Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cigna Profits As Medicare Softens Penalty Policy
A new policy preserves Cigna’s access to bonuses while the insurer fixes “widespread” failures in its Medicare plans.
Hospital Closures Rattle Small Towns
More than 50 shuttered rural hospitals mean a loss of jobs and other commerce for municipalities and uncertain care for residents.
N.H., Calif. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
New Hampshire is expanding its website that lists the cost of specific medical procedures to include dental treatments and 65 prescription drugs. California is expanding its report cards on large medical groups to include cost of medical services by an average patient.
Using Data To Help Home Health Workers Manage Patients’ Conditions
A market is emerging for products that enlist data and technology to identify patients who might be at risk for hospitalization or readmission.
Retail Clinics Add Convenience But Also Hike Costs, Study Finds
Researchers say the clinics tucked in stores and pharmacies lead patients to seek more medical attention than they otherwise would for minor ailments.
Can’t Get In To See Your Doctor? Many Patients Turn To Urgent Care
A recent poll shows 27 percent of Americans have visited an urgent care center in the past two years. Why? Most cite convenience.
Report Details Senior Health Care That Misses The Mark
New research from the Dartmouth Atlas Project identifies areas where older patients get care that doesn’t meet guidelines or their own goals.
Managing Depression A Challenge In Primary Care Settings, Study Finds
Primary care physicians see many patients with depression. New research finds they continue to struggle to apply the treatment strategies used for other chronic illnesses.
Slowing Down The ER To Improve Care For Patients With Autism
A small but growing number of hospital emergency rooms are taking steps to improve quality of care for patients with autism while also adding efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Leading Scope Maker Olympus Agrees To Hefty Settlement In Kickback Cases
The company will pay $646 million to end civil and criminal probes. Olympus’ leaders acknowledge responsibility for ‘past conduct’ they say was inconsistent with the firm’s values.
The Stethoscope: Timeless Tool Or Outdated Relic?
Why is a 200-year-old icon of the medical field still in wide use in the digital age? Some say modern tools are more informative and worth the extra cost, but the stethoscope has staunch defenders.
Medicine’s Power Couples: A Challenge In Recruiting Physicians To Rural Areas
A research letter published in JAMA suggests that physicians increasingly marry people who match them in terms of educational levels and career pursuits, making it more difficult to attract them to small-town practices.
EHRs In The ER: As Doctors Adapt, Concerns Emerge About Medical Errors
As hospitals adopt electronic health record systems, some emergency rooms are experiencing new patterns of medical errors.
R2D2’s Next Assignment: Hospital Orderly
A gleaming new hospital in San Francisco has a fleet of robots dropping off meals, picking up trash and saving some money in a very 21st century way.
With Special Tax Suspended, Medical Device Firms Reap Big Savings
The medical device industry is enjoying a two-year moratorium on a tax that was created to support the Affordable Care Act. Are firms using their savings to create more jobs, as many claim?
Candidates’ Drug-Price Plans May Miss The Mark
There is more than one reason prices are rising, and no single solution.
As Rural Hospitals Struggle, Some Opt To Close Labor And Delivery Units
Facilities for delivering babies are costly to run and hard to staff, so some small, rural hospitals are closing them, forcing pregnant women to travel for care.
Women Increasingly Having Outpatient Mastectomies, New Federal Data Show
Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality data show that more women with breast cancer are opting for mastectomies over less-invasive options, and more are having the procedure in outpatient facilities where they don’t spend even one night in the hospital.
Urging Openness About Superbug Infections, Doctor Omits Cases In Own Hospital
In a respected medical journal, a specialist advises colleagues on protecting patients but doesn’t mention potential infections from a contaminated scope at his Philadelphia cancer center.
California Marketplace May Require Insurers To Pay Agent Commissions
Covered California’s Executive Director Peter Lee said the measure is needed to keep insurers from slicing commissions to avoid enrolling the sickest patients.
