Latest KFF Health News Stories
Supreme Court Insurance Subsidies Decision Could Trigger Price Spikes
A Supreme Court decision invalidating subsidies in 37 federal exchange states would lead to sharp premium increases and prompt many to drop coverage, say experts.
Attention, Shoppers: Prices For 70 Health Care Procedures Now Online!
Guroo.org shows the average local cost of 70 common diagnoses and medical tests in most states. That’s the real cost — not “charges” that often get marked down — based on a giant database of what insurance companies actually pay.
Fancy Flourishes At Hospitals Don’t Impress Patients, Study Finds
A study at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins finds that patients in older buildings rate their care about the same as those in a sleek new hospital tower.
UCLA Bacteria Outbreak Highlights The Challenges Of Curbing Infections
The lethal infection is one of three that the CDC says urgently require close monitoring and prevention to halt their spread.
In The Medicare Bonus Round, The Winners Are…Small, Specialty Hospitals!
Some hospital revenue is now going to be tied to how happy you – the patient – are when you stay there. But not all hospitals are going to be capable of winning the Medicare sweepstakes.
Pregnant And Uninsured? Don’t Count On Obamacare
March of Dimes, Young Invincibles and Planned Parenthood say that pregnant women should be able to get health coverage outside the three-month open enrollment period.
Surprise! The Taco Truck Is On Your Diet
The lunch truck menu is known more for grease and starch than leafy greens. But researchers in Los Angeles County say adding more nutritious options to the menu is one step toward reducing obesity.
Figuring Out If A Doctor Is In Your Plan Is Harder Than You Think
Consumers struggle with the lack of transparency. For example, some physicians can be in-network when they are working at one office or hospital but not when they are at another. Or they may belong to a medical group that is affiliated with your plan, but they don’t participate.
Government To Grade Nursing Homes On Tougher Scale
Nursing homes now will be graded on their use of anti-psychotic drugs and will have to do more to get top ratings on the federal website Nursing Home Compare.
Study: Physicians Report Few Requests By Patients For ‘Unnecessary’ Treatments
These findings call into question the conventional wisdom that suggests doctors often give unnecessary or inappropriate treatments because patients demand them.
Concierge Medicine Firm Found Liable For Doctor’s Negligence
In what may be the first verdict of its kind, a jury found the concierge medical giant MDVIP responsible for physician’s negligent care of a Boca Raton patient.
Texas Insurance Brokers Play Bigger Obamacare Role
Despite an uneasy relationship with the health law, insurance brokers are touting their expertise and helping Texans sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance.
Blue Cross North Carolina’s Price Tool Could Shake Up Medical Industry
The state’s largest insurer is the latest to pull back the veil of secrecy shrouding health care costs by publishing prices for more than 1,200 non-emergency procedures.
Study: Suffering At The End Of Life Getting Worse, Not Better
The percentage of Americans experiencing pain in the last year of life increased between 1998 and 2010, despite the growth of palliative care programs and hospice use, according to a study released Monday.
Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
In California, the vast majority of people renewing health insurance coverage in the state’s exchange did not switch health plans, and instead are sticking with the one they selected last year.
‘Orthopedic Capital Of The World’ Is Still Hiring Despite Health Law Tax
The medical device industry hopes a GOP Congress will repeal what they say is a job-killing tax, but critics say companies exaggerate its impact.
Learning About Hospice Should Begin Long Before You Are Sick
With the growth of the hospice industry, consumers have a number of choices for end-of-life care. Here’s a primer to help be prepared.
1,700 Hospitals Win Quality Bonuses From Medicare, But Most Will Never Collect
Penalties for readmissions and patient injuries erase bonuses hospitals earn for meeting stiff quality criteria. Fewer than 800 will end up with higher payments.
Next Goal For Abortion-Rights Backers: Reducing Stigma
Groups urge women to tell their own abortion stories to helps change the public view of abortion.
Health Insurance Startup Collapses In Iowa
Obamacare provided billions in seed money to help establish insurance companies called co-ops. One of the biggest has now gone under, and its state overseer is telling clients to switch carriers.
