Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Hot Sauce Accident Leads To Health Insurance
Last December we profiled a Texas woman who was uninsured and undecided about whether to buy an insurance plan. But after a minor accident became a major problem, she decided to buy Obamacare insurance and is thrilled with it.
Rape Victims May Have To Pay For Some Medical Services
Federal law seeks to keep sexual assault victims from paying for forensic exams, but in some states they may have to cover tests and treatment for pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.
Medicare Could Save Billions By Scrapping Random Drug Plan Assignment
A new study finds that Medicare is spending billions of dollars more than it needs to on prescription drugs for low-income seniors and disabled beneficiaries. In 2013, an estimated 10 million people who participate in the Medicare prescription drug program, known as Part D, received government subsidies to help pay for that coverage. They account […]
Pre-Existing Condition Bans – Are They Really Gone?
“Welcome to Cigna,” said the letter, dated May 16, on behalf of my new employer, the Kaiser Family Foundation. They were placing me on a one-year waiting period for any pre-existing conditions. Seriously? Wasn’t the health law was supposed to end that? “We have reviewed the evidence of prior creditable coverage provided by you and/or […]
Missouri’s Declining Medicaid Caseload Stands Out In National Report
Critics contend the state is making it harder for people to enroll or renew their coverage.
When Doctors Need Advice, It Might Not Come From A Fellow Human
At hospitals and clinics around the country, physicians are tapping artificial intelligence systems for warnings and recommendations.
Most Americans Say The Health Law Has Not Affected Their Families: Poll
More than four years after enactment of the health law, six in 10 Americans say neither they nor their families have been affected by the sweeping measure, according to a poll released Friday. Among those who say the law has impacted them, Republicans are much more likely to say their families have been hurt by the […]
Frustrated By The Affordable Care Act, One Family Opts Out
Obamacare seemed like the perfect solution for the Robinson family in Dallas, Texas, until they tried to find an obstetrician who took the plan.
Adult Foster Care Aid May Be At Risk, Advocates Say
Among those who are worried are agencies that provide adult foster care for people who can’t live on their own, because of severe mental illness or developmental disabilities.
A Reader Asks: Can I Cancel My Marketplace Plan If My Boss Decides To Offer Coverage?
KHN’s consumer columnist notes that consumers can drop a plan from the online exchanges anytime, but there are some important factors to consider.
FAQ: VA And Military Care Are Different, But Often Confused
The health systems serving veterans and military members are separate but both are under scrutiny.
Obamacare Lightens Load For Cancer Patients
People with cancer can now get health coverage even if they lose their jobs and insurance.
How To Shop For Long-Term Care Insurance
One of the toughest money decisions Americans face as they age is whether to buy long-term care insurance.
Medicaid Contractor Centene Was Top Financial Performer In St. Louis
The managed care company was judged the area’s most financially successful public company in 2013.
Georgia Looks To Reopen Some Closed Rural Hospitals As E.R.s
Georgia is issuing a new kind of license to rural hospitals to be stand-alone ERs. Many of these hospitals have had to close or reduce services in the past few years due to budget pressures.
‘National Dialogue’ Urged On Cost Of New Hepatitis C Drug
The outcry continues over the $1,000-a-pill hepatitis C drug made by California-based Gilead Sciences. While the drug is a significant advance over older treatments for the viral liver disease, the price set by the company “represents an abuse of market power,” said John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, which […]
Can Employers Dump Workers To Health Exchanges? Yes, For A Price
How to expand Americans’ health insurance choices under the Affordable Care Act without sabotaging employer coverage? The Obama administration is still working to get the balance right. The latest tweak from the Internal Revenue Service essentially prohibits employers from giving workers tax-free dollars to buy policies in the online public marketplaces created by the health law. […]
7 Things You Should Know About The Next Big Benefit Change
“Reference pricing” has the blessing of the Obama administration. What is it and how might it affect your health insurance?
Too Early To Calculate Success Of ACA Marketplaces
Did taxpayers get a bargain or a boondoggle on the Obamacare exchanges? Economists agree it is still too soon to tell for most of the exchanges set up under the health law.
States Consider Using Medicaid To Pay College Health Plan Premiums
Advocates say that the option will provide more flexibility for students who are eligible for the state-federal health program for low-income people.