Latest KFF Health News Stories
Consumers Don’t View Curbing Costs As Their Job When Choosing Treatments, Study Finds
Researcher says she and colleagues were “surprised at how firmly and frequently people talked about not wanting cost considerations to factor into decision-making at all.”
Minnesota Senate Passes Exchange Bill
Much of the 12 hours of debate focused on whether or not industry officials could serve on the exchange’s board of directors.
Health Insurers See Big Opportunities In Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid managed care plans prepare for as many as 10 million new members in 2014– and billions in additional revenue.
Caveat For Contraceptive Coverage; Early Retirees May Get Cheaper Plans On Exchanges
Columnist answers readers’ questions about birth control provisions and subsidized coverage on state-based insurance marketplaces.
Key Long-Term-Care Insurer To Raise Women’s Premiums
Although the Affordable Care Act seeks to end health plans’ use of gender to set prices, the new rules don’t apply to policies for long-term care.
New Coverage May Spur Younger Women To Use Long-Acting Contraceptives
The health law specifies that birth control is a covered service in many plans ending the burden of a high up-front cost for IUDs and hormonal implants.
Federal Government To Run Insurance Marketplaces In Half The States
Friday deadline passes and states largely bypass the option to work with the federal government in setting up new online health insurance marketplaces that open for business Oct. 1.
Observation Units Can Improve Care But May Be Costly For Patients
Sometimes patients who are kept in the hospital to monitor their condition are not formally admitted and must pick up a bigger share of the cost.
Medicaid Transformation Watched Closely In Florida
The federal government gave the green light to Florida to put its long-term-care Medicaid patients into managed care. The big question now is: Will it work?
Q&A: How Does Marriage Affect Health Coverage For The Young?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about under-26 insurance coverage for newlyweds.
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions about the new pregnancy benefits offered in the health overhaul, assurances that current insurance policies will be honored in the future and switching employer health plans.
Six Questions And Answers About The Obama Administration’s Birth Control Rule
The new regulations lay out a plan that will keep organizations that self-insure from having to pay for the coverage.
Q&A: Contraception Coverage Under The Health Law
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about the health law’s provision on no-cost birth control.
Long Waits For Consumers When Medicare Is ‘Secondary Payer’
A new law sets schedules for providing details about medical claims in cases where a beneficiary suffers a personal injury due to someone else’s negligence.
Q&A: Picking Health Insurance For Your Newborn
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about how expectant parents can choose the best insurance for their child.
TurboTax, Not Travelocity, May Be Better Analogy For Health Exchanges
Consumers in Colorado focus groups said they know very little about insurance and will need a lot of customer support to purchase coverage online.
HMO-Like Plans May Be Poised To Make Comeback In Online Insurance Markets
Insurers bet some consumers will choose cheaper plans that restrict their choice of doctors, despite worries about skimpy care and huge bills for out-of-network providers.
Hospices, Wary Of Costs, May Be Discouraging Patients With High Expenses
A survey finds that more than three-quarters of hospices have restrictive enrollment policies designed to keep away patients with high-cost medical needs.
Children, Teens, Young Adults Focus Of Mental Health Provisions In Obama’s Gun Plan
President Obama’s actions and proposals on reducing gun violence include efforts to address the nation’s fragmented and porous mental health system. Mental health advocates are buoyed by the attention given to an issue they say has been ignored for far too long.
Q&A: Disclosing Mental Health Records To An Insurer
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about minors’ mental health records and whether they need to be disclosed to insurers paying for care.
