Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
What Consumers Need To Know About The Obama Plan For Canceled Health Policies
Under the president’s plan, insurers will be permitted to extend this year’s policies into next year, but it’s far from clear that insurers will want to follow through. Some state regulators may not even let them.
Oregon Shines On Medicaid, As Texas Stalls On Sign-Ups
In Oregon, the online health marketplace isn’t working for people looking to buy individual policies. But the state has been rapidly expanding Medicaid anyway. In Texas, insurance helpers may face state regulations that would make it even harder to assist people seeking coverage.
Methodology: How Value Based Purchasing Payments Are Calculated
The Kaiser Health News story and data on Medicare’s quality payment programs are based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) containing the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing and Readmissions Reduction Program adjustment factors for individual hospitals.
Nearly 1,500 Hospitals Penalized Under Medicare Program Rating Quality
The hospitals were rated on two-dozen measures, including surveys of patient satisfaction and death rates.
By State: Hospital Quality Bonuses And Penalties
Medicare gives hospitals bonuses and penalties based on how well they performed on 24 quality measures. This chart shows the average effect by state on hospitals’ Medicare payments during the second year of the program.
Interactive Chart: Bonuses And Penalties For U.S. Hospitals
This chart shows the payment adjustments for each hospital and how they compared to the bonuses and penalties from last year.
Obama: Insurers Can Extend Canceled Policies Into 2014
Video: President Obama announced Thursday that insurers will be permitted to extend canceled insurance policies into 2014, due to the difficulties consumers are having enrolling in new insurance coverage through the new online marketplaces.