Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Novel Way To Get Unlimited Primary Care
Michelle Andrews, author of KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” weekly feature, talks with Jackie Judd about clinics that charge a patient a monthly fee
There Aren’t Enough Rich People To Pay For Medicare And Medicaid! — Guest Opinion
This country is in such a hole that it is senseless to deny that some new taxes will be needed to pay for all of the nation’s accumulated debts. But folks, we can’t just tax our way out of this mess.
ACO Fairy Tale Faces a Rumpelstiltskin Moment — Guest Opinion
When writing the final ACO rules, CMS has the chance to spin the dross of the current regulations into something of genuine value to providers, even if it’s not quite Rumpelstiltskin-quality gold. If the feds fail, it is all of us, not just those on Medicare program, who could live unhappily ever after.
People Who Donate Organs For Transplants Can Have Difficulty Getting Insurance
Live organ donors – who can offer kidneys or part of their liver, lung or pancreas
Medical Device Industry Lobbies IRS and Congress To Dodge Health Law Tax
The medical device industry took a hit during legislative deal-making over health care last year, an excise tax that’s expected to yield $20 billion over 10 years, but the industry is using all its Capitol Hill muscle in a drive to kill the tax.
Governors’ Letter Shows Why Medicaid Block Grants Are Necessary — Guest Opinon
Seventeen governors sent a letter to congressional leaders in opposition to a plan by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to convert Medicaid into a block grant program. But their criticisms fall flat.
The Ryan Plan: An Attempt To Reduce Health Care Spending, But At A High Cost
The GOP vision for health care reform, as expressed by Rep. Paul Ryan, R- Wis., is to limit federal health care spending to levels far below what they are today, and then let individuals make the best of it. The federal health law not only offers a more realistic approach to controlling costs, but a more humane one.
Federal Medicaid Teams Deployed To Help States Cut Costs Get Mixed Reviews
Nearly half of the states have received some type of help, including 11 states with Republican governors.
Americans Like Their Health Care, But Think The System Stinks
A majority of Americans give the country’s health system barely passing grades. Most people choose a hospital based on someone’s personal experience than looking at quality ratings. Yet when it comes to surgeons, people are evenly split on whether experience or data is the best guide.
Health Overhaul Could Double Community Health Centers’ Caseload
The centers, designed to help low-income and uninsured people, offer an affordable option for care, but it can also be tough to get an appointment.
Health Insurance From Both Sides: KHN Interview Of Aetna CEO Bertolini
Mark Bertolini knows the insurance industry inside out. Both he and his son have had life-threatening health crises. He says he wouldn’t qualify for an individual policy and talks with KHN about how Aetna is reacting to the health law.
Debunking The Mythology: The Utah And Massachusetts Health Exchanges
Much has been made of the health insurance exchanges in Utah and Massachusetts and whether they represent opposite points of a continuum of what exchanges can and should provide for consumers and small businesses. But is that really true or is the reality far more nuanced?
CBO: Seniors Would Pay Much More For Medicare Under Ryan Plan
Health care entitlement programs are targeted for major overhauls under the House GOP budget proposal, says the Congressional Budget Office.
Hospitals And Insurers Face Growing Antitrust Scrutiny
Recent lawsuits show the government is cracking down on suspected anti-competitive actions in the health care and insurance industries.
Some Doctors Ask Patients To Sign ‘Pain Contracts’ To Get Prescriptions
Critics say the agreements, designed to help educate consumers about the dangers of opiods, invade patient privacy and damage trust.
Ryan Budget: A Huge Opportunity To Improve Health Care
This week, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will release a budget blueprint that tackles the three big health care challenges facing the budget
New ACO Rules Outline Gains And Risks For Doctors, Hospitals
As many as 4 million Medicare beneficiaries could end up in new model of health care, but initial savings for government are small.
Transcript: Understanding The New HHS ACO Rule
KHN’s Jordan Rau explains how the Obama administration envisions accountable care organizations, which are designed to help hospitals and doctors form new networks to coordinate patients’ care.
Video: Understanding The New HHS ACO Rule
KHN’s Jordan Rau explains how the Obama administration envisions accountable care organizations, which are designed to help hospitals and doctors form new networks to coordinate patients’ care. Officials estimate that the ACOs could save Medicare up to $960 million over three years. ACOs are a feature of the new health law.
High-Deductible Plans: When Spending Less On Health Care Isn’t Always Good News
A recent Rand study found that in families with high-deductible plans, kids were less likely to get immunizations and adults were less likely to get cancer screenings. Not only did this seem to jeopardize the beneficiares’ health, it also called into question the cost savings.
