Latest KFF Health News Stories
Frustrated By The Affordable Care Act, One Family Opts Out
Obamacare seemed like the perfect solution for the Robinson family in Dallas, Texas, until they tried to find an obstetrician who took the plan.
Adult Foster Care Aid May Be At Risk, Advocates Say
Among those who are worried are agencies that provide adult foster care for people who can’t live on their own, because of severe mental illness or developmental disabilities.
A Reader Asks: Can I Cancel My Marketplace Plan If My Boss Decides To Offer Coverage?
KHN’s consumer columnist notes that consumers can drop a plan from the online exchanges anytime, but there are some important factors to consider.
FAQ: VA And Military Care Are Different, But Often Confused
The health systems serving veterans and military members are separate but both are under scrutiny.
Obamacare Lightens Load For Cancer Patients
People with cancer can now get health coverage even if they lose their jobs and insurance.
How To Shop For Long-Term Care Insurance
One of the toughest money decisions Americans face as they age is whether to buy long-term care insurance.
Medicaid Contractor Centene Was Top Financial Performer In St. Louis
The managed care company was judged the area’s most financially successful public company in 2013.
Georgia Looks To Reopen Some Closed Rural Hospitals As E.R.s
Georgia is issuing a new kind of license to rural hospitals to be stand-alone ERs. Many of these hospitals have had to close or reduce services in the past few years due to budget pressures.
‘National Dialogue’ Urged On Cost Of New Hepatitis C Drug
The outcry continues over the $1,000-a-pill hepatitis C drug made by California-based Gilead Sciences. While the drug is a significant advance over older treatments for the viral liver disease, the price set by the company “represents an abuse of market power,” said John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, which […]
Can Employers Dump Workers To Health Exchanges? Yes, For A Price
How to expand Americans’ health insurance choices under the Affordable Care Act without sabotaging employer coverage? The Obama administration is still working to get the balance right. The latest tweak from the Internal Revenue Service essentially prohibits employers from giving workers tax-free dollars to buy policies in the online public marketplaces created by the health law. […]
7 Things You Should Know About The Next Big Benefit Change
“Reference pricing” has the blessing of the Obama administration. What is it and how might it affect your health insurance?
Too Early To Calculate Success Of ACA Marketplaces
Did taxpayers get a bargain or a boondoggle on the Obamacare exchanges? Economists agree it is still too soon to tell for most of the exchanges set up under the health law.
States Consider Using Medicaid To Pay College Health Plan Premiums
Advocates say that the option will provide more flexibility for students who are eligible for the state-federal health program for low-income people.
Safety Net Hospitals Already Seeing More Paying Patients – And Revenue
Many inner-city hospitals in Medicaid-expansion states report big drops in the number of uninsured people for whom they provide care.
A Reader Asks: Are Insurers Required To Cover HIV Prevention Medication Recently Recommended By CDC?
Federal health officials urge anyone at substantial risk of HIV to start an expensive prescription drug regimen that can prevent infection. But that doesn’t mean it qualifies for coverage without any cost sharing under the health law.
Temporary Fee On Big Businesses Funds Obamacare
Large companies like Sherwin-Williams, based in Cleveland, aren’t likely to use the individual insurance marketplace created by the health law, but they will help pay for it.
Minnesota, Not Florida, Not Hawaii, Is Healthiest State For Seniors
“Minnesota Nice” might be the key to good health for seniors. America’s Health Rankings Senior Report rated Minnesota the healthiest state in the nation for adults aged 65 and over — beating out Hawaii. And that retiree and snowbird haven, Florida? It came in 28th. What could put Minnesota, which just weathered arguably the harshest winter […]
Some Colorado Doctors May Be Overcharging Medicare For Routine Visits
An analysis of newly available data may reveal fraud. But experts caution that the raw data alone could also make physicians who are doing nothing wrong look bad.
The Politics Of Health In 2014 Aren’t What You Think
Some embattled Democrats see Medicaid expansion as a winning issue.
Single-Payer Advocates Hit Capitol With New Sense Of Reality
Advocates for a single-payer “Medicare for all” health system are fanning out across Capitol Hill this week, lobbying members of Congress. But years of mostly fruitless struggles – and watching the intense opposition to the much less sweeping Affordable Care Act – appears to have left them with a much more clear-eyed view of what […]