Cost and Quality

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Why It’s Okay That EHR Adoption Will Fall Behind 2011 Goals (Guest Opinion)

KFF Health News Original

Federal officials had hoped a multitude of doctors and hospitals would adopt electronic health records in 2011. But, in reality, the number of physicians using EHRs won’t likely move beyond the current 20 percent to 25 percent rate. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Medicaid: Extending The Enhanced Federal Match Makes Sense (Guest Opinion)

KFF Health News Original

June 30 was the day when Medicaid’s enhanced federal matching rates expires, leaving states struggling to sustain health care’s safety net. A sensible solution would be for Congress to simply extend the supplemental funds.

Q&A: Should I Consider The High-Risk Pools For Insurance Coverage?

KFF Health News Original

Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader who wonders if they should look for catastrophic insurance coverage if traditional coverage is out of reach. Consider high-risk pools, Andrews says.

Mistakes In Outpatient Care Raising Concerns

KFF Health News Original

Although safety measures are often directed at hospitals, experts say physicians’ offices and urgent care centers should get more scrutiny since the bulk of medical care is delivered there.

A(nother) Bad Month For Obamacare (Guest Opinion)

KFF Health News Original

The month of June has been a tough one for Obamacare. With a variety of reports questioning a range of its provisions, one must wonder how many more months like this it can endure before it becomes a former law?

Berenson: Take Small Steps Now To Lower Medicare Costs

KFF Health News Original

Robert Berenson, an Urban Institute fellow and former official at the Department of Health and Human Services, says a number of small Medicare initiatives are “low-hanging fruit” that could be pursued now in order to control the program’s spending.

Controlling Medicare Costs – Robert Berenson

KFF Health News Original

The Urban Institute’s Robert Berenson talks about controlling Medicare costs and says it’s not about rationing but about identifying places where the health care program is being abused.