Latest KFF Health News Stories
Questions & Answers About Coverage Options Under The Health Law
In the second of two installments, KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and health policy analyst Susan Dentzer joined Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour Wednesday to answer questions from consumers about health insurance enrollment and the health care law.
The Future Is Uncertain For The National Children’s Study
What was once considered a ground-breaking U.S. study to track the health of children from birth to adulthood may be stopped before its official start, causing alarm for researchers who say its findings are crucial to developing prevention strategies for a range of childhood illnesses.
Answers For Consumers As Obamacare Enrollment Reopens
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and health policy analyst Susan Dentzer joined Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour Tuesday to answer questions from consumers about enrollment and the health care law.
Network Blues: Big Bills Surprise Some E.R. Patients
Even when using hospitals in their insurance network, people often find that the doctors are not covered and they are responsible for those charges.
Kidney Dialysis Company Expands Into The Hospital Business
DaVita HealthCare Partners, a kidney dialysis company, is picking up on a new way insurers and the government are paying for health care — by keeping people healthy through primary care.
Cigna Agrees To Reduce Costs Of HIV/AIDS Drugs In Florida
The health insurer signs a consent agreement saying it would cap the amount consumers must pay for four popular HIV drugs.
L.A. County Health Department Allegedly Falsified Nursing Home Probe Records
Two staffers accuse the county of altering the dates when complaints were received amid rising concern over the pace of investigations.
Consumer Guide To The Supreme Court’s Action On ACA Subsidy Issue
At issue is whether the federal government can pay subsidies to people living in states that use healthcare.gov, the federal exchange.
How Much Is That MRI, Really? Massachusetts Shines A Light
A state law now requires insurers to reveal prices of their medical tests, and the variation is amazing, bargain hunters say. An MRI of the back is $614 at one place; $1,800 at another.
An interview with Consumer Reports’ Nancy Metcalf, author of a new guide to end-of-life planning.
Obama Administration Closing Health Law Loophole For Plans Without Hospitalization
Moving to close what many see as a major loophole in Affordable Care Act rules, the Obama administration will ban large-employer medical plans from qualifying under the law if they don’t offer hospitalization coverage.
Home Health Workers Struggle For Better Pay And Health Insurance
Home health care aides often toil for low pay and in jobs without benefits, including health insurance. A million more home health care workers will be needed to meet demand over the next decade.
Obamacare May Mean High Drug Costs For Floridians With HIV
ACA insurance plans may not be cheaper — or even affordable — for those with HIV and AIDS because of high medication costs, according to patient advocates.
Disabled Vt. Senior Wins Medicare Coverage After 2nd Lawsuit
On Wednesday, Medicare officials agreed to pay for Glenda Jimmo’s home health care, reversing an earlier denial that said she didn’t qualify for coverage because she was not improving.
Oregon Has A Shortage Of Certified Medical Interpreters
Thirteen years ago, Oregon passed a bill requiring trained translators be available in health care settings for patients who speak little English. But there are still fewer than 100 qualified interpreters in the state.
Medicare Changes Could Limit Patient Access To ALS Communication Tools
Patient advocates say that, because of an official coverage reminder “the door is closing” for ALS patients who depend on Medicare to get speech-generation devices.
Hepatitis C Patients May Not Qualify For Pricey Drugs Unless Illness Is Advanced
Many insurers are restricting access to new drugs that promise higher cure rates because the price tags can run $95,000 or more.
The Latest In Public Health Funding: Tapping Investors
An asthma prevention program in California hopes to offer returns based on savings from reduced hospital visits.
Hospitals Struggle To Beat Back Serious Infections
KHN reporter Jordan Rau spoke on NPR about data that say about 75,000 patients per year die from infections they got in the hospital. Nearly 700 hospitals around the U.S. have higher than expected infection rates.
Hospitals’ Struggles To Beat Back Familiar Infections Began Before Ebola Arrived
Each year about 75,000 patients die from infections they caught in the hospital. A KHN analysis of federal data shows that nearly 700 hospitals have higher than expected rates of infection for at least one condition.
