Latest KFF Health News Stories
Many Wash. Health-Exchange Plans Exclude Top Hospitals From Coverage
Many insurers offering plans through the state’s exchange marketplace plan, Washington Healthplanfinder, have trimmed the include-all-providers networks in favor of more narrow plans.
Mental Health Parity Rule Clarifies Standards For Treatment Limits
Jennifer Mathis of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law talks with KHN’s consumer columnist.
California’s Small Business Insurance SHOP Opens, A Contrast To Feds
Just a few days after the federal government delayed online enrollment, California announced better news for small businesses who want to buy health insurance. Businesses with up to 50 employees can begin signing up online for coverage through the state’s new marketplace, officials announced Monday. Last week, the federal department of Health and Human Services said that businesses in 36 […]
Consumer Data Errors, Other Bugs Reduced At Healthcare.gov, Administration Says
For the first time since its mangled Oct. 1 launch, users can now go to the federal government’s insurance enrollment website and get detailed information about the costs and benefits of health plans in their county without first enrolling. Before this week, the “window shopping” feature on healthcare.gov showed only average monthly premium prices until […]
How Is Healthcare.gov Performing Now?
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey was on NPR’s “Tell Me More” Monday morning to give an update on how the federal government’s troubled website for buying health insurance is performing. Officials said the site would be working for most people by Dec. 1 after a problem-plagued rollout in October kept many people from enrolling in coverage. […]
Many Consumers Report Improvements With Healthcare.gov
Vickie Fleisher-Gann had been trying since Oct. 1 to complete her Obamacare application so she could start shopping for insurance on healthcare.gov, but she kept getting stopped by error messages. With her policy expiring at the end of the year, she feared time was running out. On Sunday morning, the former Harrisburg, Pa., hospital administrator finally was able to […]
With Three Weeks Left, Consumers Fear They May End Up Without Health Coverage On New Year’s Day
Insurance marketplace malfunctions have left some eager consumers in limbo as deadline to enroll nears. “I’m praying to God,” one says.
Breaking Up With Healthcare.gov
Enrolling in healthcare.gov is not easy. In Alaska, just 53 people enrolled in the first month. Anchorage hair stylist Lara Imler is one of the few who got through. Now though, after she discovered problems with her application, Imler wants to cancel her enrollment. “I don’t even know how to feel about the whole thing […]
UnitedHealthcare Dropping Hundreds Of Doctors From Medicare Advantage Plans
The insurer has been notifying members about the network changes as the Dec. 7 deadline for choosing coverage for next year quickly approaches.
Covered California Faulted For Failing To Reach More Spanish Speakers
Dismal enrollment numbers in October spark cry for action.
Medicare Seeks To Curb Spending On Post-Hospital Care
One out of every six dollars Medicare spent in the traditional fee-for-service program went to nursing and therapy for patients in rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, long-term care hospitals and in their own homes.
Table: Medicare Spending By State And Category
One out of every five dollars Medicare spends goes to nursing homes, home health services or other post-acute facilities and services. The spending varies greatly between states: Louisiana spends 31 percent on post-acute services while Hawaii spends 12 percent.
The Iowa Insurance Challenge: Rural Outreach
DES MOINES, Iowa – Broadlawns Medical Center has been serving low-income residents here and the surrounding countryside for decades. And now, there’s a new aspect to its public hospital mission – offering people help to sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act. On a recent Saturday morning, Jerrine Sanford came half an hour […]
Should Consumers Give Healthcare.gov A Second Chance?
This KHN story was produced in partnership with As you probably know from all of the talking (and screaming) heads on TV, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stumbled out of the gate with a glitch-ridden enrollment site, cancellation of some insurance policies and other technical glitches that have made Steve Jobs roll over in his […]
Doctors Groups Share Concerns About Narrow Networks, Confusion With White House
The nation’s top physician groups told White House officials Tuesday they are worried about what consumers will encounter after Jan. 1, when millions are expected to gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The groups expressed worries that patients may unknowingly be signing up for “narrow network” plans that don’t include their current physician or […]
8 Senate Democrats Seek Obamacare Enrollment ‘Alternative’
Eight Senate Democrats — including key leadership member Charles Schumer of New York — told the Obama administration Monday that they “continue to be troubled by the ongoing technical difficulties” with healthcare.gov and want an alternative way for insurers and web-based brokers to enroll subsidy-eligible consumers. “There are long-term advantages to providing Americans multiple ways […]
Even Without Expansion, S.C. Will See 16% Jump In Medicaid Enrollment
Officials say publicity for the Affordable Care Act and its requirement that most people get insurance will attract tens of thousands of people who are currently eligible for Medicaid but have not enrolled.
Philadelphia To Launch Health-Insurance Outreach
Pennsylvania’s largest city is partnering with Enroll America, a national nonprofit, to get the word out about new coverage options under the Affordable Care Act.
In Miami, Medicare Comes With White-Glove Treatment
More than half of all eligible seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties enroll in private managed care, rather than traditional Medicare, in a highly-lucrative and super-competitive marketplace for Medicare Advantage plans.
In California, Some Happy About Canceled Insurance Policies
After initial outrage over insurance cancellation notices, some people are finding better coverage and good deals on the marketplace.