Latest KFF Health News Stories
Nursing Moms Get Free Breast Pumps From Health Law
This story comes from our partner . Health insurance plans now have to cover the full cost of breast pumps for nursing mothers. This is the result of a provision in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), and the new rule took effect for many people at the start of this year. It’s led to a […]
Retiring Medicare Actuary Reflects On The Politics Of Health Care Spending And Why He Almost Quit
Richard Foster talks about the travails of trying to provide objective information to Congress and the White House.
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Face Challenges To Independence
The advocates for elderly and disabled people living in nursing homes or assisted living centers responded to 204,000 complaints nationwide in 2011.
Q&A: Picking Health Insurance For Your Newborn
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about how expectant parents can choose the best insurance for their child.
TurboTax, Not Travelocity, May Be Better Analogy For Health Exchanges
Consumers in Colorado focus groups said they know very little about insurance and will need a lot of customer support to purchase coverage online.
Americans Want Deficit Addressed Without Medicare Cuts, Poll Finds
Most Americans want quick action to reduce the deficit, but almost six in 10 oppose cutting Medicare spending to achieve that goal, according to a new poll released today. Lawmakers should examine other alternatives, including requiring drug makers to give the government “a better deal” on medications for low-income seniors (85 percent) and making higher-income […]
Fighting Painful Misconceptions About Sickle Cell Disease In The ER
Sickle cell disease changes the shape of red blood cells from discs to sickles. Patients arrive at the emergency room with sudden onset of severe, excruciating pain, saying their blood feels “stuck.”
Report: States Making It Easier To Apply For Medicaid
Despite the reluctance of some Republican governors to expand Medicaid next year under the 2010 health law, most governors are making it easier for people to apply for coverage in the state-federal program for the poor, according to a study released today. Residents of 37 states — four more than the year before — can now apply […]
Q & A with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant
Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican elected in 2011, has been a vocal opponent of the 2010 health law. KHN correspondent Phil Galewitz sat down with him at his office in Jackson, Miss.
HMO-Like Plans May Be Poised To Make Comeback In Online Insurance Markets
Insurers bet some consumers will choose cheaper plans that restrict their choice of doctors, despite worries about skimpy care and huge bills for out-of-network providers.
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.