Latest KFF Health News Stories
Physician Payments Sunshine Act Goes Into Effect Without Initial Concerns
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, an Affordable Care Act provision requiring doctors and medical companies to disclose their financial relationships, went into effect Aug. 1. Physicians say they are now working to find a balance between necessary transparency and what some perceive to be burdensome filing. “We want to spend our time seeing patients, not doing paperwork,” said […]
State Premium Watch: Pricing In The New Insurance Marketplaces
KHN is gathering the data from states that have approved and published premiums for the online marketplaces that will open Oct. 1 under the federal health law.
Armed With Bigger Fines, Medicare To Punish 2,225 Hospitals For Excess Readmissions
Penalties will total $227 million, but many hospitals will see their fines go down in October in the second year of the program.
Sources and Methodology: A Guide To Medicare’s Readmissions Data And KHN’s Analysis
Kaiser Health News’ data on hospital readmissions penalties comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Readmissions Penalties By State: Year Two
This chart lists state averages of readmission rates and the number of hospitals in each state that will be penalized.
Obamacare: What It Will Cost In Washington State
Four companies to offer 31 health plans on new state exchange at a variety of prices.
Univision Obamacare Deal Could Put WellPoint, Blues Ahead Of Competitors
The partnerships with the Spanish-language media giant are among the most concrete ways to date that insurers have invested in the marketing of Obamacare, but they also could skirt a key principle of the Affordable Care Act: that it should foster insurer competition and consumer choice.
Health Costs Are Still Tame, Insurer Results Show
Some give all the credit to Obamacare. Others cite the poor economy or employers forcing workers to bear more of the cost of their medical expenses. Whatever the reason, health-cost increases stayed tame through the first half of the year, insurers say. Thursday’s report from Cigna was the last dispatch on second-quarter financial results from […]
Officials Face Obamacare ‘Data Hub’ Questions On Capitol Hill
Mary Agnes Carey speaks with Politico Pro’s Jennifer Haberkorn about two House committee meetings on Capitol Hill Thursday where IRS and CMS officials were grilled about implementing a system to verify consumer income under the health law.
Five Things To Know About Obamacare Premiums: A Guide For The Perplexed
These pointers will help you make sense of contradictory headlines about how much insurance could cost you when the Affordable Care Act marketplaces open for enrollment in October.
Thursday Marks Start Of Florida Shift To Medicaid Managed Care
This story comes from our partner, The News Service of Florida. More than two years after Florida lawmakers passed a controversial plan to transform the Medicaid system, it’s showtime. As of Thursday, about 9,300 central Florida residents who need long-term care — the vast majority of them seniors — will become the first participants in […]
Florida Officials: Health Insurance Prices Will Spike; Feds Disagree
State insurance officials unveiled proposed prices for health plans to be sold on the exchanges beginning Oct. 1. But those plans, and the prices, have yet to be approved by the federal government and could change.
Does My Insurance Have To Cover Pregnancy Benefits For My Dependents?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about whether the health law requires employer-sponsored insurance to cover maternity benefits for an employee’s dependents.
Women’s Health Claims in Texas Decline Under New Program
The number of claims filed for medical and family planning services in the new state-run Texas Women’s Health Program has dropped since the state ousted Planned Parenthood and set up its own program without federal financing.
Definition Of ‘Full Time’ Becomes A Sticking Point In Obamacare
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Of all the contentious claims about the Affordable Care Act, few have been more contentious than over the impact it’s having on employers. It’s hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on a television without seeing a story about some boss cutting workers’ hours or saying they […]
Georgia Seeks Delay On Health Insurance Rate Approval
This story comes from our partner Georgia Health News. Georgia’s insurance commissioner has asked for an “emergency delay’’ of a deadline for approving proposed premiums in the state exchange – an online marketplace – set to roll out under the health reform law. The commissioner, Ralph Hudgens, cited ‘‘massive rate increases’’ in the insurers’ proposals […]
What To Say When Mom Or Dad Has Cancer
The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston offer emotional and practical support for families dealing with the disease.
Benefits On Health Marketplace Plans Will Be Similar But Costs Will Vary
In response to readers’ questions, columnist explains that all policies offered on the online exchanges must cover 10 “essential health benefits,” but the plans will be classified according to the proportion of costs that consumers will be responsible for paying.
HHS Inspector General Scrutinizes Medicare Observation Care Policy
The difference between inpatient and observational care status can have a big effect on Medicare beneficiaries — both in terms of the bills they face and the post-hospital options available to them.
Moratorium Targets Houston Ambulance Service Providers
This story was produced in partnership with The federal government has announced a six-month moratorium to halt enrollment of Houston-area ambulance service providers in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program in a bid to combat waste. The moratorium, announced last week, marks the first use of a new law created by the Affordable Care […]