Latest KFF Health News Stories
Consumers Will Pay More Out Of Pocket Next Year For Specialty Drugs
More insurers selling Affordable Care Act plans will charge consumers higher rates for medicines that treat multiple sclerosis, hepatitis C and other serious illnesses, Avalere studies say.
Medicare Tightens Non-Emergency Use Of Ambulances To Combat Fraud
Advocates say many poor seniors who need dialysis and cancer treatments will have few transportation options.
More Competition Helps Restrain Premiums In Federal Health Marketplace
In counties that are adding at least one insurer next year, average premiums for the least expensive silver plan are rising 1 percent on average, compared to 7 percent in counties where the number of insurers is not changing, KHN analysis finds.
Alaska Doctors Overwhelmed By New Federal Rules
The new requirements for electronic medical records and other technological upgrades can be a heavy burden for Alaska’s small medical practices and aging physician workforce.
Some Experts Dispute Claims Of Looming Doctor Shortage
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can fill some primary care gaps, but specialists say an aging population will need more intensive care.
Hospitals And Pharmacies Grapple With Rising Drug Prices
Spending on drugs by Ascension, a large Midwestern health care system, has increased $36 million in the last year — with two-thirds of that attributed to costlier generics.
Costly Hepatitis C Treatments Help Drive 12 Percent Drug Spending Jump
Increases are expected to moderate as more brand-name drug patents expire and the impact of the liver disease treatments lessens.
Big Changes For 2015 Workplace Plans: Watch Out For These Six Possible Pitfalls
Consumers who get health insurance through their employers need to pay close attention this year to their enrollment materials.
Pacemakers Get Hacked On TV, But Could It Happen In Real Life?
Concerns about the potential vulnerability of medical devices are getting the attention of regulators, health care providers and manufacturers.
Laws Spreading That Allow Terminal Patients Access To Experimental Drugs
Five states have approved the measures this year, but critics note that they don’t address the issues of patient costs and don’t mean the drug makers will necessarily make the medications available.
You Paid What? How Negotiated Deals Hide Health Care’s Cost
A patient’s portion of a health care bill is a complicated equation – but it’s simple compared to the deals between insurers and hospitals.
Employers With Workers In Several States Face Challenge Using SHOP Exchanges
Each state may have different options and regulations.
How The Health Law Is Using Medicare To Improve Hospital Quality
Among the tools: penalties for admitting patients too soon after they were discharged and a focus on reducing hospital-acquired infections.
Florida Hospitals Could Lose Billions Without Medicaid Expansion, Group Warns
Federal funding cuts made by the ACA and other programs will hit safety net hospitals hard.
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.
How Employers Are Getting Ready For Open Enrollment
Some large employers will face penalties if they don’t offer workers health insurance in 2015. In addition, workers can expect to see increased cost-sharing and employers pushing them to “private exchanges” to save money.
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.
Thinking About Enrolling In Obamacare? Keep These 5 Tips In Mind
The online health insurance marketplaces open on Nov. 15 for three months. Here’s a checklist of several things to consider.
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.
Soda Tax Succeeds In Berkeley, Fizzles In San Francisco
The nation’s first tax on sugary drinks aims to combat obesity and diabetes, with a penny-per-ounce levy.
