Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Law Provides No Guarantees Of Access To Midwives, Birthing Centers
The overhaul mandated maternity coverage, but some private insurance plans don’t include services.
L.A. County Officials Told Inspectors To Cut Short Nursing Home Probes
They say they were trying to help clear a California backlog of 9,000 cases. Elder care advocate calls the move “unconscionable.”
Three Key Changes Proposed For Medicare Part D
Among the elements of the proposal that consumers might notice are changes in what drugs will be “protected” so that they are more readily available to seniors, how many plans are offered and what pharmacies will be offering the best deals.
Administration Faces Opposition To Changes In Medicare Prescription Drug Program
Officials say proposed alterations would help seniors and save money but some patient groups and the drug industry are raising concerns.
There’s a Life-Saving Hepatitis C Drug. But You May Not Be Able To Afford It.
The price tag of the breakthrough treatment raises questions about the proper costs of pharmaceuticals.
A Reader Asks: How Do I Apply For Coverage For My Son In Another State?
KHN’s consumer columnist explains that parents can get a child-only policy for a dependent living elsewhere while still getting coverage for themselves at home.
Conn. Tries To Sell Its Obamacare Success To Other States
Selling Affordable Care Act insurance is going well in Connecticut, so the state is offering “Exchange In A Box” services to other states that are still stumbling.
Lend Us Your Ears: Note Takers Help The Elderly At The Doctor
Several groups dedicated to helping seniors stay in their homes provide the service for members who may need a record of the doctor’s office visits.
Tales Of Obamacare: From Elation To Frustration
Chicago-area consumers navigate the health law’s new insurance exchanges.
Co-Ops Report Early Enrollment Successes And Expansion Plans
The Affordable Care Act’s nonprofit co-op health plans, which see themselves as the rebel alliance battling established insurers, have signed close to 300,000 members and are set to expand into three new states next year, officials say. Starting from zero in October, New York’s Health Republic Insurance has enrolled more than 50,000 policyholders, said John Morrison, who […]
Integrating Yoga Into Medical Practice – It’s More Than ‘Just Relaxation Response’
Rajan Narayanan isn’t your average yoga instructor. During his classes, he uses words like “neuroplasticity,”avoids Sanskrit terms and sometimes shows up to teach in a suit and tie. And often, like on this particular Monday at a Maryland conference center, most of his students are physicians and nurses. Stretched out on orange and green yoga mats […]
Mass. Patients Can ‘Shop’ For Health Care — At Least In Theory
Part of the state’s health care cost control law requires hospitals and doctors tell patients how much things cost, if they ask.
Poll: For Right Price, Consumers Will Accept Limited Choice Of Doctors, Hospitals
People buying health insurance through the health law’s new online marketplaces are more willing than the public at large to accept a limited roster of doctors and hospitals in return for lower premiums, a poll released Wednesday finds. But that enthusiasm nosedives if they are told their regular doctor isn’t included in the plan. As a […]
Could Medicaid Expansion Debate Turn Into An Immigration Issue?
Proponents of expanding Medicaid in Florida argue that a ‘no’ vote means that legal immigrants will have access to insurance subsidies while some U.S. citizens go without coverage.
Tenet Expects 15% Of Its Uninsured To Get Obamacare Coverage
Tenet Healthcare Corp., the nation’s third largest for-profit hospital operator, said Tuesday it expects 15 percent of its uninsured patients to get covered this year as a result of the Affordable Care Act. But the company isn’t counting yet on any higher profits from the shift, Tenet officials said after a conference call with Wall Street […]
New ACA Insurance Causes Headaches In Some Doctors’ Offices
Employees in some Texas practices spend hours on hold trying to verify that patients have new insurance.
Exemption Gives Some Texas Residents Health Law Reprieve
Community-based organizations work to educate residents on the federal law by walking them through the “hardship waiver” application process.
Readers Ask About Whether Some Practices By Doctors, Insurers Are Acceptable
KHN’s consumer columnist responds to questions about whether doctors can request to keep a patient’s credit card on file, if a woman can sign up for insurance after becoming pregnant and whether an insurer can keep a young man off his parent’s policy.
Rep. John Dingell, Long-Time Champion Of Health Legislation, Will Not Seek Re-Election
Another health care legend is retiring on Capitol Hill. Rep. John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who was a key player in many health care battles in Congress, including enactment of the 2010 health care law and his push for a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Monday he […]
Arkansas Medicaid Fight All About The Math, Governor Says
http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js brightcove.createExperiences();Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says his strategy to win over state lawmakers skeptical about continuing the state’s Medicaid expansion is to show them the money. “It’s arithmetic, it’s not even math,” Beebe said Monday at a media briefing sponsored by Kaiser Health News and Health Affairs. The Democratic governor said if the Arkansas legislature opts against going […]