Latest KFF Health News Stories
First-Aid Training For Mental Health Could Aid At-Risk Veterans
When done right, first aid quickly identifies a problem and triages patients so the more urgent cases get treated first and followed up on. Now, with federal aid, that same strategy will apply to the pressing problem of veterans’ mental health. A push for new funding — and the use of existing funds — may soon make […]
Some Surprising Findings About Young Adults And Health Care
Insured or uninsured, young adults seem to spend about the same out-of-pocket for health care over the course of a year. With 2009 federal data on patient spending, researchers examined how often adults up to age 25 used and paid for health care. While an awful lot has changed since then – the Affordable Care […]
Consumers In Federal High-Risk Pools Get Special Enrollment Option For Marketplace
Participants in the federal high-risk health insurance pool who haven’t yet signed up for other coverage can qualify for a 60-day special enrollment period that begins May 1, the Obama administration announced late Thursday. In a notice posted on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan website, officials said that participants in the high-risk program who have not […]
With Medical Debts Rising, Doctors Are More Aggressive About Payments
Between 2008 and 2012, multispecialty practices saw their bad debt go up 14 percent, according to a recent survey, and some have begun to change their business practices in response.
Medical debt is worrisome and embarrassing, but more importantly, it can have long-term financial consequences. Here are some tips that may be helpful to avoid or alleviate medical debt.
What Obamacare? Meet 4 People Choosing To Remain Uninsured
Despite a surge in enrollment in the two weeks before the April 15 deadline to enroll for insurance under the health law, many more Californians have not signed up.
A Reader Asks: If Our Income Changes, Can We Change Plans?
KHN’s consumer columnist says people who qualified for premium and cost-sharing subsidies but later have earnings that put them over that limit can switch to less expensive plans.
RAND: Medicare Should Weigh Cost In Coverage Decisions
The agency that oversees the Medicare program should be able to consider the cost effectiveness of drugs and medical devices when making coverage determinations, according to a new report by the RAND Corporation. But study authors acknowledge that this recommendation — a significant change from current practice in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is barred from […]
Rural Hospitals Face Tough Choices On Computerized Records
Hospitals in remote places are making tradeoffs to adopt electronic medical records. Some are joining larger systems, sacrificing their independence. Others are going it alone, carefully.
Most States To Rely On Federal Website For 2015 Enrollment
Tight deadlines and technical challenges dampen enthusiasm among states to set up their own online insurance marketplaces.
In Seattle, Insurers And Hospitals Complain About New Rules
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says rules will help consumers see which providers are in-network and ensure they get the coverage they have paid for.
Florida Blue: Health Law Enrollments ‘Exceeded Expectations’ But Premiums May Rise In 2015
Many of those in Florida who bought insurance plans on the health law’s federal marketplace were previously uninsured — one of the reasons premiums will likely rise in 2015, a senior executive for insurer Florida Blue says.
Health-Care David And Goliath Partner To Open After-Hours Clinic
In Seattle, an unlikely collaboration provides weekend and after-hours care for patients who in the past had turned to hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency treatments.
Is Bigger Better? Idaho Hospital Battle A Microcosm Of Debate Over Industry Consolidation
A federal court’s ruling dissolving the merger of the state’s biggest hospital system and biggest doctors’ practice may discourage future ventures.
KHN’s consumer columnist looks into issues raised by the health law.
How Are Insurers Responding To New Health Law Enrollees?
KHN’s Jay Hancock was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday morning to talk about how insurers are responding to the health law. Hancock said the 8 million new customers have insurers pondering who they, how sick they are and how the new enrollees may affect insurance rates in 2015.
Teresa Martinez: Waiting For Medi-Cal
Teresa Martinez, 62, from East Los Angeles makes $10,000 a year working as a hairdresser in a Koreatown salon. With her modest income she is likely to be eligible for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s Medi-Cal expansion.
Michigan Health Systems Seek Cure For Dearth Of Doctors
Michigan’s medical schools, doctors offices and health care networks are tackling a shortage of primary care doctors that is expected to worsen under the Affordable Care Act.
Waiting For Medicaid To Kick In
About 800,000 people in California are presumed to be eligible for the newly expanded program but lack final approval. For a Los Angeles hairdresser and others like her, that means medical appointments are on hold.
15-Minute Visits Take A Toll On The Doctor-Patient Relationship
Patients are more likely to leave frustrated and without the tools they need to take charge of their own health after rushed visits.