Latest KFF Health News Stories
Putting The Home In A Nursing Home
LaVrene Norton’s firm specializes in helping retirement communities and nursing homes train staff and design their residencies to fit the “household model.”
Lawsuit Accuses Anthem Blue Cross Of ‘Fraudulent’ Enrollment Practices
Consumer group alleges the insurer put out inaccurate information about benefits and providers to gain market share.
Study: Hospitals Using Electronic Medical Records Not Bilking Medicare
In 2012, Medicare was rocked by allegations hospitals were systematically overcharging the government program by misusing electronic medical records. A study published Tuesday disputes that.
Chattanooga’s success in achieving bargain-priced policies offers valuable lessons for other parts of the country as they seek to satisfy consumers with insurance networks that limit their choices of doctors and hospitals.
How Illinois Has Spent $56M From Health Law’s Prevention Fund
The health law seeks to reduce health care costs by spending more money on prevention and wellness efforts.
Poll: Americans Bristle At Penalties In Wellness Programs
Workers believe employer wellness programs should be all gain but no pain, according to a poll released Tuesday. The poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found employees approve of corporate wellness programs when they offer perks, but recoil if the plans have punitive incentives such as higher premiums for those who do not take part. […]
Proposal To Add Skimpier ‘Copper’ Plans To Marketplace Raises Concerns
Advocates say the plans could expose consumers to unacceptably high out-of-pocket costs if they get sick.
Retooling Hospitals, One Data Point At A Time
The University of Utah improved quality and reduced costs by tracking each patient’s care.
Getting Rural Patients Psychiatric Help Fast
Patients in rural hospitals often have to wait days to see a psychiatrist. South Carolina is a leader in turning that around.
Health Care System Needs To Prepare For Global Warming
Dr. Al Sommer, the former dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who helped produce a new report on climate change, says changes expected this century could lead to many deaths and a strain on hospitals.
Drug Discount Program Has Drugmakers Crying Foul
Hospitals and drug makers are waging a pitched battle over the program — known as 340B — that requires drug manufacturers to give steep discounts to hospitals that treat a large percentage of poor patients.
Drug Discount Policy For Hospitals, Clinics Under Scrutiny
Critics argue that some facilities using the program should not be eligible and that the money they receive from the sale of the discounted drugs is not always being plowed back into patient care.
More Than 750 Hospitals Face Medicare Crackdown On Patient Injuries
The 1 percent cut in payments is the latest effort by the federal government to improve hospital care.
Survey: Most Buying On Insurance Exchanges Were Uninsured
The most satisfied were those who received subsidies; the least satisfied had their previous plans canceled.
Boeing, Health Care Providers Join Forces In Bid To Curb Costs
The aerospace giant is teaming with accountable care organizations to save themselves money by taking the “middle men” — insurers — out of their health care equation.
Insurers Push Back Against Growing Cost Of Cancer Treatments
Many are encouraging the use of less-costly regimens and paying the same for drugs, whether they’re given in hospital outpatient settings or doctors’ offices.
Readers Ask: Are Insurance Premiums Capped? Do Doctors Have To Accept Medicare?
KHN’s consumer columnist answers inquiries from readers.
Say What? Many Patients Struggling To Learn The Foreign Language Of Health Insurance
Decoding premiums, co-insurance, co-pays and deductibles has some people reeling
Health Data Geeks Get Their Day
In the health information technology gold rush, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are betting on new companies that help consumers, insurers and hospitals save money.
What’s At Stake For Birth Control In Upcoming SCOTUS Decision
Many health plans could be affected by the coming high court ruling on cases challenging the mandate to provide specific types of contraception.
