Latest KFF Health News Stories
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 […]
In U.S., Hospital Round Trips More Common For Heart Attack Patients
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. If a heart attack sends you to an American hospital, you’ll probably go home after only two or three nights. That’s faster than virtually anyplace else in the world. But your chances of needing to go back into the hospital within the next month are also […]
Lawsuit Accuses Company Of Fraudulently Cycling Patients Through Nursing Homes, Hospice Care
Whistleblowers allege that AseraCare improperly channeled people to gain maximum Medicare reimbursements. In a separate suit, federal attorneys say the company pressured employees to enroll patients in hospice who weren’t dying.
Congress’ Full 2012 Plate: The ‘Doc Fix,’ The Health Law And Automatic Cuts
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about what a divided Congress will face when it returns to Washington this month and begins dealing with fixing how Medicare pays doctors. A conference committee has until the end of February to fix the so-called “Sustainable Growth Rate” or doctors face a big pay cut.
Today’s Headlines – January 4, 2012
Good morning! It’s freezing cold in our nation’s capitol, here are some headlines to warm yourself by: Politico: Iowa Caucus Results: Mitt Romney Edges Rick Santorum In Iowa Mitt Romney edged Rick Santorum by a mere eight votes in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses — a margin that amounted to a tie in the crucial opening act […]
Should Doctors Be ‘Parsimonious’ About Health Care?
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. A major medical group issued ethical guidelines on Monday that take the provocative position of urging doctors to consider cost-effectiveness when deciding how to treat their patients. The American College of Physicians, the second-largest U.S. doctors’ group after the American Medical Association, included the recommendation in […]
Case-by-Case, California Examines Adult Day Care
Martha Norris, 62, depends on Napa Valley Adult Day Services in Napa, Calif. The program and others like it throughout the state have narrowly escaped elimination due to state budget cuts.
Do Different Birth Years Mean Different Insurance Statements For Twins?
By the time newborn Freya Humenny joined her twin brother Beckett this past weekend, the calendar already had turned from 2011 to 2012. That means the twins always will have their own birthdays—but will they share an insurance statement? The twin’s mother, Stephanie Peterson, gave birth to Beckett at 6:40 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2011, […]
Insuring Your Health – 2013 Archive
In an ongoing KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read More Insuring Your Health stories from: 2012 | 2011. WATCH Michelle Andrews answer your health care questions via video. New Coverage May Spur Younger Women To Use Long-Acting ContraceptivesFebruary 18, 2013 […]
Insuring Your Health – 2012 Archive
In an ongoing KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. Please send comments or ideas for future topics to questions@kffhealthnews.org Read 2011’s Insuring Your Health stories. See Andrews answer your health insurance questions via video. When Employers’ Health Plans Disappear, Workers Often Have Few Options December 31, 2012 For some people, […]
Today’s Headlines – January 3, 2012
Good morning! We’re back with your early morning headlines! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that New York seniors are experiencing reduced prescription coverage and more California patients are being added to the health insurance rolls. The New York Times: New Laws Now Evaluated By Job Creation After years of judging […]
Work Insurance Often Offers Coverage For Programs To Stop Smoking
Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.
Connecticut Drops Insurers From Medicaid
The ‘Insurance Capital’ bucks the nationwide trend of states turning to private managed care plans.
Reversal On Health Mandate Came Late For Gingrich And Romney
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Opposition to the administration’s overhaul of health care has almost become an article of faith with every Republican running for president. Candidates promise to repeal the law and its less-than-popular requirement for most Americans to either have health insurance or to pay a penalty starting in […]
For Hospitals, There’s No App For That
Hospitals are usually eager to embrace the latest medical technology, but the road to deploying tablet computers has been bumpy.
Every week, reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reads from around the Web. TIME: Should Journals Describe How Scientists Made A Killer Flu? In experiments conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, researchers engineered a strain of H5N1. … The next logical step would be for the researchers […]
Top Maternity Hospitals In Mass. Stop Early Elective Deliveries
A growing number of hospitals in Massachusetts are saying no to elective inductions and C-sections before 39 weeks. The change is happening quietly and some new mothers don’t like it.