Latest KFF Health News Stories
Measuring Health County-By-County
Wondering how your county measures up on health? The 2012 County Health Rankings are out this week from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The rankings assess the health of nearly every county in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and they allow you to compare […]
Medicare Now Covers Annual Screening For Depression
The coverage change could help focus doctors and patients on mental health issues, which often go undiagnosed in the elderly, especially those who are dealing with multiple chronic physical problems.
Health Insurers Move Ahead, With Or Without Individual Mandate
Cigna’s CEO, David Cordani, says the insurance industry started changing how it does business before health reform became law in 2010 and that it will continue to change, no matter what happens at the Supreme Court.
Today’s Headlines – April 2, 2012
Good morning! Here are your Monday morning headlines … Politico: The Health Reform Ruling: Four Likely Scenarios A victory in the Supreme Court — less than five months before the presidential election — doesn’t guarantee that either party can win over public opinion. And it certainly doesn’t signal the end of the debate over health […]
Consumer Tips: Workplace Wellness Plans
More and more employers are tying financial reward and penalties to workers completing a set of medical tests. KHN’s Julie Appleby says the tests can include blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Employers Tie Financial Rewards, Penalties To Health Tests, Lifestyle Choices
Whether such programs spur long-term change is unclear, and some fear discrimination against those with chronic conditions.
Today’s Headlines – March 30, 2012
Good morning and an especially happy Friday to you! The health law’s week at the Supreme Court is over, but we still have some headlines for you to catch up on all the analysis: The Washington Post: The Supreme Court Will Decide On The Health-Care Law Soon. It Will Tell You Later. If the usual […]
Social Media Rundown: Three Days At The Supreme Court
This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the 2010 health law, in what court watchers are calling the biggest case at the high court in decades. Here’s a rundown from the social media-sphere of what happened in those three days. Day 1: Can We Even Argue About The Health Care Law? Mon., March 26 […]
Like The U.S., Europe Wrestles With Health Care
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The U.S. has been absorbed by the Supreme Court case this week on the future of health care. But Americans are not alone. Several European nations, where universal health care has been the norm for decades, have been waging their own intense debates as they also deal […]
Insurers Push Back On Consumer Rebate Letter
Consumers owed rebates will get a letter along with a check beginning in August, but insurers don’t want to have to send notices about the rebate rules to customers not owed money.
Recapping The Health Law’s Week At The Court
Mary Agnes Carey, Stuart Taylor, SCOTUSblog’s Tom Goldstein, and NPR’s Julie Rovner discuss this week’s historic oral arguments and answer reader questions about what happens next.
Today’s Headlines – March 29, 2012
Here are your morning headlines — much of them trying to wrap up a tumultuous three days of health law oral arguments at the Supreme Court. Enjoy! The New York Times: On Day 3, Justices Weigh What-Ifs Of Health Ruling The justices seemed divided on both questions before them: What should happen to the rest of […]
Webcast Replay: Deconstructing The Supreme Court’s Historic Health Law Arguments
Our panelists, who answered questions from readers that even the justices didn’t ask, includes KHN Senior Correspondent Mary Agnes Carey; Stuart Taylor, attorney, author and KHN legal analyst; Tom Goldstein, Goldstein & Russell, P.C., and publisher of SCOTUSblog; and Julie Rovner, health policy correspondent, NPR.
Vigorous Questions On Severability, Medicaid On Final Day
The justices heard from the opposing lawyers about issues as basic as ‘what is liberty?’ and whether it’s better to ‘fix’ flaws in legislation or scrap it entirely. Legal analyst Stuart Taylor, Jr., talks with Jackie Judd about the last 2
Inside The Courtroom On The Final, Historic Day
At 1 p.m. sharp on Wednesday, the loud buzzer sounded, and from behind floor-length ruby curtains and four marble columns, the nine justices emerged to take their chairs. Chief Justice John Roberts, seated in the center in a high-backed leather chair, quickly brought down the gavel. And the last of four hearings into the 2010 health […]
House Debates Ryan Budget: Predictably Partisan
The tone was immediately and undoubtedly partisan Wednesday when the House began considering the Republican-backed 2013 budget resolution that the House Budget Committee recently approved. The House was expected to debate the Budget Committee-approved resolution for four hours, and then turn to six complete substitutes, including one that would replace the resolution with President Obama’s […]
Effort To Pay Hospitals Based On Quality Didn’t Cut Death Rates, Study Finds
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that a test project
Even Without The Individual Mandate, Health Law Would Still Affect Millions
KHN’s Julie Appleby reports that the health law is so comprehensive that even if the Supreme Court struck the insurance requirement, many provisions would survive.
Transcript Highlights: The Medicaid Expansion Arguments
Here are some of the highlights from the Supreme Court’s Wednesday afternoon session during which they pondered questions about the health law’s Medicaid expansion.
Crowd Dwindles On Final Day of Health Law Arguments
A smaller and more subdued crowd gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday for the third and final day of the historic hearings over President Obama’ health care law. About 100 supporters of the law, many carrying signs saying, “Protect our Health, Protect the Law,” marched in front of the Court, while about 30 opponents stood […]