Latest KFF Health News Stories
Open-enrollment season for Medicare Part D often brings confusion for seniors all over the United States trying to sign up for prescription drug plans. Most counties in the U.S., however, have programs to help seniors wade through the options.
After Bike Crash In Canada, Columnist Finds No Clear Road To Recovery At Home In NYC
After a serious bike crash in Canada, a writer returns home and finds many uncertainties in her medical options.
Health Investors’ New Calculus: Save Money To Make Money
Niche companies that mine health data, manage care and communicate with patients are capturing the imaginations of top venture capitalists.
Simpson, Bowles Blast Health Care Spending
Former Sen. Alan Simpson and former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles both zeroed in on health care costs and the deficit during testimony before the super committee on Tuesday.
Health On The Hill: Budget Experts Warn Super Committee About Consequences Of Failure
Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey about the super committee’s public hearing Tuesday when it heard from the leaders of previous deficit reduction groups.
More Than 25% Of Medicare Drug Plans Get Poor Ratings
Federal officials have changed the evaluation system to include more quality measures and plans that don’t meet standards in three years will face expulsion.
$6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On 12 Unnecessary Tests And Treatments
The conclusion comes from a study that looked at procedures and prescriptions ordered by primary care doctors frequently.
Minnesota Health Systems Try Partnering, Not Competition, To Boost Their Bottom Lines
A partnership between two rival health systems in the Minneapolis area is offering a glimpse of the future, at least as envisioned in the federal health law.
States Are Limiting Medicaid Hospital Coverage In Search For Savings
Hospitals say the burden of cost-cutting falls on them because they’ll be stuck with the bill for care if Medicaid refuses to pay.
Big Insurer Fights Back In Court Against Regulation Of Profit Margin
The case brought by Anthem Health Plans of Maine could have regulatory repercussions around the country.
Premiums, Deductibles And Cost Sharing In Employer Health Plans Keep Rising
As they shoulder more health care expenses, workers in some plans can reduce their costs by participating in company wellness programs.
Can A Small Business Insurance Marketplace Take Root In Florida?
Florida Health Choices was created in 2008 to promote competition and transparency in the health insurance market and to bring prices down for small businesses. But it is still not operational.
Big-Name Drugs Are Falling Off The ‘Patent Cliff’
Patents expired and Medicare beneficiaries turned to generics, saving Medicare billions of dollars.
In Mass., Conflicting Emotions About Controlling Health Care Costs
Pollster Robert Blendon discusses the first comprehensive look at public opinion on costs since the state’s health reform law was passed in 2006.
Letters To The Editor: Readers’ Thoughts On Children’s Hospitals Series
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. This installment offers a selection of comments on KHN’s recent “Building Ambitions” series that explores the world of funding for children’s hospitals.
HHS Releases Final Regulations For ACOs
KHN staff writers Jenny Gold and Phil Galewitz report on the new rule, which will make it easier for health care providers to participate in the new models of delivering health care.
Oregon Wants To Grade Its ACOs
Oregon’s Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat and a physician, is pushing for a way for the state’s health plans to coordinate care better for patients.
Helping Patients Know Their ‘Medical Mind’ Can Ease Uncertainty
In a new book, oncologist and New Yorker writer Jerome Groopman and his wife, endocrinologist Pamela Hartzband, encourage consumers to chart their own path when looking at treatment decisions.
Medicare Releases Patient Safety Ratings For Hospitals
Publication of the new Medicare data on HHS website is a step in the government’s plan to link payments to quality.
The CLASS Act has been vilified by Republicans and defended by Democrats. Here’s a small sample of some of those comments.
