Latest KFF Health News Stories
Doctors’ Billing System Stays Stuck In the ’70s For Now
Last week Congress delayed the upgrade of codes that govern the U.S. medical system. Some say this will waste billions of dollars and make cost-saving and life-saving research more difficult.
Early Drug Claims Suggest Exchange Plan Enrollees Are Sicker Than Average
But experts say it’s too early to draw conclusions about the impact on premiums.
Oregon Medicaid Plan Sees High Demand
Trillium Community Health Plan is scrambling to take care of many more new customers than it expected in the first months of Affordable Care Act coverage.
Clients Save, Insurers Get Boost From Affordable Care Act
As enrollment continues for some, insurers like Independence Blue Cross in Pennsylvania are busy trying to show new customers how to use their policies.
Nevada Offers Rare Bet: Year-Round Sales Of Health Plans
It is the only state to mandate that insurers who sell individual plans outside the online marketplace must keep sales open throughout the year. The health law allows insurers to offer individual plans even outside the open enrollment period, but in most areas few companies appear interested.
State Exchange Executives Face Tough Questions From House Subcommittee
For some states, like California, things have gone well. But the rollout in states like Maryland and Oregon has been rocky. Mary Agnes Carey and CQ Roll Call’s Emily Ethridge discuss what we’ve learned about why some did better than others.
Co-op Health Insurance Plans See Early Success
Montana’s health insurance co-op is encouraged by its strong enrollment and plans to expand into Idaho next year. But some caution that it will be difficult for co-ops to grow beyond a niche player.
Obama: ‘The Affordable Care Act Is Here To Stay’
It a statement in the White House Rose Garden, the president Tuesday touted over 7 million sign-ups for health insurance on the health law’s marketplaces.
For A Family With Job-Based Insurance, Premium Subsidies Fall Far Short Of Promises
A Texas woman explains how her family’s hopes of help from the health law were dashed when they found out that they were not eligible.
What Happens Next On The Health Law?
As the first open enrollment period draws to a close, here are seven things to watch for clues about what the health law’s future might hold.
Insurance Agents Enroll More Than 4,000 Haitian-Americans in South Florida
A group of Haitian-American insurance agents have seized the opportunity to bring health coverage to their own South Florida communities, where they estimate seven out of 10 people are uninsured.
Colorado Health Exchange’s Marketing Budget Draws Enrollees, Critics
Colorado officials on both sides of the aisle are arguing over the effectiveness of the $8 million marketing spend the state’s insurance marketplace.
3 Million And Counting: Final Push Underway To Enroll Californians In Health Plans
But some residents remain unconvinced they need coverage, and others say they can’t afford it even with financial help.
Going Without Health Insurance Will Likely Cost You At Tax Time
Tax experts say the penalty for not having coverage will exceed $95 for most people and encourage consumers to apply for tax credits to offset insurance premiums.
Connecticut Customers Rush To Retail Store To Buy Insurance
Obamacare business is picking up at a storefront in New Haven, where some customers are getting insurance for the first time and others are hoping to lower their premiums.
A Reader Asks: After I Was In The Hospital, Can I Buy Insurance To Cover My Bills?
KHN’s consumer columnist says insurance generally doesn’t apply to charges for hospital or doctors services from before you signed up, with one exception.
Justices To Weigh Contraceptive Mandate Against Religious Freedom Claims
Two businesses are challenging the health law’s birth control coverage requirement on religious freedom grounds.
Doctors Say Obamacare Rule Will Stick Them With Unpaid Bills
If a patient falls behind on premiums, insurers can hold off paying their doctor bills, and deny them altogether if the patient fails to make good.
10 States Are Critical To Administration’s Efforts To Enroll 6 Million In New Health Plans
Reaching that number might give Democrats bragging rights and make it more likely that state pools are big enough to keep down premiums.
Some Young People Won’t Get Tax Help for Obamacare Insurance
A new study shows that younger people in eight cities who make more than about $32,000 a year won’t get tax credits to help pay for insurance premiums.
