Latest KFF Health News Stories
Head Of Rx Drug Makers Group Says Obama Budget Plans Cause Concern
John Castellani, the head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, notes support for health overhaul but says efforts to change Medicare Part D program and companies’ control of biologic drugs “would do serious harm to our industry.”
9 Pioneer ACOs Jump Ship After First Year
Nearly a third of the health systems chosen for the ambitious Pioneer accountable care organization program with Medicare are leaving after the first year of the three-year program. The goal of accountable care is for hospitals and doctors to save money while lowering costs. The 32 organizations selected to be Pioneers a year and a half […]
Cerner Builds Recession-Proof ‘Bunker’ For Health Data
As more doctors turn to digitizing patient health records, large companies like Cerner are building bigger and more sophisticated ways to house — and secure — the nation’s health data, and it’s turning into a big business.
Health Law Fosters A New Kind Of Business Partnership In Georgia
Medical equipment manufacturers operate largely on a “supply and demand” model: Hospitals buy their multi-million dollar machines, use them for a few years, and then the process starts again. But Philips Healthcare and a hospital system in Georgia are betting on a new business model, one that has risks and rewards for both the hospital […]
Few Medicaid Docs Have Seen 2013 Pay Raise
Most primary care doctors are still waiting for that Medicaid pay raise that was scheduled to begin in January under the Affordable Care Act, but a federal official says the government has now approved applications from 48 states to begin paying the higher rates. A spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says with those approvals in […]
A Handful Of State Marketplaces Opt Not To Charge Smokers More For Premiums
The health law allows insurers to charge smokers 50 percent higher premiums than nonsmokers but some states have decided not to allow that distinction in plans sold on the new online exchanges.
Electronic Health Records Help Cut Costs For Mass. Community Docs: Study
The adoption of electronic health records by community doctors helped drive down health costs, a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported. Previous studies, many dealing with academic teaching hospitals, have yielded mixed results about the effects electronic health records (EHRs) have had and have drawn concerns over the adoption of health […]
Why Your Doctor May Still Have Paper Records
The federal government is paying doctors go to digital. But many practices are daunted by the expense and other obstacles as they struggle to take the leap from paper to electronic records.
State Insurance Exchanges Launching TV Ads To Encourage Enrollment
A folk singer playing guitar in front of a mountain stream. A Disney-like animated video about how “a new day is coming.” An announcer talking about “change is here.” A woman jumping up and down in celebration in a baseball team locker room. These images are from the first television advertisements being aired by state-run health […]
Texas Health Care Providers Bracing for Medicaid Enrollment
The Lone Star State is not expanding its Medicaid program, but enrollment is still expected to surge as families seek coverage to comply with the individual insurance mandate.
Kentucky’s Rush Into Medicaid Managed Care: A Cautionary Tale For Other States
Doctors, hospitals, patients and their advocates complained about disruptions in care and payments after Kentucky moved more than half a million people on Medicaid into private plans.
‘Wildfire’ Growth Of Freestanding ERs Raises Concerns About Cost
Health experts and insurers predict the trend will boost insurance premiums for everyone.
7 States, Governors Team To Tackle Hospital ‘Frequent Flyers’ Problem
Seven states and the National Governors Association are teaming up to find ways to save money and better coordinate the care of Medicaid and uninsured patients who frequently use hospital emergency rooms and other costly health services. “There’s a handful of people who drive most of our spending,” said Dan Crippen, the executive director of […]
Can Humor Sell Health Insurance?
When the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges open for business in the fall, it will be a new game. Customers will be able to comparison shop in the new online marketplaces, and health insurers will have to sell themselves to the general public in a way they haven��t before. The law’s requirement that almost […]
Connecting Minnesota’s Latino Community To Health Care
One-in-eight Minnesota Latinos is uninsured. As the health law rolls out, community clinics in the state will be connecting Latinos to their new insurance options.
Republicans Ready To Try Obamacare Repeal – Again And Again
The House will vote next week on measures to delay the 2010 health law’s individual and employer mandates, House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday. The votes would be the 38th and 39th time House Republicans have voted to repeal all or part of the law. Congressional Republicans saw a new opportunity to kill or weaken President Obama’s signature […]
Some States Are Pushing ‘Employee Choice’ For Small Business Insurance
Small business workers in at least 15 states and the District of Columbia may have a menu of health insurance choices next year, something that didn’t seem likely a few months ago. Back in April, federal officials concerned about the potential for major glitches put off until 2015 a provision that would offer small businesses […]
Educating Florida About Health Care Reform Starts With Conversation
Enroll America kicks off campaign in Florida to get people signed up for health law’s insurance plans with a training session organizers.
Tax Break Can Help With Health Coverage, But There’s A Catch
There are two kinds of financial help for people planning to enroll in the online health insurance marketplaces that will open this fall. One could put people at risk of having to pay some of the money back, while the other won’t. That’s one big difference between tax credits and subsidies, both of which are intended to […]
On Health Care, GOP Has ‘Really Busy Month’ Ahead
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Politico Pro’s Paige Winfield Cunningham about the latest Republican effort to delay or repeal Obamacare provisions, including postponing a mandate on individuals to carry health insurance.