Latest KFF Health News Stories
Facing Pressure, Insurance Plans Loosen Rules For Covering Addiction Treatment
Aetna will be the third major insurer to remove prior authorization requirements for patients who seek medication-assisted treatments such as Suboxone.
Health Law’s 10 Essential Benefits: A Look At What’s At Risk In GOP Overhaul
The woman set to run the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told senators last week that maternity coverage should be optional in individual and small group plans. But other services could also be left on the cutting room floor.
Treatment Gaps Persist Between Low- And High-Income Workers, Even With Insurance
People earning low wages are more likely than those with higher incomes to go to an emergency room or be admitted to the hospital for avoidable conditions, a study in Health Affairs finds.
For California’s Smallest Businesses, Obamacare Opened The Door
The state has one of the highest rates of small business owners who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
New Rules Try To Shore Up Individual Health Insurance Market In 2018
The Trump administration’s first health regulation would shorten the enrollment periods and make it harder for patients to get coverage outside of that annual signup period.
Individual Insurance Primer: Long-Troubled Market At Center Of Drive For Repeal
People who do not get insurance through their job or the government have long battled a difficult market.
A Deep Dive Into 4 GOP Talking Points On Health Care
The president says Obamacare has been “a complete and total disaster,” and other Republicans see nothing but trouble. But a careful look at the arguments suggest the situation is more complicated.
Judge Upends Effort To Limit Charity Funding For Kidney Patients’ Insurance
A federal judge in Texas last month issued a preliminary injunction barring the government from enforcing a rule allowing insurers to refuse to insure dialysis patients who get premium assistance from charity groups.
California Regulator Slams Health Insurers Over Faulty Doctor Lists
A new report finds that major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth submitted conflicting lists to the state that were off by thousands of doctors.
What Made Obamacare Succeed In Some States? Hint: It’s Not Politics
A study of five states looks at the market conditions that make or break the health insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act.
Despite Prevention Guidelines, Few Smokers Seek CT Scans To Check For Lung Cancer
Lung cancer screening rates have not changed much even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that smokers get checked, according to a new study.
‘Massive Confusion’ Abounds For Insurers As GOP Wavers On Obamacare Redo
Republicans’ delay in finding common ground to repeal and replace the health law raises risks that coverage could shrink and rates rise even more, the industry says.
Georgia Legislative Panel Hears Concerns About Surprise Medical Billing
Insurers and care providers say efforts to fix how consumers are notified also raise concerns.
With A High Deductible, Even A Doctor Can Shortchange His Health
A Harvard health policy expert faced a racing heartbeat and $6,000 deductible on his insurance plan. What did he do?
Could Minnesota Health Reforms Foreshadow Repeal And Replace?
The state passed a bailout to make ACA plans more affordable, defeated a plan to offer bare bones insurance and is floating a state-sponsored public option.
If Obamacare Is Being Repealed, Do The Uninsured Still Face Penalties?
People who think the change in administrations may save them from having to pay a fine for not having insurance in 2016 could be in for a rude surprise.
Q&A: Efforts To Extend Health Coverage To Undocumented Immigrants
California state Sen. Ricardo Lara talks about progress and setbacks in the Trump era.
Employers Fret Job-Based Coverage Vulnerable To Fallout From GOP Health Overhaul
Employer medical insurance still covers more people than any other kind. A Republican replacement for Obamacare could spread instability beyond the health law’s shaky marketplace plans.
Demand For Popular Short-Term Insurance Plans Could Surge If Health Law Is Relaxed
Consumer advocates warn that these policies don’t have important safeguards that customers need.
Repeal Ripples: Five Obamacare Exchange Chiefs Contemplate An Uncertain Future
Despite political peril, Obamacare business is brisk in California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Colorado.
