Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Latest In Medical Convenience: ER Appointments
Hospitals around the country are allowing patients to wait at home rather than endure hours in crowded emergency rooms. Warning: It’s not for life-threatening cases, and you could be bumped for someone sicker.
Did The Supreme Court Tip Its Hand On Contraception Cases Yet To Come?
Advocates on both sides of the debate think the Hobby Lobby ruling could help their causes.
Who Shopped The SHOP Exchanges? Very Few Small Businesses
This story is part of a partnership that includes WNYC, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) Monteith Illingworth and Chris Abbate both have small public relations firms in Manhattan. Both offer their employees health coverage through Oxford Health, a division of insurance giant United Healthcare. Both faced double-digit premium […]
Mountainous Backlog Stalls Medi-Cal Expansion in California
It’s hard to pin down why applicants are waiting so long for approval, and when the problem will be resolved. Meanwhile, some people are putting off treatment.
Pelvic Exams No Longer Recommended For Well-Woman Visits
The American College of Physicians announced a major change to their screening guidelines Monday evening: Healthy women should no longer receive pelvic exams during their annual well-woman visits. The recommendation does not apply to women who are pregnant or who have symptoms of pelvic disease. “It’s an intrusive test, it’s a test women don’t like, […]
Poll: Americans Bristle At Penalties In Wellness Programs
Workers believe employer wellness programs should be all gain but no pain, according to a poll released Tuesday. The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found employees approve of corporate wellness programs when they offer perks, but recoil if the plans have punitive incentives such as higher premiums for those who do not take part. […]
‘A Uniquely New Hampshire Approach’ To Medicaid Expansion
New Hampshire became the 26th state today to embrace the federal health law’s expanded Medicaid program, with as many as 50,000 low-income residents expected to begin signing up. Coverage for those who enroll this month will take effect Aug. 15. Initially, most New Hampshire enrollees will join one of two Medicaid managed care plans in the […]
Proposal To Add Skimpier ‘Copper’ Plans To Marketplace Raises Concerns
Advocates say the plans could expose consumers to unacceptably high out-of-pocket costs if they get sick.
Hobby Lobby Decision May Not Be The Last Word On Birth Control Coverage
State laws and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling may come into play.
Court Ruling Geared To ‘Closely Held’ Firms, But What Is That?
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, favors a tight definition for businesses that can be exempted from the health law’s contraceptive mandate. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggests the consequences may be farther reaching.
FAQ: High Court’s Hobby Lobby Ruling Cuts Into Contraceptive Mandate
The court says closely held corporations may be exempted from the health law’s mandate that employer health plans cover certain types of contraception at no cost to the employee.
What The Hobby Lobby Decision Means For Employers
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and legal analyst Stuart Taylor discuss Monday’s ruling on the health law’s contraception mandate, examining what the decision could mean for future challenges to the law.
Supreme Court Limits Contraceptive Mandate For Certain Employers
Critics of the 5-4 decision argued it curbs women’s freedom to make appropriate contraceptive decisions.
Washington And Other States See New Insurers On Exchanges
This story is part of a partnership that includes Capital Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) SEATTLE — Washington State’s health insurance exchange is looking to be an attractive marketplace for new health insurance carriers, according to an early analysis of insurer premium rate filings by McKinsey […]
Retooling Hospitals, One Data Point At A Time
The University of Utah improved quality and reduced costs by tracking each patient’s care.
Medicare Penalties For Hospital Infections Will Hit Alaska Hard
The four largest hospitals in Alaska are facing Medicare payment penalties for the quality of their care. Providence, Alaska Regional, Alaska Native Medical Center and Fairbanks Memorial are all in the bottom 25 percent nationally for the number of infections and serious complications patients get in their hospitals, according to data analyzed by Kaiser Health […]
Colorado’s 2015 Premiums: Up, Down And Holding The Line
Health insurance companies in Colorado are starting to talk about their proposed premiums for 2015. State regulators on Monday released the draft prices, which the state now has 60 days to approve or deny. Carriers generally aren’t proposing big changes in premiums for 2015, nothing that’s dramatically out of line with trends of the last […]
Getting Rural Patients Psychiatric Help Fast
Patients in rural hospitals often have to wait days to see a psychiatrist. South Carolina is a leader in turning that around.
A Reader Asks: Can New Employees Be Forced To Wait 90 Days For Coverage?
KHN’s consumer columnist says a 90-day delay is allowed by the health law, but employees have other options to get through that time.
Premiums For Many In The Individual Market May Change Next Year
Health insurance premiums for people with subsidies could increase substantially in some markets – but consumers who shop around may not end up paying more, a new report out Thursday says. Shopping around may not be as likely, however, under proposed rules also released Thursday by the Obama administration which will automatically re-enroll the vast majority […]