Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tax, Accounting Firms See Opportunity In Health Law
With a new slew of complicated laws and regulations on the books, someone has to interpret them for average Americans and the business community.
Finding Answers About Health Coverage
With provisions of the health law kicking in, consumers are likely to have more questions. One of the biggest will be where to search for answers and assistance.
Video: Hospital CEOs Rake In Bonuses
On World News Tonight Sunday, ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jim Avila reported on the investigation and what it says about the growing costs of hospital care.
Your Smartphone Might Hold Key To Your Medical Records
Hospitals and clinics are slowly replacing paper files with electronic health records, but information often isn’t easily shared. Smartphones may be one way consumers can bridge the electronic gap.
Hospital CEO Bonuses Reward Volume And Growth
As the country tries to rein in skyrocketing health costs, hospital leaders are still rewarded for expansion and profits. A KHN investigation, in collaboration with ABC News, looks at employment contracts and incentive pay at nonprofit hospital systems.
Questions And Answers About KHN’s Hospital CEO Bonus Story
How did Kaiser Health News choose and compile the data on hospital CEO bonus pay? Here’s a list of questions and answers.
How Does The CEO Earn His Bonus? At Most Hospitals, It’s Hard to Know
Despite concerns over the rising cost of medical care, hospitals — even nonprofit ones — give their CEOs large bonuses, and it’s often hard to know just why they’re earning them.
Chart: Hospital CEO Pay And Incentives
Kaiser Health News and ABC obtained compensation details for CEOs at dozens of top nonprofit and government-supported hospital systems.
Some Top Hospitals Shun CEO Bonus Pay
Some hospitals view bonuses for CEOs as a way to improve performance, but the leaders of some top hospitals believe all bonuses may be a mistake.
Florida’s Win: Feds Grant Medicaid Managed Care Waiver
This story comes from our partner, The News Service of Florida. TALLAHASSEE – The federal government gave final approval Friday to Florida’s long-debated proposal to overhaul the Medicaid system by requiring beneficiaries statewide to enroll in HMOs and other types of managed-care plans. The decision was not a surprise: Federal officials signaled earlier this year […]
Audio: Proton Therapy And Health Care Technology Costs
Proton radiation therapy is a hugely expensive way to treat some cancers, and some have questioned its cost-effectiveness — especially as it relates to other cancer treatments. Jenny Gold joined WNYC Thursday to discuss what makes the therapy so expensive, where the therapy is taking hold and why patients are drawn to this treatment. Press […]
Panel Tells Congress Medicare Is Unfairly Penalizing Hospitals Serving The Poor
An important feature of the health law designed to bring down the rate of patient readmissions is backfiring on safety-net hospitals, says a report by a congressional advisory agency.
California Insurance Chief Wants To Bar Anthem From Selling Small Business Coverage
Citing a pattern of “unreasonable rate increases” for small business customers by Anthem Blue Cross, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Thursday he will recommend that the state’s new online insurance marketplace exclude the firm from selling small business coverage. The move comes amid national debate about the cost of coverage for individuals and small businesses […]
Preparing For Flood Of Consumer Questions On Insurance Exchanges
On Oct. 1, individual consumers and small businesses will be able to enroll in the online health insurance marketplaces known as exchanges. Minnesota, where the state is running the exchange, and Florida, where the federal government will be in charge, are preparing in different ways. Under the Affordable Care Act, most Americans who don’t already have health insurance through employers, Medicare or […]
Britain’s National Health Service Visits D.C. For Some Pointers
A discussion on how to improve the British system turned up buzzwords reminiscent of the U.S. health reform debate: integrated health care, patient-centered services, cutting costs.
How Does The Health Law Affect Premiums For Smokers?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about how the health law affects insurance for smokers and programs to help them quit.
NYC’s Answer To Proton Therapy Controversy: One For All
New York City has a very different approach to proton beam therapy, a controversial high-tech radiation treatment for cancer, than other major metropolitan areas. Hospitals were encouraged to collaborate and a medical “arms race” was avoided.
Colorado Offers Exchange ‘Assister’ Money To Many Groups
Obamacare in Colorado is getting down to the details, in dollars and cents. One of the 16 states that is setting up its own online insurance marketplace, Colorado on Monday named 58 organizations it’s selected to form its “assistance network” to help residents sign up for health coverage on the exchange. But just 11 organizations are […]
Study: Brand Name Drugs Drive Up Medicare Spending
A new study suggests that cash-strapped Medicare missed an opportunity to save more than $1 billion by not addressing the varying costs and use of prescription drugs. Comparing Medicare enrollees and those on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health plan, researchers found that Medicare beneficiaries were up to three times more likely than […]
Federal Rule Allows Higher Out-Of-Pocket Spending For One Year
The health law sets maximum limits on what consumers are required to pay, but officials are giving a one-year grace period in certain cases.