Latest KFF Health News Stories
In Week Two, Washington State Exchange Enrollment Nearly Triples
About 25,000 Washington state residents have enrolled in health plans through the state’s online insurance exchange marketplace during its first two weeks. That figure is nearly triple the 9,500 residents who completed their enrollment during the first week that the exchange, called Washington Healthplanfinder, was open for enrollment. An additional 37,000 people have completed applications […]
Shutdown Not Hurting Seniors’ Ability To Get Medicare Plan Information
The government may still be shut down — for now — and federal websites still caution visitors that information may not be up to date while the government is closed. But Medicare beneficiaries do not have to worry about getting accurate details from the plan finder website during the current open enrollment season, officials said. […]
States’ Medicaid Decisions Cost Community Health Centers
Community health centers will pay a steep price for states’ decisions not to expand Medicaid under the federal health law. A new study by George Washington University researchers estimates that 518 health centers in the more than two dozen states not expanding Medicaid will lose out on $555 million next year because their uninsured patients won’t […]
Miami Leads Nation In Medicare Drug Spending
Miami seniors filled more prescriptions and spent more on medications than their counterparts elsewhere, but they also fared better in comparison to the rest of the nation for their use of effective medications, such as beta blockers to reduce blood pressure.
Report: 5.2 Million Adults Will Fall Into ACA Coverage Gap Next Year
About 5.2 million poor, uninsured adults will fall into the “coverage gap,” created by 26 states choosing not to expand Medicaid under the federal health law next year, according to a study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) These people are projected to have incomes too high to qualify […]
9 Things Millennials Need To Know About Obamacare (But Likely Don’t)
It may not be as fun as planning that backpacking trip around Europe, but buying health insurance will soon be its own rite of passage. Here’s what you need to know.
Rocky Opening Leaves Health Law’s New Co-Ops Jittery
Nothing is more important for a startup burning through cash than winning customers and revenue. So problems with the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplaces, also known as exchanges, aren’t just an inconvenience for the likes of Evergreen Health Co-op. They’re a threat. “It’s slowly getting better. Some people have gotten to the enrollment stage before […]
Advocates Target Latinos in ACA Enrollment Outreach
Texas community groups are relying on promotoras – health counselors, often women, who offer one-on-one counseling about coverage options in Spanish-speaking communities.
FAQ: What Is The ACA’s ‘Reinsurance Tax’?
This little-known provision of the health law has been –at times — in the Senate negotiations on the budget.
Colorado Insurance Exchange Week One: Few Enrollments, Lots Of Interest
Despite a relatively low number of people buying coverage in its first week, the board in charge of Colorado’s health insurance exchange is generally pleased with how it’s running. Connect for Health Colorado, which is branding itself as C4HCO, says it had 162,941 unique visitors to its website October 1-7. Of those, 226 purchased health […]
Obamacare Enrollees Become Urban Legend
This story was produced in partnership with the Will the Floridians who have enrolled for Obamacare please stand up? Nearly two weeks after the federal government launched the online Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov, individuals who have successfully used the choked-up website to enroll for a subsidized health insurance plan have reached a status akin […]
Seniors Cautioned To Pay Close Attention To Details As Enrollment Begins In Medicare Plans
Costs, coverage details of different Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans can vary significantly, so beneficiaries should weigh their options and consider switching plans for a better deal.
Health Insurance Co-Ops Offer New Option For Some Marketplace Shoppers
The nonprofit “consumer oriented and operated plans,” or co-ops, are run by their members and were created under the federal health law to enhance competition on the exchanges.
South Floridians’ Biggest Question About Marketplace Plans: Will They Be Affordable?
Consumers of different ages, health and income levels make different calculations about the costs and benefits of buying health coverage.
Pay For Hospital CEOs Linked More To Technology, Patient Satisfaction Than Quality, Study Finds
Harvard researchers find no difference in CEO compensation between hospitals that rate well in providing good care and those that do poorly.
How Consumers Are Navigating The Marketplaces
KHN’s Julie Appleby was on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Monday discussing consumer issues with the new online insurance marketplaces that launched Oct. 1. Watch the video below. This is part of a regular Monday morning segment on Washington Journal. Tune in each week to stay informed about the latest developments in health policy.
New Options For Native Americans Under Health Law
Although tribal members are entitled to free health care, most Indian health facilities do not offer a full array of services.
Why Some Virginia Health Plans Cost So Much
How states resolve questions over whether to mandate coverage of specialized treatments, such as gastric bypass surgery, can have a big impact on premiums.
Geography Is Destiny When It Comes To Enrolling In Health Insurance Exchanges
The new health insurance exchanges are now in their second week, and almost across the board, it has been a rocky start. But just how rocky depends on what state you live in and how many navigators have been hired to help people sign up.
FAQ: What’s At Stake If Congress Repeals The Medical Device Tax
Getting rid of the tax, which helps raise money to fund the health law, might help break the budget battle logjam.