Latest KFF Health News Stories
Kentucky Strategy Will Test Need For State-Run Obamacare Exchanges
Experts say Gov.-elect Matt Bevin’s plan to drop Kynect and use the federal healthcare.gov marketplace would have little impact on consumers, if it happens.
More Women Getting Breast Screenings Under Medicaid Expansion
A study shows that women were 25 percent more likely to be screened in states that expanded Medicaid early.
After 3 Years Of Decline, Hospital Injury Rates Plateau, Report Finds
The federal report estimates that 12 of every 100 hospital stays included an infection or other avoidable complication in 2014, about the same rate as 2013. Still, that was 17 lower than 2010.
Major Insurer Says It Will Offer Individual Life Insurance Coverage To People With HIV
The move signals growing recognition of HIV/AIDS’ transformation from a death sentence to a serious but manageable disease.
Aid-In-Dying Laws Only Accentuate Need For Palliative Care, Providers Say
Doctors who minister to seriously ill patients say the flurry of aid-in-dying laws show just how afraid people are of a painful death, and how important it is to ease their suffering.
Sweet Name Of Kids’ Clinic Gives Some People Heartburn
The Krispy Kreme Challenge Children’s Specialty Clinic gets its name from a student-run charity race in Raleigh, N.C., that has already raised $1 million for kids. Still, some find the name unhealthy.
Patients Want To Price-Shop For Care, But Online Tools Unreliable
A tough diagnosis and a high-deductible insurance plan motivated one couple to shop carefully for care. But they hit a snag — inaccurate prices on online calculators. Who can comparison shop if the price tags are wrong?
A Tale Of Two Obamacare Co-Op Insurers: One Standing, One Falling
Co-ops, the startup, nonprofit insurance companies ushered in by the health law, have failed in 12 states. But 11 co-ops are still hanging on.
As HMOs Dominate, Alternatives Become More Expensive
A KHN analysis finds a sharp difference in premium prices between plans that offer out-of-network care and those that do not.
Fight Over Medicaid Managed Care Tax Punches Hole in California Budget
Federal policy requires that California broaden taxes on insurers to fund Medicaid, but state insurers and many Republican legislators are opposed.
Testing For Hepatitis C In Prisons Could Save Many Lives On The Outside
Treating Hep C is expensive, but new drugs can quickly cure the disease, ultimately saving money.
End Of Medicare Bonus Program Will Cut Pay To Primary Care Doctors
A 10 percent bump in pay, a health law provision that sunsets at the end of the year, was designed to help balance the reimbursement levels between primary care providers and specialists.
Most Americans See Personal Tie To Rising Prescription Painkiller Abuse
A new Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll reports 16 percent say they know someone who died from a prescription painkiller overdose.
Small Coastal California Town Fights To Keep Hospital Afloat
Tourists love the Mendocino coast for its redwoods, surf and charm. But the battle to keep one town’s only hospital afloat is pitting hospital administrators and doctors against each other.
Deficiencies In End-Of-Life Care Extend Across Ethnicities
A small study in the San Francisco Bay area suggests that various ethnicities share some of the same goals when it comes to end-of-life care. Often, though, they don’t get what they want.
Fewer Medicare-Subsidized Drug Plans Means Less Choice For Low-Income Seniors
The number of Medicare plans that cover medications with a subsidy provided for low-income beneficiaries is declining in 2016 by 20 percent.
UnitedHealth Warns Of Marketplace Exit – Start Of A Trend Or Push For White House Action?
Some analysts and health policy experts view the move as an effort to compel the Obama administration to make changes.
Medicaid Denies Nearly Half Of Requests For Hepatitis C Drugs: Study
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that Medicaid turned down requests for new expensive drugs to treat hepatitis C 46 percent of the time, while private insurers barred them 10 percent and Medicare 5 percent.
Cancer Meds Often Bring Big Out-Of-Pocket Costs For Patients, Report Finds
The advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society said Wednesday that federal and state governments should move to restrict insurers from charging patients a percentage of the cost of their prescription drugs.
California Exchange Offers Dental Coverage To Adults For First Time
About 33,000 adults have signed up for dental insurance as an unsubsidized, optional benefit through Covered California.