KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Less Than Two Weeks To Go
October 24, 2024
Podcast
With Election Day rapidly approaching, abortion is gaining traction as a voting issue, according to public opinion polls. Meanwhile, states with abortion bans are reviving the lawsuit — dismissed by the Supreme Court on a technicality this year — that could roll back the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Tricia Neuman, senior vice president of KFF and executive director of its Program on Medicare Policy, about Medicare open enrollment and the changes to the federal program for 2025.
Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals
By Judith Graham
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.
Medicare’s Push To Improve Chronic Care Attracts Businesses, but Not Many Doctors
By Phil Galewitz Holly K. Hacker
April 18, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Most Medicare enrollees have two or more chronic health conditions, making them eligible for a federal program that rewards physicians for doing more to manage their care. It shows promise in reducing costs. But not many doctors have joined.
At Trump’s GOP Convention, There’s Little To Be Heard on Health Care
By Phil Galewitz
July 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Republicans were once the party of Obamacare repeal and abortion opposition. They’ve said little about either issue in Milwaukee.
Proposed Medicare Advantage Changes Cannot Accurately Be Called ‘Cuts,’ Experts Say
By Madison Czopek, PolitiFact Yacob Reyes, PolitiFact
February 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
CMS advanced two proposed changes that could affect Medicare Advantage plans. One would allow the government to recover past overpayments. As a result, it could reduce those insurers’ profits, leading them to increase enrollees’ out-of-pocket costs or reduce benefits. But it’s inaccurate to characterize the changes as “cuts.”
A California Medical Group Treats Only Homeless Patients — And Makes Money Doing It
By Angela Hart
July 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Healthcare in Action, a California medical group that exclusively serves homeless people, has tapped into growing demand and funding for street medicine services. Three years in, the innovative nonprofit is raking in revenue and serving thousands of people who otherwise might flock to the hospital for high-cost care.
Will CMS Crack Down on Prior Authorization?
By Lauren Sausser
January 9, 2024
KFF Health News Original
There’s the Idaho doctor whose infant daughter developed a brain tumor. A woman in Southern California who waited months for an MRI before dying in the hospital. And a North Carolina patient who has trigeminal neuralgia — a condition so painful it’s commonly called the “suicide disease.” They all have something in common, aside from […]
Medicare amplía su lista de profesionales de salud mental
By Judith Graham
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Los prejuicios sobre las afecciones mentales y la discriminación por edad hacen que algunos profesionales no tomen en serio el sufrimiento de las personas mayores, profundizando las barreras de acceso a la atención.
Patients Are Relying on Lyft, Uber To Travel Far Distances to Medical Care
By Michael Scaturro
October 17, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Uber and Lyft have become a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure for transporting ailing people from their homes — even in rural areas — to medical care sites in major cities such as Atlanta.
How Medicare Advantage Plans Dodged Auditors and Overcharged Taxpayers by Millions
By Fred Schulte Holly K. Hacker
December 13, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Facing rare scrutiny from federal auditors, some Medicare Advantage health plans failed to produce any records to justify their payments, government records show. The audits revealed millions of dollars in overcharges to Medicare over three years.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?
April 24, 2025
Podcast
When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.
Audits — Hidden Until Now — Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overcharges
By Fred Schulte Holly K. Hacker
November 21, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Taxpayers had to foot the bills for care that should have cost far less, according to records released after KHN filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The government may seek to recover up to $650 million as a result.
Readers Embrace ‘Going It Alone’ Series on Aging and Chastise Makers of Pulse Oximeters
November 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Lawsuit by KHN Prompts Government to Release Medicare Advantage Audits
By Fred Schulte
October 14, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The lawsuit was filed three years ago to learn about vast overcharges by the popular health plans that are detailed in audits the government refused to release to the public.
En la convención republicana de Trump se escuchó poco y nada sobre atención de salud
By Phil Galewitz
July 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
La atención médica constituye la mayor parte del presupuesto federal, casi $2 mil millones, así como el 17% de la producción económica del país.
Un grupo médico atiende a personas que viven en la calle… y gana dinero
By Angela Hart
July 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Estos médicos, enfermeros y trabajadores sociales se están desplegando en las calles de Los Ángeles para ofrecer atención médica y servicios sociales a las personas sin hogar: soldados de un nuevo modelo de negocio que está arraigándose en comunidades de toda California.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers
December 12, 2024
Podcast
The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social media. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump continues to avoid providing specifics about his plans for the Affordable Care Act and other health issues. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the National Institutes of Health and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.
Biden’s Election-Year Play to Further Expand Obamacare
By Julie Rovner
April 25, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The Biden administration wants to make it easier for Americans to get dental care. But don’t try booking an appointment just yet. A new regulation out this month allows states to include adult dental care as a benefit that health insurers must cover under the Affordable Care Act. Following record ACA enrollment this year, the proposal represents an […]
Government Lets Health Plans That Ripped Off Medicare Keep the Money
By Fred Schulte
January 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
In a surprise decision, U.S. officials yield to insurance industry demands — at least for now.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers
November 9, 2023
Podcast
Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
