Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s Headlines – March 28, 2012
Good morning! Last day of oral arguments on the health law at the Supreme Court. Here’s a rundown of what happened yesterday: The Washington Post: On Last Day Of Health Care Hearing, Supreme Court Considers Severability, Medicaid Expansion The Supreme Court will complete its review of President Obama’s health care law Wednesday by considering whether […]
Transcript Highlights: The Severability Arguments Before The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court tackled Wednesday morning the question of whether the health law in its entirety should be struck down if the insurance mandate is declared unconstitutional.
If Mandate Is Overturned, Obama Could Need Help To Salvage The Health Law
Should the Supreme Court throw out the requirement to carry insurance, the administration might need assistance from Congress or the insurance industry to complete the overhaul.
Pundits Parse Tough Questions By Conservative Justices
The second day of the momentous Supreme Court hearing on President Obama’s health law ended almost exactly at noon. By 12:03, many conservative lawmakers and television commentators who had been in the packed chambers stood on the marble steps outside, saying the health insurance mandate at the heart of the law appeared to be in deep trouble. […]
Transcript: Highlights Of The Lively Arguments At The Supreme Court, Day 2
Here are excerpts of some of the most compelling parts of Tuesday’s oral arguments at the high court.
Hundreds Brave Chilly Weather For Chance To Witness History
With the Supreme Court poised Tuesday to hear arguments about the health law’s mandate requiring most Americans to buy health insurance, about 200 advocates for and against abortion rights marched outside the court on a sunny, but chilly morning. They carried signs saying, “Abortion is not Health Care,” and “Protect the Law.” A few feet […]
Day 2: Justices Grill Obama Administration On Health Law
The second day of the historic hearings on the health reform law focused on this question: Does Congress have the power to require Americans to purchase health insurance? KHN contributor Stuart Taylor, Jr., tells Jackie Judd the conservative justices were especially skeptical, with sometimes-hostile questions.
Today’s Headlines – March 27, 2012
Good morning! It’s day two of the Supreme Court hearings on the health law. There’s lots to read — The New York Times: Most Oppose At Least Part Of Overhaul, Poll Finds Two-thirds of Americans want the Supreme Court to overturn some or all of the health care law, even though large majorities support a […]
In Massachusetts, SCOTUS Case Is (Mostly) Irrelevant
The health care battle that began this morning at the Supreme Court is one of the most important of our lifetime. But the direct effect on Massachusetts, which created the framework for the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), is minimal, at best. “The real bottom line is that consequences for Massachusetts are not that great, […]
Debate Over Law Sparks Mostly Civil Exchanges Outside High Court
Scores of opponents and supporters of the health care law rallied next to each other for over three hours Monday, before, during and after the Supreme Court hearing. “Protect our care, protect our law,” yelled the law’s backers as they marched in a circle, some with shirts that read, “Death is not an option.” “We […]
Some Insurers Paying Patients Who Agree To Get Cheaper Care
In these programs, people who have been prescribed a diagnostic test or elective procedure earn a bonus when they opt to go to a less expensive facility than the one recommended by their physician.
Health Law Accelerates Industry Changes
Experts don’t expect the Supreme Court’s ruling to alter that course.
Dozens Gather Outside Court Hoping to Witness, Shape History
WASHINGTON — Chanting “ACA is here to stay,” and accompanied by a trumpet and drums, about 100 supporters of the 2010 health law rallied outside the Supreme Court Monday morning, as attorneys prepared for three days of oral arguments in the most anticipated high court hearing in years. Fewer than 20 health law opponents also […]
Your Guide To What Happened At The Supreme Court, Day 1
The first day’s arguments focused on the Anti-Injunction Act and whether the court can rule on the case before a penalty is imposed on those who do not have health insurance. KHN’s reporter inside the court, Stuart Taylor, tells Jackie Judd that all the justices, except one, seemed eager to ask questions.
Today’s Headlines – March 26, 2012
Today’s the first day of arguments in front of the Supreme Court on the health law’s constitutionality, as though you could forget. Here’s some headlines to read while you stand in that line — or watch people stand in that line — outside the Supreme Court: The Washington Post: Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On […]
Doctors’ Smartphones And iPads May Be Distracting
Doctors who carry mobile devices are often hit with a flurry of texts, e-mails, Facebook messages and tweets that sometimes keep them from patients’ needs.
The Health Law And The Supreme Court: A Primer For The Oral Arguments
The fate of the health law is at the center of the most-anticipated arguments in more than than a generation. Here are key points to keep in mind while watching the action.
Free Health Clinics At A Crossroads
Free health clinics have long been places people turn to when they don’t have health insurance or any money to pay for care. But the health law’s expansion of coverage puts free clinics in uncharted territory.
In Conservative California, Confusion And Contempt For Health Law
Residents of a largely conservative region in California where 1 out of every 3 people lack coverage share their attitudes toward the health law.
Feds To Test Paying For Medicaid Patients With Psychiatric Emergencies
A group of states is testing whether Medicaid patients who seek emergency psychiatric care at private psychiatric hospitals are better off if the federal government picks up part of the costs. Right now, the federal government does not help states pay for inpatient psychiatric care for many Medicaid patients—a longstanding policy meant to discourage states from […]