Latest KFF Health News Stories
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 […]
Poverty Linked To Diabetic Amputations In California
People with diabetes in low-income neighborhoods in California are twice as likely to have a leg or foot amputated as those living in wealthier areas, according to a study released Monday. The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, underscores the stark differences in outcomes for diabetes patients throughout the state. “We are not particularly […]
Cleveland’s Early Medicaid Expansion Paying Off
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, created its own Medicaid program for 28,000 residents. So far, E.R. visits have dropped 60 percent.
Patients Seeking Cheaper Care Are Soliciting Bids From Doctors Online
Medibid, a four-year-old Internet service, can help people get non-emergency medical services outside of costly hospitals, but critics note that the service provides no guarantee of quality or safety.
Health Law Calls For Some Workers To Be Automatically Enrolled In Coverage
A provision of the ACA that could be implemented as early as next year requires employers with more than 200 workers to sign up employees in one of the company’s plans. Workers may opt out, however.
Smokers Paying Less For Some Health Plans Than Expected
The health law allows insurance plans to charge tobacco users as much as 50 percent more for their premiums, but plans on average increased costs for these consumers by significantly less, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. Researchers found the median surcharge amount to be about 10 percent. Close to 90 percent […]
Study: ER Closures Raise Death Rates At Nearby Hospitals
Emergency patients who are admitted to the hospital are at greater risk of dying if another emergency room at a hospital nearby has closed its doors, a new study of California hospitals has found. The analysis is believed to be the first to examine the impact that emergency department closures have on the quality of […]
Hospital, Insurer Earnings Show Mixed Messages About Health Spending
Hints of cost spikes matter because much is riding on spending forecasts.
A Doctor’s Perspective On Obamacare Plans
Low reimbursement rates cause one doctor to reject two out of three companies selling Affordable Care Act insurance in his state.