Latest KFF Health News Stories
Relying On The Health Care Safety Net: Choosing Between Dinner And A Medical Test
Without Medicaid expansion, South Florida’s low-income residents have found out the hard way that the healthcare safety net designed to catch people before they hit bottom is no substitute for insurance.
Google Glass In The ER? Health Care Moves One Step Closer To Star Trek …
Researchers at a Rhode Island hospital studied how Google Glass technology could be used to beam the images of emergency-room patients to specialists in different locations.
850,000 Floridians Stuck In Health Care Limbo — And No Solution In Sight
With legislators seemingly deadlocked on Medicaid expansion in Florida, residents in the “coverage gap” are stitching together their medical care through personal ingenuity, half doses of medicines and low-cost clinics.
A Look Back As Congress Repeals Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Law
KHN’s Julie Rovner reflects on the constant battle over what Medicare pays doctors — a fight that ended this week as President Obama signed into law an overhaul that repeals the old method and institutes new provisions to pay doctors based on the quality of care they give.
15 States Extend Health Law’s Higher Medicaid Payments To Doctors
The health law temporarily paid doctors more to handle the expected influx of patients when states expanded their Medicaid programs and some states are continuing that program because they find it has helped attract providers to the program.
There May Still Be Time To Save On Health Law’s Tax Penalties
Some consumers who face a 2014 tax bill can make adjustments to improve their liability.
EEOC Proposal On Wellness Program Earns Business Praise, Consumer Concerns
The announcement is an effort to give employers more guidance on how to implement the programs promoted by the federal health law without overstepping the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Only 251 Hospitals Score Five Stars In Medicare’s New Ratings
The ratings, posted on Medicare’s website Thursday, rank hospitals based on patient reviews.
Big Bills A Hidden Side Effect Of Cancer Treatment
High deductible health insurance plans and soaring drug costs make cancer a tremendous financial burden for many patients.
So You Have Dense Breasts. Now What?
Dense breasts make mammograms harder to read. As more states pass laws requiring that women be told of the risks, debate is growing about whether such warnings are helpful — or even harmful.
FAQ: Congress Passes A Bill To Fix Medicare’s Doctor Payments. What’s In It?
A rare bipartisan effort will scrap the troubled physician payment formula and transition to a system focused on new quality measures.
Boston Bombing Survivors Struggle With Medical And Emotional Recovery
Two years after the marathon bombing, Martha and Alvaro Galvis still suffer from physical wounds and emotional pain.
Audit: Missouri Medicaid Failed To Bill Drugmakers For More Than $50M In Rebates
HHS auditors recommend Missouri repay more than $34 million to the federal government, but state officials dispute the findings.
Missouri Health Plans Offer Inadequate Coverage For Smoking Cessation, Report Finds
The American Lung Association study finds that few insurers fully cover all seven FDA-approved devices to help smokers quit the habit, but insurers dispute the findings.
Patient Safety Advocate Sees ‘Hope And Hype’ In Digital Revolution
Dr. Robert Wachter says medicine’s move to a computer age can improve care but patients still face serious challenges in adapting to the new technology and the prospect of overcoming a fragmented health system.
Illinois Gov.’s Proposed Cuts To Mental Health Care Could Raise Costs, Critics Say
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget plan to reduce funds for psychiatry, housing programs for the homeless and care coordinators for the mentally ill could send people to hospitals, nursing homes and jails where treatment costs are higher, providers say.
Moving Out: Hospitals Leave Downtowns For More Prosperous Digs
Hospitals are relocating to more affluent communities to attract better-paying patients, but critics say they abandon the poor.
Medicaid Expansion One Step Closer To Reality In Montana
The bill picked up two more Republican votes in the state House and has the support of the governor.
Federal Marketplace More Adept Than States At Enrolling Customers, Study Finds
The research by Avelere Health shows that the exchange the federal government runs in three dozen states had a higher percentage of new and returning enrollees than the other marketplaces run by individual states.
Patient-Doctor Relationship Forged Through Computer Screens
Through LiveHealth Online, Missouri’s largest insurer allows members to connect to doctors around the country from their computer, tablet or phone.