Latest KFF Health News Stories
N.Y. Lawmakers Tackle Exchange Bill. Again.
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says creating a health insurance exchange for the state is a priority for 2012. State-run exchanges are mandated by the federal health law. Exchanges would effectively allow states to play the role of insurance broker to help […]
Texas Insurers Could Send Out $160 Million In Rebates Next Year – Maybe
Texas is one of the 17 states that has asked the federal government to delay the insurance rebate program. But consumers and advocates want the new law to kick in on time in 2012.
Advocate of health overhaul uses a comic-book style narrative to describe the federal law and its provisions.
The Income Penalty For Diabetes: $160,000
A young person with diabetes could earn an average of $160,000 less over their lifetime compared to someone without the disease, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Health Affairs. Adolescents with diabetes are also more likely to drop out of high school than their peers — a more pronounced […]
Millions Find Walgreens No Longer In Their Rx Networks
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KQED, and Kaiser Health News. If you’re heading into a Walgreens to pick up a prescription, you may first want to check the back of your insurance card. If it says Express Scripts, you can no longer fill your prescription at Walgreens or affiliates like […]
National Health Spending Grew Slowly In 2010
But officials say that for the first time in years premiums for people in private insurance plans rose faster than what was spent on their care, according to KHN’s Marilyn Werber Serafini.
‘Almost Heaven’ Meets ‘Paradise’ — Virgin Islands and West Virginia Discuss An Exchange
One place, known for its Appalachian Mountains and rich coal supply, was immortalized in John Denver’s 1970s hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The other has white sandy beaches, rum distilling and an average January high temperature of 86 degrees that attracts millions of tourists each year. From economy to climate, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands […]
Building Health Reform’s Research Arm
KHN’s Shefali S. Kulkarni interviews Dr. Anne Beal, COO of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Today’s Headlines – January 9, 2012
Good morning! Here are your early morning news highlights to get your day going! The Washington Post: Administration To High Court: Congress Acted Within Rights On Health-Care Law Congress was “well within” its constitutional powers when it decided that the way to resolve a crisis in health-care costs and coverage was to mandate that Americans […]
We Watch The Debates So You Don’t Have To
KHN boils down the weekend’s GOP presidential debate marathon to just the discussions of health care issues, including Medicare, premium support and contraception.
Video Excerpt: Romney Quizzed On Contraception During Debate
In Saturday night’s ABC News/Yahoo debate, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and moderator George Stephanopoulos had a few disputatious moments on social issues which included abortion, Roe vs. Wade and contraception.
Romney, Santorum, Others Call For Medicare ‘Premium Support’ In New Hampshire GOP Debate
While health care issues did not take up much of Sunday morning’s debate, the candidates agreed that Medicare should be a Rep. Paul-Ryan-style “premium support” system and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney said that, in the future, he believes wealthy Medicare recipients should have to pay more for the program.
The Supreme Court, The Individual Mandate, And Eating Your Broccoli
One of the major arguments against the individual health insurance mandate in the federal health overhaul is this: If Congress can force most Americans to buy health insurance, can’t it also require people to buy broccoli? It’s a question a senior Obama administration official faced Friday in a briefing with reporters an hour before the Justice […]
The Body’s Fight Against Losing Weight
Every week, reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web. The New York Times Magazine: The Fat Trap For years, the advice to the overweight and obese has been that we simply need to eat less and exercise more. While there is truth to this guidance, it fails to take into account that […]
Court: Massachusetts Must Cover Legal Immigrants
Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Thursday that the state must offer the same level of subsidized insurance to legal immigrants as to citizens. The decision affects roughly 40,000 residents and could cost the state at least $150 million per year.
Today’s Headlines – January 6, 2012
Happy Friday! Here are your headlines to start your morning! The New York Times: Romney Facing Risks Left And Right To Democrats, it is a straw-man formulation that twists the facts of Mr. Obama’s record and implies that the president is somehow less than American. The largest entitlement programs — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid — […]
9 States Seek Help For High-Risk Pools
Nine states have asked the federal government for more money to make sure their new high-risk pools that provide health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions don’t run out of money before 2014, the Obama administration said Thursday Two of the states — California and New Hampshire — have already been promised additional money. The […]
Collaborative Efforts Can Save Money And Improve Care
Employers, insurers and hospitals are banding together in several areas of the country to tackle cost and quality issues.
Kansas, Oklahoma Insurers Won’t Get A Break On Rebate Rule
Kansas and Oklahoma are the seventh and eighth states to get the thumbs down from the federal government on their requests to phase in new regulations that could result in health insurance rebates to consumers.
Today’s Headlines – January 5, 2012
Good morning! Here are some health headlines to get your day started: The Wall Street Journal: Health-Law Opponents Try To Add Plaintiffs To Lawsuit A small-business group fighting President Barack Obama’s health-care law asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to add two plaintiffs to its lawsuit after possible problems arose with an initial plaintiff. The […]