Health Care Costs

Latest KFF Health News Stories

The Ranks of Obamacare ‘Fixers’ Axed in Trump’s Reduction of Health Agency Workforce

KFF Health News Original

These fixers, officially known as caseworkers, unraveled complex and arcane health insurance rules to solve people’s coverage issues. They worked in a little-known federal department with which most consumers never interact — until they need help.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

KFF Health News Original

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People

KFF Health News Original

Recent cuts eliminated a small, specialized workforce that sets the poverty standards determining who is eligible for Medicaid as well as assistance with food, home heating, child care, and more.

Tax Time Triggers Fraud Alarms for Some Obamacare Enrollees

KFF Health News Original

Consumers who were enrolled fraudulently in Affordable Care Act coverage could receive unexpected tax bills — the first and possibly only clue they were a victim of fraud. Getting help may become difficult as federal workers are laid off and funding for assistance programs is cut.

Rural Hospitals Question Whether They Can Afford Medicare Advantage Contracts

KFF Health News Original

Some rural hospitals have canceled — or are considering ending — contracts with insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans, saying the private policies jeopardize their finances and impede patient care.

Immigration Crackdowns Disrupt the Caregiving Industry. Families Pay the Price.

KFF Health News Original

Families, nursing facilities, and home health agencies rely on foreign-born workers to fill health care jobs that are demanding and do not attract enough American citizens. The Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies threaten to cut a key source of labor for the industry, which was already predicting a surge in demand.

‘If They Cut Too Much, People Will Die’: Health Coalition Pushes GOP on Medicaid Funding

KFF Health News Original

As House Republicans mull a massive $880 billion cut from federal programs likely including Medicaid, constituents, disability advocates, and health care providers are joining forces to lobby GOP members in California — including those who represent rural, deeply conservative pockets that stand to lose the most.

How Much Will That Surgery Cost? 🤷 Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful.

KFF Health News Original

Health care price transparency is one of the few bipartisan issues in Washington, D.C. But much of the information that hospitals and health plans have made available to the public is not helpful to patients, and there’s no conclusive evidence yet that it’s lowering costs or increasing competition.

Their Physical Therapy Coverage Ran Out Before They Could Walk Again

KFF Health News Original

Health plans limit physical or occupational therapy sessions to as few as 20 a year, no matter the patient’s infirmities. The limits persist despite federal rules banning insurers from setting annual dollar limits on the care they will provide.

He Had Short-Term Health Insurance. His Colonoscopy Bill: $7,000.

KFF Health News Original

After leaving his job to launch his own business, an Illinois man opted for a six-month health insurance plan. When he needed a colonoscopy, he thought it would cover most of the bill. Then he learned his plan’s limited benefits would cost him plenty.