Latest KFF Health News Stories
California Prop. 46, Inspired By Tragedy, Pits Doctors Against Lawyers
Opponents wage costly campaign, eroding public support.
Many On Medicaid See Boost In Benefits As Economy Improves
With an improving fiscal climate, many states are increasing benefits for Medicaid recipients and paying their providers more.
Got Insurance? You Still May Pay A Steep Price For Prescriptions
These high-priced medications are often shifted to the top tiers of drug plans, so consumers dealing with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV and other complicated diseases can end up paying thousands of dollars for their prescriptions.
Long-Acting Contraceptives Still Often Not Free For Women
The health law called for all FDA-approved birth control methods to be completely covered by insurance, but research suggests that many women still pay for some of the costs for options such as IUDs and injectable contraceptives.
Study Finds Savings Low For Employers Capping Their Payments For Treatments
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) In an effort to slow health care spending, more employers are looking at capping what they pay for certain procedures — like joint replacements — and requiring insured workers who choose hospitals or medical facilities that exceed the cap to pay the difference themselves. But a […]
Burwell Meets The Press: Managing Expectations On Ebola, Healthcare.gov, ACA Year 2
http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js brightcove.createExperiences(); We’re working on it. No matter what the topic – from improving consumers’ experience with healthcare.gov, the health law’s Medicaid expansion, narrow networks and even Ebola — Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell told reporters Thursday her agency is on it. During a breakfast with reporters sponsored by Kaiser […]
Hidden Costs For ‘Fully Covered’ Care Can Slam Patients’ Wallets
In North Carolina and elsewhere, hidden costs have popped up on “fully covered” services ranging from contraception to cancer screening to annual checkups, and it’s leaving a growing number of people to cover thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Price Tags On Health Care? Only In Massachusetts
Under a new state law, Massachusetts insurers have to post how much tests and procedures cost at different providers in a consumer-friendly way.
Federal Officials Unveil Streamlined Marketplace Website
Consumers using the federal healthcare.gov website when open enrollment begins next month should expect a faster website with a shorter application form and features making it easier to use on mobile devices, Obama administration officials said Wednesday. In a briefing with reporters, they showed off a live version of the updated site and said it […]
How One U.S. Hospital Braces For Ebola
This story is part of a partnership that includes WNPR, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) Dr. Jack Ross is used to seeing potentially lethal viruses, and he is used to putting patients into isolation. Still, Ebola is different. “I think, for any hospital today, Ebola represents one step higher than anything […]
For Formerly Obese, Stigma Remains Even After Weight Is Lost
People who have lost significant weight are uneasy about how much to reveal in online dating profiles, and research shows they have good reason to be.
Many Medicare Outpatients Pay More At Rural Hospitals, Federal Report Says
An investigation by the HHS inspector general says beneficiaries getting the treatments at “critical access” hospitals pay between two and six times more than those at other hospitals.
Study: Robotic Surgery More Costly For Ovarian Problems
We’ve heard it before — the robots are coming to save the day. But for certain medical procedures, that day may not be as close as you’d think. A study published today in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology suggests that robot-assisted surgeries to remove ovaries or ovarian cysts were more expensive and had more complications […]
Turning 65? 9 Tips For Signing Up For Medicare
A consumer reporter shares what she learned when getting ready to join the federal health plan for seniors.
How Will Taxes Be Reconciled With Premium Subsidies?
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews examines how subsidies for health insurance can be divvied up among family members choosing separate plans and how a miscalculation of the premium will be handled on your taxes.
Poll: Californians Support Health Coverage For Undocumented Immigrants
This story is part of a partnership that includes KQED, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) A majority of the state’s voters support extending current health insurance programs to all low-income Californians, including undocumented immigrants, according to a new statewide poll released today. The poll was commissioned by The California Endowment, […]
Obamacare Enrollment: Second Year An Even Tougher Challenge
States and the federal government aim to renew coverage for 15.3 million already signed up on exchanges and Medicaid — and enroll about 10 million more who are currently uninsured.
Republicans Focus On Contraception To Woo Women Voters
But a new pitch by Republican candidates to make the birth control pill available without a prescription could have unintended financial consequences for women.
Is Texas Prepared for a Public Health Emergency?
Experts says a series of recent threats, including the first Ebola patient to develop symptoms in the U.S., raise questions about the state’s capacity to deal with contagious diseases.
Calif. Law Bolsters National Effort To Give Workers Paid Sick Time
Nearly 4 in 10 private sector workers lack paid sick leave, many of them women and low-wage earners.