Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medical Students Learn First Hand About Health Costs
At the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, students get hands-on lessons about the impact of treatment costs on patients by volunteering Saturdays at the East Harlem Health Outreach Program, a student-run free clinic for uninsured residents of a low-income neighborhood nearby.
Teaching Doctors The Price Of Care
Doctors in training have traditionally been insulated from details about the cost of tests and treatments they prescribe. But concerns about rising health costs are slowly changing that.
Using High Tech To Lower Health Costs
Electronic medical records could help curb health costs by providing doctors with details on the price of tests and drugs, health policy experts say.
The Worst May Be Over, But Big Challenges Remain For State Budgets
With an improving economy and help from the federal government, the worst of the fiscal bloodbath for state governments seems to be over. But the next couple of years still will be challenging and the long-run outlook for state budgets is shaping up to be even tougher.
Sensible public policy shouldn’t ask people to reduce that health care bill by bargaining with their doctors over prices and using things (as one Republican U.S. Senate candidate recently suggested) like chickens to pay for care. It should prevent that kind of financial exposure in the first place.
Consumer Confusion Triggers Crackdown By States On Discount Health Plans
In discount health plans, consumers pay a fee for access to a network that offers reduced charges for doctor visits and other care, but the patient is responsible for paying all costs up front. State officials and consumer groups say some of the plans are not legitimate.
Federal Employee Health Program Unlikely To Extend Young Adult Coverage On Parents’ Plan This Year
The federal government says current law will likely keep it from following the lead of some private insurance companies that will begin offering coverage this year to young adults.
Small Business Owners Have Mixed Reviews On Health Law’s Tax Credits
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the tax credit offered to small business owners to cover their employees could be a burden; others say it will help them afford insurance for their workers.
Analysis: Everything You Need to Know About the Fiscal Commission
President Barack Obama’s fiscal commission meets today for the first time. Here’s a guide to help you follow the proceedings.
Cancer Patients’ Dilemma: Expensive Pills or Invasive Chemo Treatment
Cancer patient Jere Carpentier would prefer taking a pill to having intravenous chemotherapy in a doctor’s office. But she
New Health Law Brings Better Coverage For Women
Among the many goals of the new health law is one that hasn’t received much attention: to improve women’s experiences in the health insurance world.
New Health Law Will Require Industry To Disclose Payments To Physicians
Doctors who accept speaking fees, five-star meals and other compensation from pharmaceutical or medical device companies will soon see their names — and the value of the gifts they accept — revealed on the Web.
Federal Officials Confirm A Shift In Medicaid Drug Rebates
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services confirms that some discounts states received from drugmakers will now be shifted to the federal government.
Health On The Hill – April 19, 2010
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing this week to discuss how to protect consumers from unreasonable health insurance premium increases.
Transcript: Health On The Hill
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing this week to discuss how to protect consumers from unreasonable health insurance premium increases.
In Kansas, Small Medicaid Cuts Have Big Impact On Some Seniors
In Kansas, cuts to Medicaid in-home services for the elderly produce quick consequences for some people who have had to move out of their apartments and into nursing homes.
Waxman Backs Away From Challenge To Big Corporations On Health Costs
A new congressional staff report is quieting the dispute regarding the losses that large corporations were anticipating as a result of the new health law. Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, cancelled a planned hearing for next week.
What Health Care Reform Means for Main Street
Health care coverage differs among Americans, and many details of the health care reform bill are still unclear. To help clear up the confusion, The Fiscal Times recruited six volunteers representing different incomes, geographic areas, ages and lifestyles to look at how the bill will affect a variety of people.
Jamie Oliver Trims the (Fiscal) Fat
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has targeted overweight kids in the unhealthiest city in America, and is looking to change them from the inside out. But the ripple effect of his efforts could extend far beyond shrinking the bulging bellies of Huntington, W. Va.’s citizens; ultimately, slimming down could mean fattening up their wallets.
Savings From Computerizing Medical Records Are Hard To Measure
A study about the Veterans Administration takes a step towards putting a dollar value on the savings a health care system can get from electronic medical records.
