Latest KFF Health News Stories
FAQ: Grandfathered Health Plans
If you get your insurance from your employer, there’s a very good chance that you are in a “grandfathered plan,” and that means some of the provisions of the health law do not apply to you – yet.
Kids’ Dental Coverage Uncertain Under Obamacare
Provisions in the fine print of the Affordable Care Act could prevent some children from receiving dental coverage.
FAQ: How The Health Law Impacts Federal Employees’ Health Benefits
Congressional staffers are among those most likely to experience changes in their coverage options as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
How Much Is That X-Ray? Still Hard To Say, Even In Massachusetts
A new state law requires price transparency, but it is still a days-long quest for one reporter to find out how much a simple back X-ray costs.
Detailing Long-Awaited Mental Health Parity Law Regulations
The Obama administration released the final rules Friday for 1996 and 2008 laws that expanded the kinds of mental health and substance abuse care insurers must cover. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and CQ HealthBeat’s Rebecca Adams discuss.
A Reader Asks: Can Adult Children With An Offer Of Family Coverage Instead Get Subsidies?
The answer: Yes, if their parents have not claimed them as tax dependents.
Enrolling In Obamacare In Alaska Is Possible
Lara Imler finally got through on healthcare.gov, but it took both motivation and expertise. She has a chronic condition and a programming degree.
Popular Provision Of Obamacare Is Fueling Sticker Shock For Some Consumers
Barring insurers from rejecting people with medical problems or charging them more is the biggest of several factors affecting premiums.
Labor Unions May Get Health Law Tax Relief
Unions want their plans exempted from the reinsurance tax, but the Obama administration may not do so until 2015.
Blue Shield of California Delays Cancellations for Some Individual Policyholders
Threatened with a legal action from the state, company says 80,000 customers can keep their plans through March 31.
Call Centers Got Big Contracts From Health Law, But How Big Is Unclear
The contractor running Connecticut’s call center for its health insurance marketplace doesn’t have to reveal how its pricing works.
Oregon’s State Exchange May Be Worse Than Healthcare.gov
Not a single person is enrolled yet in Oregon, where 7,300 applications have been filed, all on paper.
For Many Workers, It’s Time To Consider Insurance Options
Fall is generally the time when many people who get insurance through their job re-enroll. Higher deductibles and dependent care costs, and financial incentives for wellness activities, lead trends.
So You Found An Exchange Plan. But Can You Find A Provider?
Many health plans being offered on the New York State insurance marketplace do not include some of New York City’s biggest hospitals in their networks. And across the state, many doctors say they are not yet participating in exchange plans at all.
In Alabama, Lack Of Competition May Be Behind Insurance Premium Costs
The health law is being blamed for policy cancellations and replacement rate shock. But in Alabama, some say a lack of competition among insurance companies is a big part of the problem.
IHS services don’t meet the requirements of the law, but many Native Americans and Alaska natives are exempted from the individual mandate.
As Robot-Assisted Surgery Expands, Are Patients And Providers Getting Enough Information?
A study finds missing and inadequately reported information about adverse events.
Why State Exchange Sites Worked While The Federal Site Faltered
What accounts for the different experiences of the state and federally managed exchanges? Why are the exchanges that the federal government runs so bug-ridden, subjecting users to long delays and possibly even more serious problems?
Florida Insurer Says It Didn’t Drop Customers, Just Insurance Plans
After 300,000 Floridians receive notices that their plans will expire, Florida Blue, the state’s largest insurance company, assures customers they will be eligible for new, ACA compliant plans.
Key Senate, House Committee Chairmen Offer Plan To Fix Medicare Doctor Payments
The proposal would keep physician pay at current levels but offer them incentives for quality improvements.