Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
La Dueña De Un Pequeño Negocio Entra En El Mercado De Seguros
Una pequeña empresaria sintió la frustración de encontrar seguro de salud para su familia, pero ahora tiene la esperanza de asegurar a su “familia laboral”.
Allynne Noelle: Ballerina Gets Insured
Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, 32, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
Restaurant Owner Struggles To Afford Health Insurance
Sandra Lopez, 41, owns Las Fajitas, a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
Unfavorable Views Of Health Law Spike In July: Poll
The health law’s unpopularity among the public rose sharply in July with a surge of disapproval from people who had been agnostic about it in recent months, a poll released Friday shows. The law is as unpopular as it has been since it was enacted four years ago. The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation […]
Covered California Rates Up Modest 4.2 Percent
Covered California says health care premiums will go up modestly for most people buying coverage on the state exchange next year by an average of 4.2 percent. “We enrolled a lot of people, they’re healthy, and that’s kept rates down,” Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said at a press conference on Thursday in Sacramento […]
Florida’s Largest Health Insurer Is Raising Exchange Rates An Average Of 17.6 Percent
Florida Blue cites cost impact of older and less healthy adults who use more services.
Good News On California ACA Rates. But Why?
Two top insurance officials in California have competing theories on what’s keeping prices in check for 2015.
A Reader Asks: With Job-Based Coverage, Can I Still Qualify For Cost-Sharing Subsidies
KHN’s consumer columnist Michelle Andrews explains that if the insurance offered through an employer is considered affordable, you can’t qualify for the health law’s program to provide financial help to cover costs such as deductibles and co-payments.
House Panel Focuses ‘Microscope’ On Marketplace Open Enrollment
House members examined concerns raised in a GAO report about the healthcare.gov website during a subcommittee hearing Thursday. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and CQ Roll Call’s Melissa Attias discuss.