Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Web Reporter Jessica Marcy Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Web Reporter Jessica Marcy says she’ll be examining the different kinds of health care workers — growing in numbers — looking to give more people more care.
Reporter Jenny Gold Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Reporter Jenny Gold says she’ll be watching how states cut health care in their budgets.
Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Julie Appleby discusses what changes could be in store for insurers.
African American Women And The Obesity Epidemic
Four in five African American women are overweight or obese, and they start adding extra pounds years before their white counterparts. Research suggests the problem may have a lot to do with when girls give up regular exercise.
Feds Face Challenges In Launching U.S. Health Exchange
Technical, political and financial obstacles loom as clock ticks toward 2014 deadline for operations.
HHS Gives States Flexibility On Health Law’s ‘Essential Benefits’
States will be given wide latitude to decide what “essential benefits” insurers must offer in policies offered on new health exchanges come 2014, the Obama administration said Friday in a move that pushes off final federal rules on those benefits until sometime next year.
How Lawsuits Can Stymie Some Automatic Cuts
Advocates for the elderly and disabled have been able to thwart budget cuts in California by challenging them in federal court.
Hospitals Try To Control Readmissions, Even When It Hurts Profits
Patients with multiple chronic conditions benefit from a new clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. But the hospital says it bears too much of the costs to keep discharged patients from returning.
Coverage Of Bariatric Surgery Is Spotty For Obese Kids
Experts in pediatric obesity say that caution is warranted, but some physicians see the operations as offering a safe chance to take off significant weight and avoid harmful disease.
Berwick: Don’t Blame Medicare, Medicaid. It’s The Delivery System
The former Medicare administrator says the U.S. health care system “isn’t built for modern times,” but the health care law will help rein in costs and improve care.
Health Law May Accelerate Growth In Urgent Care Centers
Crowded emergency rooms and a lack of primary care doctors have fueled recent expansions. But the drive to lower costs is also a factor and could bring more customers under the overhaul.
Clock Is Ticking for ‘Doc Fix,’ Medicare ‘Extenders’
In today’s Health on the Hill, Jackie Judd and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey discuss the prospects for an agreement this month on Medicare reimbursement rates, and what happens if nothing is done before the end of the year.
Minnesota Health Exchange Demonstrations Online For Public Review
Until now, an insurance exchange in Minnesota, which will allow consumers to buy health insurance online and is part of the health overhaul, has been just an abstract idea. But now, prototypes for public review are now available online.
Some Companies Base Premiums On Employee’s Salary
Although few employers have used this strategy, consultants say it could help many in 2014 meet new requirements in the health law.
What Every Baby Boomer Should Know About Medicare
Among the most costly mistakes is missing the deadline for enrollment.
Calif. Hospital Report Cards Likely To Go Away
Most major hospitals in California give data voluntarily to independent analysts who publish consumer-friendly reports. But the California Hospital Association says it is withdrawing from the project.
Weighing Berwick’s Top Five Accomplishments At CMS
Dr. Donald Berwick’s 15-month tenure at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was marked by ambitious efforts to improve the nation’s health care system.
Enrollment Still Growing In Medicare Advantage Plans, GAO Says
Predictions of the demise of Medicare’s private insurance plans are premature, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
Study: Big Employers Could Dump Sickest Employees On To Exchanges
A loophole in the health law could allow employers to game the system by dumping their sicker employees onto health insurance exchanges.
Unconventional Clinic Providing Safety Net For Women
Marilyn Ringstaff’s clinic fills a void for low-income uninsured women in Rome, Georgia.
