Latest KFF Health News Stories
Table: Medicare Spending By State And Category
One out of every five dollars Medicare spends goes to nursing homes, home health services or other post-acute facilities and services. The spending varies greatly between states: Louisiana spends 31 percent on post-acute services while Hawaii spends 12 percent.
Websites Step Up To Fill Federal Void
Several sites are helping consumers compare policies and figure out whether they are eligible for federal subsidies.
Administration Tests Fixes That Would Allow Insurers, Brokers To Enroll More Consumers
Changes that would allow the companies to enroll subsidy-eligible individuals are being tried in Texas, Ohio and Florida.
In Iowa, Accountable Care Begins To Make A Difference
The Medicare program created by the Affordable Care Act focuses on smarter, targeted care to save lives and money.
Hispanics Interested In ‘Having Providers Who Can Appreciate Their Culture,’ Medical Leader Says
Elena V. Rios, the president of the National Hispanic Medical Association, tells KHN that the U.S. needs more diversity in medical education at all levels.
Doctors Complain They Will Be Paid Less By Exchange Plans
Some worry the lower rates will discourage physicians from participating, potentially making it more difficult for enrollees to get care.
Methodology: How Value Based Purchasing Payments Are Calculated
The Kaiser Health News story and data on Medicare’s quality payment programs are based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) containing the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing and Readmissions Reduction Program adjustment factors for individual hospitals.
Nearly 1,500 Hospitals Penalized Under Medicare Program Rating Quality
The hospitals were rated on two-dozen measures, including surveys of patient satisfaction and death rates.
By State: Hospital Quality Bonuses And Penalties
Medicare gives hospitals bonuses and penalties based on how well they performed on 24 quality measures. This chart shows the average effect by state on hospitals’ Medicare payments during the second year of the program.
Interactive Chart: Bonuses And Penalties For U.S. Hospitals
This chart shows the payment adjustments for each hospital and how they compared to the bonuses and penalties from last year.
Prevention Programs For People Without Insurance Still Play Key Role
Although the health law could expand coverage to millions, many low-income people and others will not have insurance and will still have to rely on these programs for preventive care.
How Much Is That X-Ray? Still Hard To Say, Even In Massachusetts
A new state law requires price transparency, but it is still a days-long quest for one reporter to find out how much a simple back X-ray costs.
Detailing Long-Awaited Mental Health Parity Law Regulations
The Obama administration released the final rules Friday for 1996 and 2008 laws that expanded the kinds of mental health and substance abuse care insurers must cover. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and CQ HealthBeat’s Rebecca Adams discuss.
Oregon’s State Exchange May Be Worse Than Healthcare.gov
Not a single person is enrolled yet in Oregon, where 7,300 applications have been filed, all on paper.
Doctors Treat New Condition: Questions About Health Law
Health officials are counting on physicians to help educate patients about new insurance options under the health law. But like everyone else, doctors have differing opinions about Obamacare.
As Robot-Assisted Surgery Expands, Are Patients And Providers Getting Enough Information?
A study finds missing and inadequately reported information about adverse events.
Why State Exchange Sites Worked While The Federal Site Faltered
What accounts for the different experiences of the state and federally managed exchanges? Why are the exchanges that the federal government runs so bug-ridden, subjecting users to long delays and possibly even more serious problems?
Help Flies In For Troubled Hospital In Estes Park, Colo.
Fires, floods, and a government shutdown have plagued the town at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. With roads still closed, medical staff commutes via helicopter to Estes Park Medical Center.
Wellness Apps And Websites Go For New Clients: Insurance Companies
Cigna’s partnership with MyFitnessPal is part of a trend, as insurers pair up with online weight-loss and wellness platforms to try to encourage healthy behavior.
Letters To The Editor: Nurse Practitioners In Primary Care; The Future Of Bare-Bones Health Plans
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature in which readers can comment on our recent stories.
