Latest KFF Health News Stories
More Employers Limit Health Plan Networks But Seek To Preserve Quality, Says Adviser
Dr. Robert Galvin, who helps executives at 50 companies purchase health care for employees, tells KHN that workers must become savvier consumers.
For Aging Inmates, Care Outside Prison Walls
As the number of elderly inmates needing long-term care rises, some states are looking for alternatives beyond prison walls.
Must A Divorced Dad Cover Adult Kids; Will Medicare Pay For Infusion Therapy
KHN’s consumer columnist Michelle Andrews explores a divorced mother’s efforts to get her ex-husband to keep their sons on his plan, one senior’s problems getting Medicare to cover his antibiotic infusion at home and what earnings one reader will have to count when applying for premium subsidies.
To Beat Heroin Addiction, A Turn To Coaches
A one-year pilot project in Gosnold, Mass., provides recovering addicts with daily, sometimes hourly, help from a recovery coach.
Stigma Is A Side-Effect Of HIV-Prevention Medicine
Truvada is a drug that can help people who are not infected avoid contracting the virus that causes AIDS. But some patients are worried the medical community is not up to speed.
If You Have A Stroke, Better It Should Be In Paris
PARIS–I had a stroke last month, oh boy. It’s just that I didn’t know it. Here’s what happened: Only after three days of flashing, floating visual squiggles — commonly known as ocular migraines that usually last 20 minutes — do I email my old friend Dr. John Krakauer, who helps run stroke recovery at Johns […]
Washington’s $10 Billion Search For Health Care’s Next Big Ideas
A little-known office tests ways to improve care, but some wonder whether its achievements will match its budget.
Vermont Is ‘Single-Payer’ Trailblazer
Vermont plays the maverick again in trying to be the first state to implement a single-payer health care system.
Short-Term Health Plans Might Offer Some Relief But They Have Significant Gaps
These plans, which can last from a month to nearly a year, do not guarantee many of the benefits of regular health insurance.
FAQ: The Next Abortion Battle: The Courts And Hospital Admitting-Privilege Laws
The latest fight centers around if states can require doctors to have admitting privileges at hospitals close to where they perform abortions.
Exchange Assisters Want More Training To Help Consumers — Even After They Enroll
With the Nov. 15 kick-off for this year’s health law enrollment season fast approaching, the need for more training for the people who help consumers navigate the health insurance marketplace is growing increasingly clear. For example, 92 percent of health insurance marketplace assister programs say they want more preparation than they received last year, according […]
Fast Track For Primary Care Docs At One Calif. University
Some doctors in the state of California will soon be able to practice after three years of medical school instead of the traditional four. The American Medical Association is providing seed money for the effort in the form of a $1 million, five-year grant to the University of California at Davis. Student Ngabo Nzigira is in […]
HHS Report Finds Medicare Advantage Plans Exaggerate Members’ Diseases To Make More Money
The study urges changes in federal policies that allow higher payments for sicker patients.
Obamacare Creates ‘Upheaval’ At Free Clinics
With many of their patients now insured under the law, most W. Va. free clinics are choosing to get paid by Medicaid.
First Look At Medicare Quality Incentive Program Finds Little Benefit
One of Medicare’s attempts to improve medical quality –by rewarding or penalizing hospitals — did not lead to improvements in the first nine months of the program, a study has found. The quality program, known as Hospital Value-Based Purchasing, is a pillar of the federal health law’s campaign to use the government’s financial muscle to […]
Large California Insurers Invite Others To Join Data Network
Now that two of California’s biggest health insurers have teamed up on a project to share patients’ digitized medical records, they are planning to invite other companies to join. The project will initially cover about 9 million Californians, making it possible for doctors and hospitals to quickly access patients’ medical histories and avoid unnecessary tests […]
Survey: Insurance Rates Lag In Health Law Holdout States
A Gallup poll released Tuesday says that the Affordable Care Act is significantly increasing the number of Americans with health insurance, especially in states that are embracing the law. It echoes previous Gallup surveys, and similar findings by the Urban Institute and RAND Corp. The latest Gallup survey found that, nationwide, the number of uninsured […]
A Tennessee Insurer Uses Its Monopoly To Deliver Bargain Premiums
BlueCross BlueShield’s near dominance and hospitals’ lack of negotiating clout are key reasons Chattanooga has among the lowest priced coverage in the nation.
Advocates Say Florida Consumers To Pay For State Lawmakers’ Decision
Republicans were quick to pounce Monday on Florida’s announcement that residents buying health insurance on the individual market for next year will face a 13.2 percent average increase in monthly premiums — one of the steepest rate hikes announced for any state. “Obamacare is a bad law that just seems to be getting worse,” said […]
Some California Hospitals, Insurers Disappointed in ‘Bundled Payments’
Giving health-care providers a lump sum payment for certain treatments – touted as a way to save money and improve coordination of care — yielded disappointing results for some major California hospitals and insurers, a study found. The RAND Corp. study, funded by a $2.9-million federal grant, looked at “bundled payments” for care of insured […]