Latest KFF Health News Stories
Kit Bond Works Missouri Capitol’s Halls On Medicaid Expansion
The former governor has been meeting with legislators, some of whom weren’t born when he first came to Jefferson City as state auditor in 1970.
When Connecting With A Dentist Doesn’t Mean An Office Visit
Teledentistry experiment in California aims to bring care to needy patients in schools and nursing homes. Consulting with dentists over the Internet, hygienists and dental assistants offer preventive treatment and education.
Teledentistry Boosts Kids’ Dental Treatments
Teledentistry is changing the dynamics of dental care delivery to children in low-income communities. Mireya Rodriguez, a dental hygienist in alternative practice, conducts dental screenings at Head Start preschool centers in Los Angeles,
Decoding The High-Stakes Debate Over Medicare Advantage Cuts
In high-visibility ad campaigns, insurers maintain that reduced payment rates, which are expected to be announced Monday, will do real harm. What should beneficiaries expect?
Los Angeles County Audit Finds Backlog Of Nursing Home Complaints
The Los Angeles County Auditor/Controller determined that there were more than 3,000 open investigations, including 945 that have been open for more than two years.
Medicaid Enrollment Increased By 3 Million From October To February
The number of low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose by 3 million to 62.3 million from October through February as more Americans joined the state-federal insurance program through state and federal online insurance marketplaces, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services. States that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the […]
A Reader Asks: Does My Swedish Health Plan Meet ACA Requirements?
KHN’s consumer columnist reports that foreign insurance policies must meet HHS standards for “minimum essential coverage” to be considered a replacement for marketplace plans.
State Exchange Executives Face Tough Questions From House Subcommittee
For some states, like California, things have gone well. But the rollout in states like Maryland and Oregon has been rocky. Mary Agnes Carey and CQ Roll Call’s Emily Ethridge discuss what we’ve learned about why some did better than others.
Top Boston Hospital Begins To Tackle Readmissions Problem
One Boston hospital uses a Medicare fine, soul searching, and a plan for follow-up to reduce its alarming readmissions rate.
Why Some Don’t Pay Their Obamacare Premium: It’s Not What You Think
A new analysis finds that many people who signed up for a Covered California health insurance exchange plan are likely to drop the coverage for a good reason: They found insurance elsewhere. Researchers at the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center released estimates Wednesday showing that about 20 percent of Covered California enrollees are expected to leave […]
Co-op Health Insurance Plans See Early Success
Montana’s health insurance co-op is encouraged by its strong enrollment and plans to expand into Idaho next year. But some caution that it will be difficult for co-ops to grow beyond a niche player.
As Insurance Enrollment Exceeds 7M, Obama Says Health Law ‘Here To Stay’
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1 The Obama administration took a victory lap Tuesday as enrollment through the health law’s exchanges topped 7 million, a goal previously thought untouchable when the website healthcare.gov sputtered and crashed as sign-ups began last fall. In a statement in the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama, said, “The debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care […]
Obama: ‘The Affordable Care Act Is Here To Stay’
It a statement in the White House Rose Garden, the president Tuesday touted over 7 million sign-ups for health insurance on the health law’s marketplaces.
Healthcare.gov Woes Frustrate In-Person Helpers Around The Country
Last minute health insurance shoppers nationwide turned up in record numbers online Monday, and they also showed up in person at clinics, county health departments and libraries to sign up for Obamacare on the last official day of open enrollment. Here are dispatches from public radio reporters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Houston — three of […]
For California’s Uninsured, A Rush To The Finish
Uninsured Californians flocked to shopping malls, beauty salons, clinics and libraries Monday to meet the deadline for enrolling in health coverage. The website of the state-run insurance exchange, coveredca.com, was so inundated that officials directed some consumers who began online applications to return later to complete them. The state was seeing a “huge surge” in […]
Burnt Out Primary Care Docs Are Voting With Their Feet
Tired of seeing patients every 15 minutes, some are going to work for hospitals, reducing their practices or calling it quits.
Community Health Centers May Provide Services For Those Who Remain Uninsured
People who chose to not enroll under the health law or could not afford coverage have limited options for care.
For A Family With Job-Based Insurance, Premium Subsidies Fall Far Short Of Promises
A Texas woman explains how her family’s hopes of help from the health law were dashed when they found out that they were not eligible.
Former Young Invincible Becomes Less So
LAKEPORT, Calif.—When we last left Brad Stevens, he was living in Lakeport, Calif., a struggling massage therapist in a struggling town on the southern tip of Clear Lake. Brad has been uninsured his entire adult life and believed firmly that clean living and exercise could stave off any need for medical care. After a bike […]
What Happens Next On The Health Law?
As the first open enrollment period draws to a close, here are seven things to watch for clues about what the health law’s future might hold.