Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Dramatic Difference: What A Hospital Charges Vs. What Medicare Pays
For the first time, the federal government has publicly shared what hospitals bill Medicare for the 100 most common diagnoses and treatments. The information shows hospitals across the country — and across Alaska — bill dramatically different prices for the same things. Hospital veteran Rick Davis, the CEO of Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna, […]
Under-26 Coverage: Does It Matter If My Child Just Got Out Of Jail?
Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about keeping your children on your health plan until they turn 26, even if they were recently released from jail.
Competition Spurs 2 Oregon Insurers To Lower Proposed Rates
Maybe competition among health insurance plans can lead to lower rates. As soon as Oregon this week became the fourth state to publicly list health insurers’ proposed 2014 rates for individual and small group coverage, two plans moved to cut their suggested prices, the Oregonian reported Friday. Providence Health Plan and Family Care Health Plans […]
Obama: ‘The Law Is Here To Stay’
President Barack Obama gave a speech Friday on the health law, and he emphasized his administration’s commitment to moving forward with a full rollout of all the law’s provisions.
Oregon’s Medicaid Lottery: A Participant’s View
Amid the cacophony of expert views about the implications of a landmark study, a Medicaid beneficiary weighs in on the values and shortcomings of public health assistance.
Four States That Snubbed Health Law Gaining Jobs From It
Four states that have snubbed the federal health law by defaulting to the federal government to build new online insurance marketplaces and not agreeing to expand Medicaid are getting new jobs at call centers that will help consumers understand their new coverage options this fall. Up to 9,000 jobs are expected to be created at call centers to support […]
Colorado Exchange Board Spars Over Federal Funding
Statehouse Republicans say the board has asked for too much money for Colorado’s online insurance marketplace.
Community Health Centers Get $150 Million To Boost Exchange Enrollment
Once upon a time, there were the navigators, then the in-person assisters, and the certified application counselors. Now, add community health centers to the list of individuals and organizations available to help consumers sign up for the new health insurance marketplaces scheduled to open Oct. 1. On Thursday, the Obama administration pledged $150 million to […]
Boehner Says GOP Will Not Make Nominations For Medicare Cost Control Panel
Update 3:45 p.m.: Speaker Boehner sent a letter to the White House Thursday formally declining to recommend appointments to the panel. Note to the Obama administration: Don’t wait by the phone for those GOP nominations to the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a panel created in the health law to make recommendations to Congress on how […]
Audio: Getting To The Bottom Of Hospital Pricing
http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=182295999&m=182295992&t=audio The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released data Wednesday on variations in hospital pricing and how much Medicare has actually paid to individual hospitals for various procedures. Jordan Rau joined NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” Wednesday afternoon to discuss what the data tell us about the the cost of health care and whether […]
Study: Per Capita Rx Spending Fell For First Time In 2012
Americans’ per capita spending on prescription drugs fell last year for the first time on record, according to a report released Thursday by the IMS Institute For Healthcare Informatics firm headquartered in Danbury, Conn., which tracks pharmaceutical sales and other health care data. The report titled, “Declining Medicine Use and Costs: For Better or Worse?” found […]
California Weighs Expanded Role For Nurse Practitioners
Some 15 states are expected to consider giving advanced practice nurses more independence and authority this year. It’s part of a push to meet increased demand for primary care as more people get insurance under the health law.
Health Perks Geared To Top Workers Could Trigger Penalties Under Health Law
Employers who offer more generous benefits to highly paid workers could face $100-a-day fines for every worker who doesn’t get them.
Medicare Lags In Project to Expand Hospice
The 2010 health law called for an experiment to see if allowing patients to continue to have lifesaving treatments when they join hospice would improve their quality of care and save money.
Colorado Launches $2M Ad Campaign For New Online Marketplace
With less than five months until Colorado’s new online health insurance marketplace opens for business this fall, officials are concerned that few state residents have heard of it. This week, it became the first state to launch a public awareness campaign with television, print, radio and billboard ads that will cost $2 million and run two months. The […]
Medicare Data Show Wide Variation In Hospital Pricing
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. When it comes to health care, the biggest of the big data are all about Medicare. So, it’s kind of a BIG deal when the government releases what individual hospitals charge Medicare — and what they actually get paid — for the most common diagnoses and treatments. In […]
Harkin Withdraws Hold On Tavenner; Reid Says Timing For Vote Is Unclear
Sen. Tom Harkin Tuesday removed the hold he had placed on the nomination of Marilyn Tavenner to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and said he would no longer stand in the way of a Senate vote despite actions by the Obama administration that he said violate “both the letter and the spirit” of the 2010 health […]
Study Models Three Big Changes To Medicare
Lawmakers are looking for ways to tackle the growth of Medicare spending, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will account for 24 percent of the federal budget by 2037. But some strategies to cut program costs could leave millions of beneficiaries without coverage. A study from the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, compared the […]
Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion And Online Marketplaces Offer Veterans New Care Options
Many former service members have access to health care through the VA, private insurance or other government programs, such as Medicare and Tricare. But having so many choices can also lead to fragmented care.
2 Studies Assert Lower Spending Growth Is Due To Structural Health Changes
Two new studies assert that the country’s unusual slowdown in health spending growth rates may be due more to structural changes in the health care system than to the lagging economy, and thus could continue even after business picks up. National health spending grew by 3.9 percent a year between 2009 and 2011, the lowest […]