Latest KFF Health News Stories
Once, Same-Sex Couples Couldn’t Wed; Now, Some Employers Say They Must
With same sex marriage legal in 35 states, some employers say they will no longer provide benefits to unmarried partners.
HHS, Research Community Debate Informed Consent Policy
Supporters say the proposed changes would lead to clear and thorough explanations of the dangers studies involve, but some advocacy groups warn they could have a chilling effect on innovation.
Illinois Turning To Insurance Agents For Obamacare Outreach
Get Covered Illinois, the state’s enrollment arm, is spending about $150,000 this winter to help 13 insurance brokerages pay for co-branded marketing materials.
Applying For Pa. Medicaid Expansion? Wait In Line
Only about a third of an estimated 150,000 people who applied for the program so far have been enrolled, say officials.
Study Disputes Perception That New Beneficiaries Are Fueling Medicare Advantage Growth
The majority of people choosing the private plans for Medicare coverage were switching out of the traditional program, research in the journal Health Affairs finds.
Limited Insurance Choices Frustrate Some Patients In California
California is seen as an Obamacare success story, but about 30,000 people there are stuck with only one choice of insurer on the exchange.
Burwell Calls For Congress To Work With Her On Health Issues
The chief of the Department of Health and Human Services says Democrats and Republicans can reach accord on many issues beyond the health law.
Alaska Health Plan Premiums, Highest In Nation, Are Triple Those In Phoenix
A look at the 10 least and 10 most expensive places for health insurance shows a wide gap in prices for the same type of coverage.
Health Insurance Startup Collapses In Iowa
Obamacare provided billions in seed money to help establish insurance companies called co-ops. One of the biggest has now gone under, and its state overseer is telling clients to switch carriers.
Nearly Half Of South Florida Hospitals Below CDC Standards On Infections
The ratings are part of a national effort to cut down on the most common infections patients contract in hospitals.
Health-Law Test To Cut Readmissions Lacks Early Results
Results so far show community agencies haven’t made a big difference in keeping seniors from making return hospital trips. But administration officials say the program has plenty of potential.
Most Marketplace Customers Have New Filing Requirements This Tax Season
The health law requires people to report their coverage situation. Those who get insurance through their jobs will only have to check a box on the usual return, but those without insurance or those who received subsidies will have to fill out new forms.
Skipped Care A Side Effect Of High-Deductible Health Plans
High deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs related to health insurance have become a rising concern among consumers and health-care providers.
Payment Disparities Puzzle, Intrigue Charlotte Health Execs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina says it decided to reveal how much it pays hospitals for particular procedures to help consumers hold down costs.
Supreme Court Battle Brewing Over Medicaid Fees
States say government should be able to set rates without courts stepping in. Patient advocates and providers say intervention is needed to improve access.
Congress Seeks To Limit Transfers Between Social Security And Disability Funds
Supporters of the change say it would strengthen both funds but critics fear impact on poor and disabled.
Intrauterine Devices And Other Long-Acting Contraceptives Gaining Popularity
Analysis of federal data finds they still lag behind birth-control pills and condoms.
Rural Doctor Launches Startup To Ease Pain Of Dying Patients
Getting basic health care to rural areas has always been difficult, and delivering specialized care is even harder. One doctor is raising money to get palliative care to patients in rural California.
Appeals Court Hears Texas Abortion Case
Three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questions both sides and focuses on the abortion clinics’ argument that the law would create a burden for women in El Paso and West Texas.
How California Can Improve Oversight of Home Caregivers
In California, hundreds of thousands of low-income elderly and disabled people receive daily care in their homes from their children, spouses, relatives and others. And, through a program called In-Home Supportive Services, the state pays many of those caregivers about $10 an hour to do the job.