Latest KFF Health News Stories
KHN Video: Transgender Surgery Covered By Insurance
After being uninsured, Palm Springs resident Devin Payne signed up for a Covered California plan under the health law. In May, the 43-year-old single parent underwent gender reassignment surgery and is looking forward to being reimbursed by her insurance company.
With Coverage Through Obamacare, Transgender Woman Opts For Surgery
The nation’s health law opens the door for transgender people to gain coverage for gender reassignment surgeries they previously could not afford.
Most Insurance Exchanges Just Got Bigger. Covered California Is Getting Smaller.
Several experts, however, credited the exchange with one big win: Creating more options for shoppers.
Californians Favor Tougher Rules On Health Insurance Rates, Survey Says
Proposition 45 would give the state insurance commissioner authority to reject rate hikes, but some experts suggest this could complicate the online insurance marketplace.
Health Care Giants Battling For Control Of Pittsburgh’s Market
As the line between insurance companies and health care providers blurs, these onetime allies are venturing into each other’s business and becoming competitors.
Some States Bristle At Lack Of Authority Over Medicare Advantage Plans
When Congress created the option for beneficiaries to join the private Medicare Advantage plans, it gave oversight to federal officials, preempting state insurance laws and procedures.
HMO, PPO, EPO: How’s A Consumer To Know What Health Plan Is Best?
The alphabet soup that distinguishes different types of insurance plans is supposed to help guide consumers, but instead the choices are becoming very confusing.
Missouri Lags Behind In Insurance Pricing Transparency
Consumers in most other states have more information about, and control over, health insurance prices and plans.
Hospitals Reconsider Charity For Patients Who Decline Health Coverage
Some fear helping some people with their bills might keep them from getting government-subsidized insurance plans.
Letters to the Editor is a regular feature in which readers comment on KHN original stories.
Hospitals Seek To Help Consumers With Obamacare Premiums
But insurers oppose many of the premium assistance efforts, saying they would lead to sicker enrollees who will raise costs for everyone.
16% Of Large Employers Plan To Offer Low-Benefit ‘Skinny’ Plans Despite ACA: Survey
The National Business Group on Health also found, based on 136 large employers’ responses, a continued move toward high-deductible, “consumer-directed” plans.
Must A Divorced Dad Cover Adult Kids; Will Medicare Pay For Infusion Therapy
KHN’s consumer columnist Michelle Andrews explores a divorced mother’s efforts to get her ex-husband to keep their sons on his plan, one senior’s problems getting Medicare to cover his antibiotic infusion at home and what earnings one reader will have to count when applying for premium subsidies.
Short-Term Health Plans Might Offer Some Relief But They Have Significant Gaps
These plans, which can last from a month to nearly a year, do not guarantee many of the benefits of regular health insurance.
HHS Report Finds Medicare Advantage Plans Exaggerate Members’ Diseases To Make More Money
The study urges changes in federal policies that allow higher payments for sicker patients.
A Tennessee Insurer Uses Its Monopoly To Deliver Bargain Premiums
BlueCross BlueShield’s near dominance and hospitals’ lack of negotiating clout are key reasons Chattanooga has among the lowest priced coverage in the nation.
Patients Seeking Cheaper Care Are Soliciting Bids From Doctors Online
Medibid, a four-year-old Internet service, can help people get non-emergency medical services outside of costly hospitals, but critics note that the service provides no guarantee of quality or safety.
A Doctor’s Perspective On Obamacare Plans
Low reimbursement rates cause one doctor to reject two out of three companies selling Affordable Care Act insurance in his state.
Allynne Noelle: Ballerina Gets Insured
Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, 32, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
Restaurant Owner Struggles To Afford Health Insurance
Sandra Lopez, 41, owns Las Fajitas, a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
