Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cracks Appearing In GOP Opposition To Health Law
In Mississippi, Republican leaders split on state insurance marketplace dubbed “One, Mississippi.”
Report: CMS Community Initiatives Could Reduce Health Costs
A pilot program introduced by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to boost quality of care for seniors by developing community approaches to health problems could play a key role in bringing down costs, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Quality Improvement Organizations, or QIOs, are […]
Despite Incentives, Doctors’ Offices Lag On Digital Records
A recent study found that the health care industry isn’t benefiting from computer networks that have transformed other fields. But the federal coordinator for health IT says there has been a lot of progress that will result in better care and cost savings in the future.
Obama: ‘Medicare and Medicaid … Strengthen Us’
Video: In his second inaugural speech Monday, President Barack Obama discussed the need to reduce health costs — but also defended the importance of Medicare and Medicaid.
Insurers Prod Doctors, Hospitals To Stop Elective Early Deliveries
Medicaid and private insurers seek to reduce deliveries before 39 weeks to reduce complications and costs.
Hospices, Wary Of Costs, May Be Discouraging Patients With High Expenses
A survey finds that more than three-quarters of hospices have restrictive enrollment policies designed to keep away patients with high-cost medical needs.
AMA Offers $10 Million To Fund Med School Innovations
Memo to medical schools: If you have new ideas on how to train doctors, the American Medical Association may have some cash for you. The AMA says it will provide $10 million over the next five years to fund eight to 12 “bold, innovative projects.” “Rapid changes in health care require a transformation in the […]
Medicaid Expansion May Be Key To Restoring State Mental Health Funding
Few states are poised to spend their own money to reverse as much as a decade of budget cutbacks in mental health care.
Mental Health Gun Laws Unlikely To Reduce Shootings
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. States aren’t likely to prevent many shootings by requiring mental health professionals to report potentially violent patients, psychiatrists and psychologists say. The approach is part of a gun control law passed in New York yesterday in response to the Newtown, Conn., shooting a month ago. But it’s unlikely to […]
Children, Teens, Young Adults Focus Of Mental Health Provisions In Obama’s Gun Plan
President Obama’s actions and proposals on reducing gun violence include efforts to address the nation’s fragmented and porous mental health system. Mental health advocates are buoyed by the attention given to an issue they say has been ignored for far too long.
Q&A: Disclosing Mental Health Records To An Insurer
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about minors’ mental health records and whether they need to be disclosed to insurers paying for care.
Today’s Headlines – Jan. 16, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports examining how mental health issues play a role in efforts to curb gun violence and expand gun control efforts. The New York Times: For ‘Party Of Business,’ Allegiances Are Shifting Big business is so fearful of economic peril if Congress does not allow the […]
Slowly Dying Patients, An Audit And A Hospice’s Undoing
For one San Diego Hospice, the trouble began with a federal audit.
Study: Seniors Look For Star Ratings On Medicare Advantage Plans
America’s seniors are benefiting from a star rating system that ranks the quality of Medicare Advantage plans, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Authors affiliated with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted a study of almost 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries. They found a positive relationship — […]
Utah, HHS Quibble Over Best Way To Run State Insurance Market
The Obama administration says it is bending over backwards to help states carry out the federal health law. Utah’s top health insurance exchange official says the federal government could do more. “There’s hasn’t been much dialogue,” said Patty Conner, director of the Utah Health Exchange, which recently rebranded itself Avenue H. She hopes federal health officials […]
Today’s Headlines – Jan. 15, 2013
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest on how Medicare and other entitlement programs fit into the looming battle over raising the federal debt limit. The Wall Street Journal: Obama Escalates Debt Fight Mr. Obama said he was willing to work with the GOP on an agreement to cut spending—including […]
Emergency Departments Are On The Frontline Of The Flu
More patients with the flu are seeking care at the emergency room this year, and despite the 112 million Americans who have gotten a flu shot, it remains to be seen if this year’s version will be just bad or historically bad.
Not Too Early To Plan For Health Taxes, H&R Block Says
Even if you owe Affordable Care Act taxes, you probably won’t have to start paying them until next year. But H&R Block wants you to come in and talk about them now. “The Affordable Care Act means big changes this year when you file your taxes,” a chipper Block employee says in a new television ad. She says the company offers a free […]
Health Law Offers Dental Coverage Guarantee For Some Children
The requirement is only for individual and small-group health plans, and some advocates worry that the new benefits may not be sufficiently comprehensive or affordable.
Obama: ‘Our Commitment To Medicare
At a White House news conference Monday, President Obama discusses how he sees Medicare, Medicaid and other health care spending factoring into the looming conflict over raising the federal debt ceiling.