Latest KFF Health News Stories
Repeal And Replace — But Replace With What?
Republicans have yet to embrace specific proposals they would pursue to “replace” the health law — leaving one to ponder the implications of some of the ideas on the table.
Video: Contentious Health Law Repeal Debate Begins
The House of Representatives began 7 hours of debate in advance of tomorrow’s vote on the Republican bill. Here are video excerpts from the debate.
Health On The Hill Transcript: House Prepares Wednesday Vote On Health Law Repeal
The House is expected to vote tomorrow on legislation that would repeal the health care law. While the measure is likely to pass the House, Senate Democrats are expected to block the legislation.
Health On The Hill: House Prepares Wednesday Vote On Health Law Repeal
The House is expected to vote tomorrow on legislation that would repeal the health care law. While the measure is likely to pass the House, Senate Democrats are expected to block the legislation.
Making End-Of-Life Decisions Is Hard On Family Members
Few people have advance directives and even when they do, the documents often don’t cover the exact situation, leaving loved ones to make critical decisions in a void.
Democrats Seek Right Message To Boost Health Law
For Republicans intent on repealing the new health care law, the message has been simple: It’s bad. Democrats, on the other hand, have had a much more difficult job selling the merits of the law — often doing more to confuse than to enthuse the public.
Text: Health Law Repeal Bill And House ‘Resolution’ On Replacing The Law
This document contains the text of the bill to repeal the health law and a Republican resolution “instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing” the law.
A Defense Of High-Risk Insurance Pools — From One Critic To The Others
An ironic partisan tinge has become evident in recent criticisms leveled at the health overhaul’s high-risk insurance pools.
Insurer and Hospital System: Why Can’t We Be Friends?
In North Carolina’s Research Triangle, two forces so often at odds — a major health care system and the region’s dominant insurer — announced that they would work together in the interest of better, cheaper medicine.
State Legislators Push To Penalize Officials For Implementing Health Overhaul
In several states, lawmakers are advancing bills that would make it illegal for state officials to put the federal health overhaul into place. Even if the bills become state laws, though, they would likely be found unconstitutional.
A New ‘Definition’ For Health Care Reform
Pursuing health reforms that transform current health insurance arrangements into aproaches based on defined contributions will set in motion a competitive dynamic from which all Americans would benefit.
Hospitals Try New Approaches To Curb Emergency Department Crowding
Officials are shaking up procedures with some hospitals abandoning traditional ER beds and cubicles, shifting patients more quickly to medical units and taking over underused hospital space.
Primary Care A Compelling Mission For Harvard Medical School Student
As part of an occasional series, First Person, Ishani Ganguli writes that medical school students like her have the opportunity to help the health care system by choosing to become primary care physicians.
Federal Funds Allowed States To Maintain Health Care For Poor Children
Even while dealing with crippling deficits, state Medicaid and CHIP programs used stimulus funds in 2010 to keep enrollment steady for children, a new report finds.
The CBO Is Telling Us Something. Is Anybody Listening?
A signficant shortcoming in the current debate about whether the health overhaul really reduces the federal deficit is that it fails to recognize the underlying problem and address it.
Obama Administration’s Balancing Act: Health Insurance Benefits Vs. Costs
Advocacy groups are lobbying as government advisory panel tackles key question: What benefits must insurers cover?
Digital Divide Threatens Health Care
In a story from The Center For Public Integrity, experts worry low-income clinics cannot afford the electronic health records that others can and will fall behind as a result, potentially missing the Obama administration’s goal of going digital in the next five years.
Some States Have Options To Help Consumers Find Individual Health Coverage
For people who can’t get insurance through work, finding a plan is often difficult. In addition to the high-risk pools that have recently generated a lot of attention, other options may be available, depending on which state a consumer lives in.
Health On The Hill Transcript: GOP, White House Tussle On Cost Of Law’s Repeal
Lawmakers are at odds over a Congressional Budget Office estimate that found repealing the new health law would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next decade.
Effort To Reward Medicare Advantage Plans Draws Criticism
MedPac assails Medicare plan to extend quality bonus payments – meant for top-performing health insurers – to those with lower scores.