Latest KFF Health News Stories
Labor Unions May Get Health Law Tax Relief
Unions want their plans exempted from the reinsurance tax, but the Obama administration may not do so until 2015.
Blue Shield of California Delays Cancellations for Some Individual Policyholders
Threatened with a legal action from the state, company says 80,000 customers can keep their plans through March 31.
Call Centers Got Big Contracts From Health Law, But How Big Is Unclear
The contractor running Connecticut’s call center for its health insurance marketplace doesn’t have to reveal how its pricing works.
For Many Workers, It’s Time To Consider Insurance Options
Fall is generally the time when many people who get insurance through their job re-enroll. Higher deductibles and dependent care costs, and financial incentives for wellness activities, lead trends.
So You Found An Exchange Plan. But Can You Find A Provider?
Many health plans being offered on the New York State insurance marketplace do not include some of New York City’s biggest hospitals in their networks. And across the state, many doctors say they are not yet participating in exchange plans at all.
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.
In Alabama, Lack Of Competition May Be Behind Insurance Premium Costs
The health law is being blamed for policy cancellations and replacement rate shock. But in Alabama, some say a lack of competition among insurance companies is a big part of the problem.
Adding To Health Insurance Confusion, Other Groups Try To Cash In
With the federal exchanges still not working well, some uninsured people are turning to local groups to figure what to do. In Florida, a lack of coordination among different agencies is leaving room for dubious outfits to enter the scene.
IHS services don’t meet the requirements of the law, but many Native Americans and Alaska natives are exempted from the individual mandate.
Why Insurers Cancel Policies, And What You Can Do When It Happens
Many people are receiving cancellation notices as the health law transforms the individual insurance market.
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.
Short-Term Plans Can Skirt Health Law Requirements
Some consumers may be attracted to these policies, which can run several months or as long as 364 days, because the premiums are lower.
My Other Pre-Existing Condition: Unstable Insurance
After bouncing through seven insurers in 13 years, a freelance writer hopes the system will keep him covered for good.
Choral Director May Be First Healthcare.gov Enrollee In Philadelphia Area
“You are definitely enrolled,” the director was told after a lengthy signup process. But she is still awaiting confirmation from Independence Blue Cross.
Zients Vows Healthcare.gov Will Work Smoothly By End Of November
A subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, which built the federal data hub, will oversee the fixes.
A Reader Asks: I Don’t Have Children, So Why Do I Have To Buy Pediatric Dental Insurance?
Insurance columnist explains that the essential health benefits that all new individual and small-group health plans must offer reflect a core package that experts thought everyone should have access to.
Health Law Brings Changes In How Therapists Do Business
Mom-and-Pop shops give way to large group practices that often accept discounted rates from insurers.
Are Federal Call Centers Up To The Task Of Enrolling Millions In Health Plans?
Despite the president’s urging that frustrated consumers use call centers, advocates say they’re not “a realistic alternative” for comparing and selecting coverage.
The health law gives consumers until March 31 to sign up for health insurance, but it may be weeks before coverage begins. So the administration says it will not penalize anyone who signs up by that date.
