Latest KFF Health News Stories
Covered California To Canceled Policy Holders: You’ll Have To Buy A New Plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California did not take President Obama up on his offer to extend canceled health policies. The five-member board that oversees California’s health insurance marketplace, known as Covered California, voted unanimously Thursday to stay the course and cancel policies that didn’t meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The board’s decision had […]
In Iowa, Accountable Care Begins To Make A Difference
The Medicare program created by the Affordable Care Act focuses on smarter, targeted care to save lives and money.
Hispanics Interested In ‘Having Providers Who Can Appreciate Their Culture,’ Medical Leader Says
Elena V. Rios, the president of the National Hispanic Medical Association, tells KHN that the U.S. needs more diversity in medical education at all levels.
President’s Cancellation ‘Fix’ Likely To Affect A Limited Number Of Consumers
Many state regulators, insurers have yet to decide on whether to OK renewals of canceled policies.
Does The Insurer Have The Right To Cancel A Grandfathered Plan?
Yes, if they cancel everyone in a “block of business” that was buying a particular policy.
‘Motor Voter’ Meets The Health Law
New insurance marketplaces around the country are weighing whether to offer voter registration to people signing up for health insurance. The issue could cause political and legal fights across the nation.
Safety-Net Hospitals Lose More Under Medicare’s Quality-Based Payments, Analysis Finds
Medicare’s effort to reward hospitals for quality is leaving many of the nation’s safety-net hospitals poorer, a new analysis finds. Dr. Ashish K. Jha, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, has found that hospitals treating the most low-income patients on average had their payment rates reduced by 0.09 percent in the latest […]
Doctors Complain They Will Be Paid Less By Exchange Plans
Some worry the lower rates will discourage physicians from participating, potentially making it more difficult for enrollees to get care.
In Pa., A Big Gap In Health Insurance Coverage
As many as 400,000 Pennsylvanians, most of them low-wage workers, will go without coverage next year because Pennsylvania officials have not opted to take federal money available under the health law to expand Medicaid.
Scott Walker’s Medicaid Maneuver
The Wisconsin governor, who may have presidential ambitions, wants to take people off BadgerCare and have them shop for subsidized coverage on healthcare.gov.
3 State Exchange Leaders Try To Get Good News Out
Democrats in states running their own exchanges are seeking to put a more positive spin on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, despite the mostly negative news coming out of Washington. “What we’re seeing is incredible momentum,” Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said during a conference call for reporters held by Families […]
As open enrollment continues under the health law, insurance columnist answers questions about issues affecting readers.
Grants Help States Combat High-Cost, Low-Quality Health Care
The Affordable Care Act offers state grants to reward doctors for quality health care.
Practical Challenges For Insurers Studying Whether To Extend Canceled Plans
On PBS NewsHour Friday, KHN’s Julie Appleby discussed what insurers are weighing as they decide whether or not to extend previously canceled health insurance policies into 2014. Watch the report in the video player above.
Health Insurers Face An Uncertain Future
Insurers battle to increase profits while adapting to health law’s new constraints.
Uninsured In Mich. County Can Pay For Dental Care With Volunteer Work
The “pay-it-forward” program has served more than 4,000 adults in the Battle Creek area since 2007.
California Sends Incorrect Information To 246,000 Low-Income Patients
The state mistakenly told consumers in the “bridge to reform” program that they may have to switch doctors as they transition to Medicaid.
Florida Regulator, Blues Plan Agree To Insurance Fix Proposed By Obama
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said he will allow insurers to adopt President Barack Obama’s plan to extend current policies facing cancellation so that consumers can keep the coverage they have now. In fact, he was permitting plans to do that months before the president suggested it. Most carriers will be unaffected because the state had […]
Which Hospitals Score Best On Medicare’s Quality Measures?
On NPR’s Morning Edition today, KHN’s Jordan Rau discussed the new quality data released by Medicare Thursday and what types of hospitals scored best and worst. Listen to the conversation below. http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=245254951&m=245358669&t=audio
California Considers Its Options On Canceled Insurance Plans
The insurance commissioner and the health insurance industry lobby disagree over President Obama’s plan.