Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Plans Gear Up To Sell Directly To Consumers
Insurers develop new business strategies as the health law upends old models.
One-On-One With A 2-Year-Old Cancer Patient
Child life specialist Liz Anderson of Children’s National Medical Center explains how she uses play to help 2-year-old Jade Tukan, a cancer patient, understand her medical care.
Specialists Work To Reduce Kids’ Fears In The Hospital
Child life specialists use play to help seriously ill children understand what happens in the hospital.
Weighing A State Mini-COBRA Plan; Premiums Based On Pay
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions about choosing coverage after leaving a job, health law requirements for small businesses and salary-based premiums.
Today’s Headlines – Dec. 3, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news outlets, including the latest press reports on the looming “fiscal cliff” and on how states are viewing the health law’s Medicaid expansion. The Wall Street Journal: Fiscal Cliff Talks At Stalemate The White House and congressional Republicans remained at loggerheads—in both public and private—over how to design […]
Parity for Behavioral Health Coverage Delayed by Lack of Federal Rules
The Obama administration has yet to complete federal regulations implementing rules that would enable states to enforce a mental health parity bill President George W. Bush signed into law, and in the meantime, behavioral health may have fallen behind.
Insurance Surcharges Will Fund Most Online Exchanges Created Under Health Law
The fees will make the markets self-supporting, but some state officials and insurers worry they could put coverage out of reach for some consumers.
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 30, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news about the continuing partisan back and forth regarding “fiscal cliff” negotiations as well as reports on the health law’s implementation. The New York Times: GOP Balks At White House Plan On Fiscal Crisis The proposal, loaded with Democratic priorities and short on detailed spending […]
Insurance Commissioners Reject Calls To Limit Seniors’ Medigap Policies
The group argues that increasing cost-sharing would stop people from seeking necessary care.
Missouri Governor Backs Medicaid Expansion
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon wants the state to expand its Medicaid program, marking the strongest stance the Democratic governor has taken to date on the state’s pending decision. Nixon previously said he was evaluating the issue to see what’s best for Missouri. Speaking to a packed crowd of hospital and clinic leaders in Kansas City […]
Analysis: Health Exchanges And The Litigation Landscape
Health law critics are continuing their fight against the sweeping overhaul with legal challenges that aim to undermine the law’s employer and individual mandates.
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 29, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a report detailing why the idea of raising Medicare’s eligibility age always seem to crop up in policy discussions. Politico: Inside The Talks: Fiscal Framework Emerges Cut through the fog, and here’s what to expect: Taxes will go up just shy of $1.2 trillion — […]
More Workers Covered By Bosses’ Self-Insured Plans
The number of U.S. workers covered by self-insured health plans—in which their employer assumes the financial risk for health costs rather than paying insurance companies to do that—has grown steadily in recent years. But such plans are still primarily used by large companies, not small employers, a new study finds. As of 2011, more than […]
Study Questions Benefits Of Many Double Mastectomies
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. It’s a startling trend: Many women with cancer in one breast are choosing to have their healthy breast removed, too. But a study being presented later this week says more than three-quarters of women who opt for double mastectomies are not getting any benefit because their risk of cancer […]
Options For Parents To Cover A Sick Child
Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about how to find affordable coverage for a child with a preexisting medical condition.
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 28, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how party positions on entitlement programs are playing into the ‘fiscal cliff’ negotiations. The New York Times: House Republican Urges Party To Yield On Tax Cuts For Most Earners Democrats said they would not accept cuts to Medicare or Medicaid as part of […]
Hospitals Get New Grades On Safety
Updated at 9:35 a.m. The Leapfrog Group is out with its second round of hospital safety ratings, and what a difference a few months has made. In the results released Wednesday, 103 hospitals that Leapfrog had given a “C” or lower in its first round of ratings in June got an “A” in the updated Hospital […]
Momentum Builds For Hepatitis C Testing Of Baby Boomers
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential and often controversial panel of doctors, is moving toward a recommendation for testing that could apply to all baby boomers. The group issued draft advice to doctors saying they should consider giving a hepatitis C test to people born between 1945 and 1965, […]
Hospitals Offer Wide Array Of Services To Keep Patients From Needing To Return
Free scales, diet tips and home visits from nurses all aim to curtail readmissions.
Today’s Headlines – Nov. 27, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how increasing the Medicare eligibility age and making other entitlement program changes are a part of the ongoing “fiscal cliff” discourse. The Wall Street Journal: ‘Cliff’ Wranglers Weigh Medicare Age The fiscal cliff has revived an old idea that long seemed unfeasible: gradually […]