Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Care Decision Hinges On A Crucial Clause
The case could be a turning point in the Supreme Court’s 200-year history with the Commerce Clause.
Today’s Headlines – June 11, 2012
Good morning! Here are your headlines: NPR: Health Care Decision Hinges On A Crucial Clause All of Washington is breathlessly awaiting the Supreme Court’s imminent decision on the Obama health care overhaul. Rumors circulate almost daily that the decision is ready for release. As usual, those rumors are perpetrated by people who know nothing, but […]
State Medicaid Head: Uncertainty, Legislative Politics Have Slowed State Implementation
Andy Allison, Arkansas Medicaid director and president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, is adamant that cash-strapped states won’t be able to do much to expand coverage to the uninsured if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.
Stakes High For Consumers And Industry As Court Weighs Health Law
If the Supreme Court strikes down part or all of the 2010 federal health law, millions of Americans – including the uninsured, young adults and the chronically ill – could be affected.
Health Insurance Exchanges In Many States Held Up By Uncertainty About Supreme Court
State-based health insurance exchanges – a centerpiece of the law designed to expand coverage to millions of people – are on hold as many states delay implementation of the federal health law.
Ex-Medicare Chief Vladeck: Deaths Will Increase If SCOTUS Strikes Health Law
Bruce Vladeck, who ran Medicare and Medicaid under President Clinton, forecasts “chaos” in the health care delivery system if the Supreme Court strikes down the health law.
Toobin’s Tips On SCOTUS Decision
Every week, KHN reporter Shefali S. Kulkarni selects interesting reading from around the Web. ABC News: Health Scare: How Much Will You Pay For Health Care? When the nurse calls my name, I head up to the check-in desk. “I’m sorry,” she says as she lowers her eyes and hands me the phone. On the […]
‘Health Reform Bracketology’ Offers Roadmap To ACA’s Future
When is the Supreme Court like the NCAA? When health care consultant Mike Leavitt works up an interactive PDF bracket to lay out many of the possible scenarios that could result from the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the health law, combined with the outcome of November elections. It comes with all the tension and […]
Rewarding Docs For Efficiency Reaps Savings For Insurer
Can bonuses of $10,000 or more spur primary care doctors to cut expensive hospital admissions and emergency room visits without harming care? CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield says the answer is yes. The insurer, which covers people in Maryland, Washington and Virginia, says its “patient-centered medical program” shaved $40 million — or 1.5 percent — off expected costs last year, its first in operation. Much […]
Today’s Headlines – June 8, 2012
Good morning and happy Friday! Here are some headlines to get your weekend rolling: The New York Times’ The Caucus: New Poll: The Supreme Court And The Health Care Law More than two-thirds of Americans hope the Supreme Court will overturn some or all of the 2010 health care law, according to a new poll […]
Survey: Young Adults Don’t Necessarily Fit ‘Young Invincible’ Stereotype
Young adults’ insurance coverage has significantly improved since the passage of the health law, but this trend could be derailed by the Supreme Court’s much-anticipated ruling on the law, expected this month. One of the law’s most popular provisions requires insurers to cover people up to age 26 on their parents’ policies. Roughly 6.6 million […]
Wallack On Vermont’s Goal: ‘Universal, Affordable Coverage’
Anya Rader Wallack, tapped to move Vermont toward a single payer system, is confident the state would enact its own individual mandate if the Supreme Court strikes down the federal mandate.
Will The Cadillac Tax Extend To Individual Plans Or The Self-Employed?
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about who will be affected by the health law’s Cadillac tax, a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost plans set to start in 2018.
The Downside Of Health Care Job Growth
Health care employment has been the bright spot in the otherwise lackluster recent jobs reports. As overall employment decreased by 2 percent from 2000 to 2010, employment in the health care sector actually increased by 25 percent. But that’s not necessarily a good thing, according to an opinion piece published in the most recent edition of the […]
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a report that some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are meeting to attempt to find ways to deal with an upcoming deadline — Jan. 1 — which is also known as the “fiscal cliff.” Politico: Secret Talks Under Way About ‘Fiscal Cliff’ The uptick in back-channel […]
Wallack On Vermont’s Goal: ‘Universal, Affordable Coverage’
Anya Rader Wallack, tapped to move Vermont toward a single payer system, is confident the state would enact its own individual mandate if the Supreme Court strikes down the federal mandate.
Migrant Health Clinics Caught In Crossfire Of Immigration Debate
The hunt for illegal immigrants interferes with federally funded care for farmworkers.
Medicaid Association Director: Uncertainty, Legislative Politics Have Slowed State Implementation
Andy Allison, Arkansas Medicaid director and president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, is adamant that cash-strapped states won’t be able to do much to expand coverage to the uninsured if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.
Table: Caring for Migrant Farmworkers
Details about the 156 health centers that get federal funds to provide primary care to migrant and seasonal farmworkers regardless of immigration status.
Lots of ‘C’s As Hospitals Get Graded For Patient Safety
The cities of New York and Los Angeles grade their restaurants on cleanliness and the precautions they take to avoid making customers sick. Now hospitals are getting similar assessments for their patient safety records from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit devoted to patient safety. For 2,651 hospitals, Leapfrog created a single letter grade out of […]