plus, the panel answers questions from the live audience.
Study Examines How Race Factors Into Medicare Advantage Enrollment
June 9, 2021
Morning Briefing
A Health Affairs study out Tuesday found that Medicare Advantage enrollment among Black people outpaced the enrollment of whites from 2009-18.
An Arm and a Leg: Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
By Dan Weissmann
May 11, 2023
Podcast
What should you do when your search for an in-network mental health care provider comes up empty? Abigail Burman has some expertise to share.
Congress Considers Fixes For Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization
May 14, 2021
Morning Briefing
A bill that would speed up the prior authorization process and demand more transparency when insurance plans deny health provider’s requests was reintroduced Thursday. Separately, Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente plan to boost hospital care in patient’s homes, and Connecticut’s nursing home workers postpone strikes.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Harris in the Spotlight
July 25, 2024
Podcast
For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries — and again fails — to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': New Year, Same Abortion Debate
January 4, 2024
Podcast
Some Supreme Court justices were wrong if they assumed overturning “Roe v. Wade” would settle the abortion issue before the high court. At least two cases are awaiting consideration, and more are in the legal pipeline. Meanwhile, Congress once again has only days until the next temporary spending bill runs out, with no budget deal in sight. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, about how public health can regain public trust.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Becerra Urges Congress to Expand Medicare, Address Rx Prices
July 13, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is the special guest for this bonus episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast. He and host Julie Rovner discuss a breadth of topics the secretary oversees, including covid-19, prescription drug prices, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The ACA Turns 14
March 21, 2024
Podcast
Saturday marks the 14th anniversary of the still somewhat embattled Affordable Care Act. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joins host Julie Rovner to discuss the accomplishments of the health law — and the challenges it still faces. Also this week, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Health News join Rovner to discuss what should be the final funding bill for HHS for fiscal 2024, next week’s Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging abortion medication, and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
It’s Open Enrollment. Here’s What You Need to Know
By Bernard J. Wolfson
November 4, 2020
KFF Health News Original
For Californians who are buying their own insurance, enrollment in 2021 health plans runs through Jan. 31.
