Latest KFF Health News Stories
Different Takes: Shifting Vets From Medicaid To The VA Is A Win-Win
Washington state officials have created a program, which has since been copied by other states, to identify veterans who have fallen through the cracks in terms of the benefits they earned with their military service.
Walmart Wants To Be Nation’s Biggest Primary Care Provider
According to confidential documents obtained by KHN, Walmart is seeking to become the largest provider of primary health care in the United States in order to “lower the cost of health care.” Analysts say Walmart could also be trying to get more people in their stores.
After Bike Crash In Canada, Columnist Finds No Clear Road To Recovery At Home In NYC
After a serious bike crash in Canada, a writer returns home and finds many uncertainties in her medical options.
The Accidental (Medical) Tourist
Michelle Andrews shares with Jackie Judd about the health care system ordeal she went through after a bike accident in Canada landed her in the hospital there and about the follow-up care she got in the U.S.
When TLC Doesn’t Satisfy Patients, Elite Hospitals May Pay A Price
As Medicare prepares to factor patient ratings into reimbursements, hospitals everywhere are pulling out the stops to please. Some of the nation’s most prestigious hospitals are struggling to appease their exacting patients.
Grading Docs With Electronic Medical Records
Digitized medical records have the potential to have a powerful effect on doctors’ behavior and patients’ care.
$6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On 12 Unnecessary Tests And Treatments
The conclusion comes from a study that looked at procedures and prescriptions ordered by primary care doctors frequently.
Minnesota Health Systems Try Partnering, Not Competition, To Boost Their Bottom Lines
A partnership between two rival health systems in the Minneapolis area is offering a glimpse of the future, at least as envisioned in the federal health law.
States Are Limiting Medicaid Hospital Coverage In Search For Savings
Hospitals say the burden of cost-cutting falls on them because they’ll be stuck with the bill for care if Medicaid refuses to pay.
Managing Asthma With More Than Medicine
Truly treating childhood asthma takes a team of doctors, health educators and parents. They are trying this approach in Philadelphia, where the prevalence of the disease in the African-American community is especially high.
State Medicaid Spending Skyrockets
KHN staff writer Phil Galewitz reports that the combination of rising enrollments and the end of federal stimulus funds is forcing a huge spike in state spending on Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor.
Between A Hygienist And A Dentist, A Hard Sell
Proposal to create mid-level dental care providers gains traction in Kansas as a university pledges to train the new professionals. But the idea faces stiff opposition from some dentists.
Letters To The Editor: Readers’ Thoughts On Children’s Hospitals Series
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. This installment offers a selection of comments on KHN’s recent “Building Ambitions” series that explores the world of funding for children’s hospitals.
HHS Releases Final Regulations For ACOs
KHN staff writers Jenny Gold and Phil Galewitz report on the new rule, which will make it easier for health care providers to participate in the new models of delivering health care.
Oregon Wants To Grade Its ACOs
Oregon’s Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat and a physician, is pushing for a way for the state’s health plans to coordinate care better for patients.
Helping Patients Know Their ‘Medical Mind’ Can Ease Uncertainty
In a new book, oncologist and New Yorker writer Jerome Groopman and his wife, endocrinologist Pamela Hartzband, encourage consumers to chart their own path when looking at treatment decisions.
Medicare Releases Patient Safety Ratings For Hospitals
Publication of the new Medicare data on HHS website is a step in the government’s plan to link payments to quality.
Perry And Other GOP Candidates Knock Romney On Mass. Health Reform, Blast Health Law
The Republican candidates for president spent their latest debate Tuesday night criticizing features of the health care law, including the IPAB. Newt Gingrich brought up “death panels” and Gov. Rick Perry faced questions about Medicaid in Texas.
Offering Rehab Services Soon After Diagnosis Proves Beneficial
National Naval Hospital in Bethesda helped pioneer this model of treatment for breast cancer patients and found it saved money and helped the women fully recover their range of motion.
Cancer Patients Could Benefit From Greater Use Of Rehabilitation
Oncologists often overlook therapies that can ease the debilitating effects of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and insurance plans frequently limit coverage.
