Latest KFF Health News Stories
Rural Doctor Shortage Worsens As Newly Insured Washington Residents Seek Care
In one Olympic Peninsula community, a clinic turns away 250 callers a week.
Missouri’s Medicaid Applicants Get Put On Hold
Call center wait times climb even as the application backlog mounts and the state reports the single largest monthly drop in Medicaid enrollment in June.
Putting Teeth In Health Reform
Many North Carolina dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients because of the low reimbursements, while the federal health law defines children’s dental insurance as an essential benefit” but doesn’t require parents to buy it.
Beware Of Higher Charges If You Go To An Out-Of-Network Emergency Room
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from charging more for out-of-network emergency care, but your bill could be higher if you’re admitted to the hospital.
Health Law May Benefit More Small Businesses In The Fall
Special online markets weren’t widely available in Obamacare’s first year.
Freestanding ERs Target Suburbs, Rural Panel Told
Freestanding emergency departments have been proposed in Georgia as a potential solution for struggling rural hospitals.
Health Law Spurs Focus On Faster Drug Development
The Cures Acceleration Network’s mission is to fund research that can be speedily transformed into treatments and to streamline the drug-approval process.
Operator? Business, Insurer Take On End-of-Life Issues By Phone
Fear keeps many patients and doctors from talking to each other about end-of-life care. One company, hired by insurers, has made a rather unusual business fostering those conversations.
Pediatricians In Florida Could See Relief From Low Medicaid Payments
A possible resolution of a lawsuit against Florida health and child-welfare officials could mean that physicians will receive what they consider to be adequate compensation.
Are Your Medical Records Vulnerable To Theft?
Here’s what you need to know if your records are stored electronically (and they probably are).
Health Care Giants Battling For Control Of Pittsburgh’s Market
As the line between insurance companies and health care providers blurs, these onetime allies are venturing into each other’s business and becoming competitors.
Wrestling With A Texas County’s Mental Health System
Strong leadership and common-sense budgeting created a model mental health care system in San Antonio.
San Antonio Police Have Radical Approach To Mental Illness: Treat It
With specialized training and a redirection of resources, San Antonio’s police force is taking better care of mentally ill people, keeping them out of jail and saving $10 million a year.
In Study, Questions About Who Should Perform In-Office Surgeries
A study of Medicare billing found that many dermatology procedures were done by nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Letters to the Editor is a regular feature in which readers comment on KHN original stories.
With Health Law, ERs Still Packed
Emergency-room visits have increased at many hospitals. A shortage of primary-care doctors is one reason.
Government Streamlining Medicare Coverage For Cancer Test
FDA and Medicare officials conduct a parallel review of a new screening test for colorectal cancer and that could bring the test to beneficiaries six months faster.
For Aging Inmates, Care Outside Prison Walls
As the number of elderly inmates needing long-term care rises, some states are looking for alternatives beyond prison walls.
Must A Divorced Dad Cover Adult Kids; Will Medicare Pay For Infusion Therapy
KHN’s consumer columnist Michelle Andrews explores a divorced mother’s efforts to get her ex-husband to keep their sons on his plan, one senior’s problems getting Medicare to cover his antibiotic infusion at home and what earnings one reader will have to count when applying for premium subsidies.
Stigma Is A Side-Effect Of HIV-Prevention Medicine
Truvada is a drug that can help people who are not infected avoid contracting the virus that causes AIDS. But some patients are worried the medical community is not up to speed.
