Latest KFF Health News Stories
States Tackle Mental Illness and Gun Ownership
Little-noticed but controversial provisions in recently passed gun-control measures in New York have local officials and mental health advocates trying to strike a balance among patient privacy, their rights and public safety.
Poll: Three Years Later, Americans Still Don’t Understand Health Law
It’s been three years since President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, yet two-thirds of uninsured adults — the very people the law sets out to help — say they still don’t know what it means for them. Sixty-seven percent of the uninsured younger than age 65 — and 57 percent of […]
Grieving Doctor Regrets He Didn’t Ask Depressed Patient About Gun
Physicians are urged to discuss access to firearms with patients who might be suicidal.
Health Law Covers Breast Pumps, But Not All Moms Get The Best
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans are required to give new mothers equipment and services to enable them to breast feed. What the law doesn’t say, however, is what kind of equipment has to be provided.
Q&A: I Had To Return To The Hospital; Will They Be Penalized?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about what triggers Medicare’s penalties for hospitals who readmit patients too frequently.
States Balk At Enforcing Health Law’s Insurance Protections
Florida regulators won’t penalize insurance companies that violate new health law consumer protections that take effect in January but will report them to the federal government, according to an agreement between the state and federal officials. Citing lack of money and legal authority, Pennsylvania’s top insurance regulator hasn’t decided whether his agency can enforce the provisions, […]
Group Appointments With Doctors: When Three Isn’t A Crowd
More doctors are holding appointments with multiple patients, a trend some say may help ease a forecasted shortage of physicians.
29 States Get ‘F’ For Price Transparency Laws
Wonder why you can’t get a straight answer on how much a health care procedure will cost you? One big reason: State laws which allow hospitals and other providers to keep costs hidden until they send you the bill. A report card on price transparency released today gives 29 states an “F” and seven states […]
This list includes various sources for hospital ratings.
Hospital Ratings Are In The Eye Of The Beholder
With an expanding number of groups offering a stamp of approval, consumers find a confusing array of quality awards to consider when choosing a hospital.
Matchmaker, Er, Match Week, Make Me A Doc
Fourth-year medical students have been talking a lot about their perfect match these days: first impressions, the one who called right after they met, some that were too far away. For many, “match week” — this week — is what they’ve been working toward over the past four years. It’s the week that decides if, and […]
Midnight Drama As Minnesota House Passes Exchange Bill
Landmark health insurance legislation is on its way to the Minnesota Senate after the House approved it shortly after midnight on Friday. The House passed a conference committee’s proposal to reconcile the differences in House and Senate bills enacting a Minnesota health insurance exchange. The ever-controversial exchange bill had a bumpy ride in the House, as […]
Small Businesses Pursue Health Law ‘Loophole’
Self-insurance, once the purview of only large companies, is becoming popular with small employers, too. But it could be a threat to the Affordable Care Act, since self-insured companies are exempt from many of the health law’s requirements.
Minnesota Exchange Bill Moves Forward Without Abortion Restrictions
UPDATE, 7 a.m. March 15: The Minnesota House approved the conference committee bill in a dramatic midnight vote after hours of heated debate. Elizabeth Stawicki’s report on the vote will be posted shortly. ST. PAUL, MINN. — Abortion restrictions have been cut from a final version of Minnesota’s health insurance exchange bill that will impact how more […]
In Florida, Medicaid Expansion May Be Dead, But Expanding Coverage Isn’t
Chances for the Florida Legislature approving an alternate plan that would accomplish the same goals are looking up.
Medicare Revises Readmissions Penalties
More than 1,200 hospitals are receiving good news
Colorado Sets Its Exchange Fee
The price of policies in Colorado’s health insurance exchange will include a 1.4 percent fee to help fund exchange operations. The state’s exchange board voted to enact the fee Monday. Board Chairwoman Gretchen Hammer characterized it as lean compared with the 3.5 percent fee the federal government is expected to tack on to policies sold […]
Dick And Jane Sign Up For The Exchange
Signing up for health insurance is intimidating — even if you know you might get some help paying for it. The federal government is trying hard to come up with a way to make the process a bit more palatable — about as simple as, say, doing your taxes online. The Centers for Medicare and […]
Democrats, Republicans Clash Over Health Care Savings
Leaders from each chamber of Congress have competing budget proposals that seek savings in health spending. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about what’s next for the proposals and what President Obama could offer.
Readers responded to stories including a profile of patient safety advocate Regina Holliday; a story about that gap that often prevents cancer patients from getting rehabilitation services; an interview with the CEO of the American College of Nurse Practitioners; coverage of San Diego Hospice’s bankruptcy; and a piece about a fight brewing in Washington, D.C., over nurse-staffing issues.