Latest KFF Health News Stories
Young But Not So Invincible in California
Largely low-income and minority California State University students want health insurance but many are afraid they can’t afford it. Outreach workers are scrambling to sign them up.
Insurance Agents Key To California Success Enrolling Asian-Americans
While Latino enrollment has lagged in California’s insurance marketplace, Asians have signed up in numbers outstripping their representation in the pool of eligible people. According to new Covered California data, the overwhelming majority of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese enrollees are buying plans through certified insurance agents, as opposed to community groups or the Covered California website. […]
KHN’s consumer columnist answers questions about how the health law and online exchanges work.
AHIP President Calls For New Level Of Insurance Under Health Law
http://static.c-span.org/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.1395167746.swf?pid=318396-1 A new tier of coverage should be added to the health law’s online marketplaces, or exchanges, that would be less comprehensive than what plans are now required to offer, the head of the health insurance industry’s trade group said Sunday. “I would create a lower tier, so that people could gradually get into the program, […]
Connecticut Customers Rush To Retail Store To Buy Insurance
Obamacare business is picking up at a storefront in New Haven, where some customers are getting insurance for the first time and others are hoping to lower their premiums.
Draft Rules Would Help Protect Seniors When Medicare Advantage Plans Drop Doctors
The proposals by federal officials come in response to UnitedHealthcare’s efforts to cancel contracts with thousands of doctors in 10 states just weeks before seniors had to enroll in plans.
A Reader Asks: After I Was In The Hospital, Can I Buy Insurance To Cover My Bills?
KHN’s consumer columnist says insurance generally doesn’t apply to charges for hospital or doctors services from before you signed up, with one exception.
Cholesterol Guidelines Could Mean Statins For Half Of Adults Over 40
This story was produced in collaboration with When sweeping new advice on preventing heart attacks and strokes came out last November, it wasn’t clear how many more Americans should be taking daily statin pills to lower their risk. A new analysis provides an answer: a whole lot. Nearly 13 million more, to be precise. If the […]
Justices To Weigh Contraceptive Mandate Against Religious Freedom Claims
Two businesses are challenging the health law’s birth control coverage requirement on religious freedom grounds.
Doctors Say Obamacare Rule Will Stick Them With Unpaid Bills
If a patient falls behind on premiums, insurers can hold off paying their doctor bills, and deny them altogether if the patient fails to make good.
10 States Are Critical To Administration’s Efforts To Enroll 6 Million In New Health Plans
Reaching that number might give Democrats bragging rights and make it more likely that state pools are big enough to keep down premiums.
Mass. To Drop Contractor Behind Flawed Health Insurance Website
Massachusetts is negotiating an end to its contract with CGI, the Canadian vendor that built the state’s flawed health insurance website while scrambling to fix it. The site was supposed to be up last October, offering one-stop health insurance shopping for anyone in Massachusetts. But six months later, only a few functions work but have […]
What You Need To Know As Health Care Deadline Looms
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey was on NPR’s Tell Me More program Tuesday talking about the upcoming deadline for many Americans to buy health insurance or face a fine. Listen below:
Some Young People Won’t Get Tax Help for Obamacare Insurance
A new study shows that younger people in eight cities who make more than about $32,000 a year won’t get tax credits to help pay for insurance premiums.
Colorado Health Exchange Workers Paid More Than Similar Positions In Three Other States
Nearly half of the employees of Colorado’s health care exchange make more than $80,000 per year — outpacing peers in several states.
Local Control Key To Colorado Exchange’s (Moderate) Success
Being an early adopter can be rewarding. Remember how amazing it was to have the first iPhone? But then, sometimes early adopters pay a price, like that early version of the Apple map tool that led to some wrong turns. Colorado is one of 14 states going through their own version of this with the […]
Warning: Opting Out Of Your Insurance Plan’s Provider Network Is Risky
Out-of-pocket spending limits and some other safeguards in the health law may not apply.
Can Congress Put An End To Annual Medicare Payment Ritual?
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Congress is still searching for money to avoid a 24 percent cut in pay for doctors who treat Medicare patients. But seniors are already paying their share of the cost in premiums, as if the pay cut — scheduled to kick in on April 1 — […]
Hispanic Outreach Group Slow To Enroll Uninsured In Miami-Dade
A Washington-based group won a $646,000 grant to sign up Miami-Dade Hispanics for Obamacare, but its lack of local ties and a slow start has hindered its success.
Sebelius Pushes Lagging Enrollment In Ohio
CLEVELAND – At a health center here Friday, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Ohio is off to a “decent start” on health insurance enrollment. With two weeks left before open enrollment ends under the Affordable Care Act, 79,000 Ohioans have selected a plan on the federally run insurance exchange. “We’ve got some […]