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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Berwick: Debate Underscores Challenge Explaining Health Law

KFF Health News Original

More than two and a half years after he signed the most far reaching health care legislation into law, President Barack Obama showed in his Wednesday debate with Mitt Romney that explaining the law is still no easy job. “It’s a great law and complex and complicated … but there is a continuing job to […]

Insurers Get Ready For Exchanges, But Exchanges May Not Be Ready For Them

KFF Health News Original

Insurers are spending big dollars on marketing, technology and risk analysis of the new health care landscape. But with exchanges supposed to go live in late 2013, where and how companies will plunge – and how deep – is far from clear.

Highmark Files Suit Against West Penn Allegheny In Pittsburgh

KFF Health News Original

The Pennsylvania insurer Highmark has filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas to prevent West Penn Allegheny Health System from forming alliances with other entities. Last year, Highmark said it was purchasing the financially struggling hospital system. Last week, West Penn Allegheny announced it was breaking ties with Highmark and searching for […]

Denver Debate: The Candidates Discuss Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Medicare and how to rein in its rapidly growning costs was a major focus of Wednesday night’s presidential debate in Denver between President Barack Obama and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.

Breaking Down The Debate, Word-By-Word

KFF Health News Original

President Barack Obama and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney had plenty to say about health care in the first debate in Denver Wednesday night. Here are they words they chose — with the most-frequently used words shown larger — during the discussions about health policy issues during the debate. Obama words: Romney’s words:

Today’s Headlines – Oct. 4, 2012

KFF Health News Original

Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including highlights, analysis and fact-checking from last night’s presidential debate. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Romney, Obama Tangle Over Health Care Reform Law In First Presidential Debate Republican Mitt Romney is vowing to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law, saying it adds costs to the health […]

Denver Debate: Medicaid As A Domestic Priority

KFF Health News Original

The Medicaid program was not a major focus of Wednesday night’s debate between President Barack Obama and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, but it was a topic of discussion as the two candidates laid out their domestic policy priorities.

Denver Debate: Obama And Romney On ‘Obamacare’

KFF Health News Original

The bulk of Wednesday night’s presidential debate in Denver focused on the topic of health care. In this segment, President Barack Obama and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney discuss the 2010 health law.

HHS Secretary Touts The ACA’s Benefits For Older Hispanics

KFF Health News Original

Just hours before the first presidential debate, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered a message about the dire need to protect Medicare and Medicaid funding to a critical electoral constituency. Sebelius was the keynote speaker at the National Hispanic Council on Aging’s National Summit in Washington, an annual meeting of Hispanic health care, housing, aging […]

Today’s Headlines – Oct. 3, 2012

KFF Health News Original

Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including presidential debate previews and reports on a new round of polling. The Wall Street Journal: Race Tightens In 2 States As Ohio Gap Widens The presidential race is tightening in the battleground states of Florida and Virginia, but one of the biggest prizes—Ohio—remains a difficult […]

Medicaid Stars In New Obama Campaign Ad

KFF Health News Original

http://www.youtube.com/v/dzMHhFOdXCc?version=3&hl=en_US At last, Medicaid is getting some respect. Medicaid, not Medicare, is the subject a new television campaign advertisement for President Barack Obama (above). The 30-second ad is being broadcast in five election battleground states — Colorado, Virginia, Nevada, Iowa and Ohio. It accuses GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney of supporting the plan passed by […]

Medicare Revises Hospitals’ Readmissions Penalties

KFF Health News Original

Federal officials made small errors in calculating how much hospitals will be docked for having too many patients return within 30 days. Many hospitals will lose a bit more money under revised calculations.

Study: Newly Insured Likely To Be Healthy, And To Have Trouble Deciphering Health System

KFF Health News Original

Good news for insurers: 88 percent of people new to health coverage after the health law fully goes into effect will be in relatively good health.  That means providers won’t be overwhelmed, at least initially, says a report out today by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The challenge, however, is the newly insured also will be less educated, slightly […]

“Health Savings Accounts”? I Have Bingo!

KFF Health News Original

Here we go again (to paraphrase a memorable debate line).  It’s time for the first installment of this campaign’s presidential debates: Wednesday at 9 p.m Eastern we will all tune in to watch 90 minutes of President Barack Obama and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney finding new and creative ways of deflecting criticism. Kaiser Health News feels your […]

States Requiring Broader Choice Of Drugs Than Skimpy Federal Limit

KFF Health News Original

When the Obama administration set initial rules last December to determine what minimum benefits insurers must offer in plans sold to individuals and small groups starting in 2014, one provision stood out: Insurers selling small group and individual policies would have to provide at least one drug per class of drug. In other words, insurers could cover just […]