Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Call-In: Answers To Questions About Our Business-Driven Health System
On NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, KHN’s Elisabeth Rosenthal answers questions about the high cost of U.S. health care, while NPR’s Gisele Grayson addresses how the Senate bill to replace the Affordable Care Act would change the system.
What Tax Breaks? Those Promised In GOP Plans Go Mostly To Top 1%
Similar to the House-passed American Health Care Act, the Senate GOP health bill would change or eliminate more than a dozen taxes that were put in place to help pay for provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Should GOP Health Bill Prevail, Say Bye-Bye To Insurance Rebates
A little-noticed provision of the Senate GOP health plan would unwind an Affordable Care Act provision limiting insurer profits, administrative costs.
McConnell Has About $200B In ‘Candy’ To Make Deals On Obamacare Repeal
As many as a dozen GOP senators may oppose the Senate majority leader’s Obamacare repeal bill. But the dealmaking is just beginning.
Men Wrote The Senate Health Care Bill. This Woman Could Stop It.
Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s parliamentarian, will be in the hot seat as she is called upon to decide which provisions of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bill draft fit the tight rules that allow for it to be passed without a filibuster.
Health Care Battle On Hill Has Veterans Defending Obamacare Benefits
It’s too early to know just how many veterans might lose coverage as a result of the Medicaid reductions wrapped into the Republicans’ repeal effort. But many already feel boxed in.
California Joins States That Protect Patients Against Nasty Surprise Bills
A California law that takes effect July 1 prohibits out-of-network charges if you visit a medical facility that’s in your health plan’s network. New York and Florida also offer strong consumer protections.
Kaiser Permanente Cited — Again — For Mental Health Access Problems
California’s HMO watchdog agency says the HMO giant still is making mental health patients wait too long for treatment despite previous warnings and a large fine.
Podcast: What The Health? Senate Bill Sparks Fireworks Before The Fourth
Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the state of the Senate’s effort to replace Obamacare.
Alergistas advierten sobre escasez de un antídoto contra picaduras de insectos
Médicos alergistas en todo el país están advirtiendo sobre la escasez de un producto poco conocido pero crucial: extracto de abejas y avispas usado en vacunas que previenen reacciones que amenazan la vida.
Safe Under The ACA, Patients With Preexisting Conditions Now Fear Bias
Thinking they were protected from insurance discrimination, many people got tested to see if they were likely to develop serious diseases. Legislation pushed by Republican leaders in Congress would leave them vulnerable.
Insect Venom Shortage Stings Allergy Sufferers This Summer
Allergists warn of scarce supplies of honeybee, wasp and other venom extracts used to prevent deadly reactions.
Seniors Miss Out On Clinical Trials
Among hurdles: Older adults may have multiple illnesses that could complicate research or they might be unable to manage the commute.
Drop In Sudden Cardiac Arrests Linked To Obamacare
A study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that sudden cardiac arrests dropped by 17 percent in one Oregon county after people gained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Calif. Officials Sound Alarm, Envisioning $114B Hit To Medi-Cal Under U.S. Senate Bill
“Nothing is safe — no population, no services,” the director of the nation’s largest Medicaid program said Wednesday. GOP leaders say they seek to cut costs and widen consumer choices.
Para los adultos jóvenes, el proyecto de salud del Senado tiene buenas y malas noticias
El proyecto de salud del Senado podría ayudar a algunos jóvenes reduciendo el costo de sus primas, pero podría perjudicar a otros que lograron tener cobertura a través de una expansión masiva del Medicaid.
For Millennials, Both Good And Bad News In Senate’s GOP Health Bill
Provisions in the Senate’s “repeal and replace” bill could help some young adults by lowering the cost of premiums but could hurt others who gained insurance through a massive expansion to Medicaid.
Hospitals Ramp Up Hyperbaric Therapy For Diabetics, Despite Concerns
Medicare is trying to deter overuse of hyperbaric therapy, and some experts question its effectiveness for healing diabetic wounds, one of the treatment’s fastest-growing uses.
Postcard From Capitol Hill: Doubts, Dissent Over Health Bill Rescue July Fourth Holiday
Scenes from Capitol Hill Tuesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s effort to pass a health care bill this week crumbled.
Analysis: Mitch McConnell Plans To Hide Trumpcare’s Pain Until After Midterms
The Senate health bill to repeal Obamacare hews closely to the electoral calendar, delaying much of the pain until after Republicans face re-election in Congress, statehouses and the White House.