Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘Good Behavior’ More Than A Game To Health Care Plan
Behaving well in elementary school could reduce smoking in later life. At least, that’s what Trillium Community Health Plan hopes, and it’s putting money behind the idea. Danebo Elementary in Eugene, Ore., is one of 50 schools receiving money to teach classes while integrating something called the “Good Behavior Game.” Teacher Cami Railey sits at a […]
In Los Angeles, there’s a concerted effort to enroll the homeless into Medicaid, as the federal-state health insurance program opens for the first time to all poor adults.
Six Things That May Move Public Perception Of Obamacare
How valuable people find their new health coverage will help shape public opinion of the law going forward.
Finding Health Insurance For 71 Cents Per Month
If you’re looking for evidence that healthcare.gov, the federal health insurance marketplace, is working much better these days, you might want to ask Arlene Wilson. The 56-year-old is a chef with a popular pizza shop in Jackson, Mississippi. Wilson says that “most jobs don’t offer” health insurance. Because “most of us live paycheck to paycheck,” […]
Iowa Opens The Doors To Medicaid Coverage, On Its Own Terms
At the Central Iowa Shelter and Services in Des Moines, Iowa, health insurance navigator Andrea Pearce stood in a crowded dining hall on a recent day, shouting instructions on how residents can sign up for Medicaid. “If you do not have insurance and you want to enroll and you have an e-mail address where you […]
Despite Health Law’s Protections, Many Consumers May Be ‘Underinsured’
Experts say that potential trouble spots for out-of-pocket spending include prescription drugs; specialist care, including that provided by academic medical centers; and services such as physical therapy.
One Texan Weighs Obamacare Options: High Deductible Vs. ‘Huge Fear’
Going without insurance “is like gambling,” says a 43-year-old social worker. But the high deductibles of Affordable Care Act plans make them a hard sell.
Alabama Blue Cross Shares Obamacare Tax Woes With Customers
Insurance companies aren’t crazy about their share of the health law’s taxes, but mostly they’ve complained to politicians and regulators. At least one health plan wants to bring consumers into the loop. “Affordable Care Act Fees and Taxes” is a separate line item on bills Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama is sending to individual […]
Consumers Beware: Not All Health Plans Cover A Doctor’s Visit Before The Deductible Is Met
Those buying some bronze and silver plans could have to spend thousands before full coverage kicks in.
Explaining Why Obama Let More Consumers Buy Catastrophic Plans
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey was on PBS NewsHour Friday to talk about the Obama administration’s plan to allow people who had their health insurance plans canceled to buy so-called “catastrophic” plans, which that are cheaper than ordinary plans but provide less coverage than others being sold under the Affordable Care Act. See video of the […]
Even In Well-Funded Colorado, Tough To Help People Enroll In Obamacare
Even with lots of money and navigators at supermarkets and other places, Colorado is only about 17 percent of the way to the goal of enrolling 136,000 people by the end of March.
Catastrophic Obamacare Policies Prove Hard Sell So Far
The Obama administration’s decision this week to allow people to buy catastrophic-level policies if their individual health plans had been canceled comes amid reports that few people have bought these less expensive policies sold in new online insurance marketplaces. In California, only 1 percent of those who had picked a plan in the first two months since the marketplace opened […]
Young Invincibles’ Decision: To Get Coverage Or Not
Health law backers have stepped up efforts to persuade people aged 18 to their mid-30s to give Obamacare a chance. Reaching this demographic group is viewed by many as one of the overhaul’s biggest challenges.
Health Insurers Scramble Toward Jan. 1 Coverage Deadlines
Rule changes and deadline shifts have complicated the efforts of health insurance companies to prepare for a wave of new customers and “post-enrollment snafus.”
N.C. Navigator: We Didn’t Break The Rules
Navigators aren’t allowed to mail paper applications for health insurance to the federal government on behalf of consumers. Kaiser Health News learned that the hard way after Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., cited an October KHN blog post in a report about risks of fraud among navigators. We incorrectly reported that navigators with North Carolina nonprofit […]
Website Repairs Have Not Bolstered Support For The Health Law, Poll Finds
Improvements in the government’s insurance Web portal have not translated into stronger public support for the health law, a new poll shows. Nearly half of the public views the law unfavorably this month, while only a third likes it. That’s about the same as in November, when public opinion plummeted after the technologically troubled start […]
Expect To Pay More For Your Employer-Sponsored Health Care Next Year
Some blame the health law, but experts say many of the trends fueling cost increases predate it.
A Reader Asks: Will My Son Overseas Have To Buy A U.S. Plan?
KHN’s consumer columnist says if he lives abroad at least 330 days per year, he doesn’t, but he will eventually.
After Exposure, Security Holes Sealed In Minnesota’s Health Exchange
A security flaw has been fixed on MNsure, Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace — one that had left users vulnerable to data interception by hackers. The fix follows an MPR story last week and a meeting Monday between forensic analyst Mark Lanterman and the state’s chief information security officer, Chris Buse. At the meeting, Lanterman explained how he discovered the […]
What If I Don’t Like The Coverage Offered By My Employer?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews outlines the health insurance options for people offered coverage at work.