Latest KFF Health News Stories
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 […]
Today’s Headlines – March 23, 2012
Happy Friday! It’s the anniversary of President Obama signing the health reform law — here’s what the news has to say this morning: The New York Times: House Votes To Kill A Medicare Cost Panel In a rebuff to President Obama, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill on Thursday to abolish a Medicare cost control […]
House GOP Doctors Say Ryan Medicare Plan Doesn’t Reduce Costs Enough
The GOP Doctors Caucus is sending letters Friday soliciting ideas on how to “save” the seniors’ program and build bipartisan support.
Scorecard: What The Health Law Has Delivered, Or Not
Kaiser Health News compares data on the progress of the health law’s implementation to the original projections of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the Obama administration.
Sheriff: State Mental Health Cuts Undermine Public Safety
As states have struggled to balance their budgets during the economic downturn, mental health programs have frequently weathered significant cuts. Three-quarters of states have cut their mental health budgets during each of the past four fiscal years, for a combined reduction of $4.35 billion, according to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors […]
Health Industries Weigh In On Supreme Court Case
Insurers, hospitals and drug makers all cut deals to help shape the health law. Now, as the Supreme Court awaits arguments, the industry groups are deploying different strategies to defend their interests before the High Court.
Health Literacy’s Effect On Costs
Every week, reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reads from around the Web. Huffington Post: Women’s Health Care Is Stronger Thanks To The Health Care Law In many families, women are the health care decision makers. When children go for their checkups, we are often the ones who make the appointment and sit in the room […]
The IPAB: The Center Of A Political Clash Over How To Change Medicare
A panel established by the health law to rein in Medicare spending is the target of a House GOP effort to begin dismantling the 2010 health law.
A Timeline Of The Health Law’s Milestones And Regulations
The health law was controversial even before it was signed by President Obama two years ago tomorrow. But the political controversy has not deterred the administration from issuing hundreds of pages of regulations that are already affecting consumers, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and state governments.
Today’s Headlines – March 22, 2012
Good Thursday morning! Tomorrow’s the anniversary of the health reform law signing, we’re all over it. But in the meantime, here’s your morning headlines: The Associated Press/Washington Post: House Floor Next For Contentious GOP Budget Plan That Cuts Social Safety Net, Tax Rates It’s on to the House floor for a deficit-slashing GOP budget plan. […]
Berwick Still Looking Ahead, On The Bright Side
Donald Berwick said he didn’t want to focus on the fate of the 2010 federal health law, but eventually the physician and former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services addressed the elephant in the room. “I think this law will stand; it’ll be hard to take away,” Berwick said Monday during his […]
How Obama Lost The Messaging War Over Health Care Law
As the health law heads to the Supreme Court, public opinion about the policies remains almost as divided as it was when President Obama signed it into law two years ago.
Ill. Primary Night Video: Santorum, Romney Differ On Health Care
During his concession speech, in Gettysburg, Pa., Rick Santorum again claimed that Mitt Romney is the wrong choice to go against President Obama on health care issues. Romney briefly criticized the health law, but otherwise did not discuss the subject. Here are brief clips of what Santorum and Romney said in their speeches Tuesday night:
Today’s Headlines – March 21, 2012
The New York Times: House GOP Lays Down Marker With New Budget Plan House Republicans thrust their vision of a smaller government, a flatter tax code and a free-market Medicare system into the 2012 election season on Tuesday, banking that fears over surging federal deficits will trump longstanding voter allegiances to popular government programs (Weisman, […]