At Least 600,000 Young Adults Join Parents’ Health Plans Under New Law
By Phil Galewitz
May 3, 2011
KFF Health News Original
One of the most popular provisions of the overhaul shows early success, but employers note that it also will usher in higher costs.
Ryan Budget: A Huge Opportunity To Improve Health Care
By Michael F. Cannon
April 4, 2011
KFF Health News Original
This week, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will release a budget blueprint that tackles the three big health care challenges facing the budget
As Interest In Global Health Rises In U.S., San Francisco Stands At Forefront Of Field
September 26, 2011
Morning Briefing
The San Francisco Chronicle reports on a growing interest in global health throughout the U.S. and how Jaime Sepulveda, who served as head of epidemiology in Mexico in the early 1980s and who took over the Global Health Sciences division at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) earlier this month, “hopes to make the Bay Area a powerhouse in research and development of global health policies worldwide.” The newspaper writes, “In the past five years, global health has taken off at the Bay Area’s top research institutions,” adding, “Both UCSF and Stanford have opened new global health centers, and Kaiser Permanente — the Bay Area’s largest health care provider — has formalized a program to send its doctors and nurses overseas.”
Medical Wonder: Meet the CEO Who Rebuilt a Crumbling California Hospital
By Russ Mitchell
April 20, 2011
KFF Health News Original
Wright Lassiter is doing the seemingly impossible as CEO of the Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, Calif.: He’s turned a mismanaged urban safety-net hospital system in one of America’s most violent cities into a model for other public hospitals by trimming costs — and did it while expanding services.
Care At Stake As Congress Nears ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
By Julie Rovner, NPR News
December 8, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Lawmakers are close again to delaying a 25 percent cut in reimbursement to doctors who serve Medicare patients. It’s the fifth time this year Congress has faced down the cuts, which could have dire consequences for the program if enacted.
More Patients Making Appointments Online As Doctors Embrace Web
By Phil Galewitz
January 3, 2011
KFF Health News Original
A web-based company called ZocDoc is piggybacking on doctors’ increasing willingness to let patients make appointments online.
How KHN Obtained Data For The California Hospital Prices Story
By Jordan Rau
October 18, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News’ story on California’s Costliest Hospitals, months in the making, relied on data from a number of sources.
Q&A With Sutter Health’s CEO, Patrick Fry
November 19, 2010
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Patrick Fry is president and CEO of Sutter Health, one of Northern California’s largest provider networks with 22 acute care hospitals and thousands of physicians in affiliated medical foundations.
Fear + Worry = Fewer Kids Getting Vaccinated
By Phil Galewitz
October 13, 2010
KFF Health News Original
After years of steady progress, the percentage of 2 year olds in private health plans being immunized dropped last year, while it went up for Medicaid patients.
As Hospital System Expands, Patient Advocates Worry
By Jordan Rau
November 21, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Sutter Health, the most expensive health system in California, is expanding at a rapid pace and transforming itself into an “accountable care organization.” Some worry about the nonprofit hospital’s growing leverage.
For-Profit Hospitals Performing More C-Sections
By Nathanael Johnson, California Watch
September 13, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Private medical centers in California are more likely to perform C-sections compared with nonprofit hospitals.
Health Law Expands Medicare Coverage Of Preventive Care
By Michelle Andrews
August 10, 2010
KFF Health News Original
In addition, beneficiaries will get free annual wellness visits that include a health risk assessment and a review of functional and cognitive abilities.
Editorial Policy
July 21, 2010
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KFF Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF and, along with policy analysis and polling, is one of the three major operating programs of KFF. KFF is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. All editorial decisions are made by KFF Health News editors and the […]
Tired Of Waiting For the Doctor? Try One That Gives Same-Day Appointments
By Catherine Arnst
July 14, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Patients typically wait 20 minutes or more to see the doctor, the AMA says. But a new scheduling system that allows patients to see the doctor on the day they call for an appointment has surprising success in cutting that delay.
Heart Disease: Why Costs Rise as Prevention Improves
By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times
June 16, 2010
KFF Health News Original
The number of people hospitalized or killed by serious heart attacks each year is down sharply, new studies show. The overall rate of hospitalization for heart disease is down, too. Experts attribute improving heart health to the decline in smoking, more people getting treated for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and the greater attention many people now give to eating healthier foods and getting exercise. Prevention clearly pays off for those who pay attention.
Rating System For Medicare Advantage Plans Slated For Upgrade
By Susan Jaffe
June 15, 2010
KFF Health News Original
A few years ago, federal officials began rating Medicare Advantage plans – using a scale of one to five stars – but seniors’ advocates, policy analysts, insurers and some top Medicare officials agree the ratings are flawed. Even so, the star system is about to become more significant.
Studies: When Doctors Take More Responsibility, Care Becomes Cheaper And Better
By Andrew Villegas
May 4, 2010
KFF Health News Original
Medical homes – where primary care doctors are held responsible for coordinating care for individual patients
The Health Care Economy: New Questions About Costs, Quality And Care
By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times
June 8, 2010
KFF Health News Original
The health care industry is bulletproof when it comes to increasing spending or creating jobs as growth rates often double the rest of the economy.
Federal Employee Health Program Unlikely To Extend Young Adult Coverage On Parents’ Plan This Year
By Jessica Marcy
April 27, 2010
KFF Health News Original
The federal government says current law will likely keep it from following the lead of some private insurance companies that will begin offering coverage this year to young adults.
From The KFF Health News Archives: Checking In With Dr. Donald Berwick
April 19, 2010
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Dr. Donald Berwick, the president’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Mediciad Services (CMS), talked with KFF Health News in November 2009 about how front-line health workers could reduce hospital deaths.
