Latest KFF Health News Stories
Five Questions About The Health Law’s Mandate To Cover Birth Control
While controversy over one aspect of the Obama administration’s contraception rule
Minnesota Exchange Grant Arrives In Politically Divided State
The federal government has awarded Minnesota $26 million to help it create a health insurance exchange, but Republicans in the GOP-led state legislature there are engaged in a bitter fight with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton on its planning and even its existence.
Can Massachusetts Lead The Way On Controlling Health Costs?
As of April 1, base health insurance rates for small businesses will increase, on average, just 1.8 percent. Four prominent economists discuss why the state is having success keeping premium costs down.
Feds Jump-Start Health Insurance Co-Ops With Loans
Seven organizations will receive a total of $639 million in federal low-interest loans to launch new health insurance plans in eight states, the federal government announced Tuesday.
Insurance Coverage Might Steer Women To Costlier – But More Effective – Birth Control
Long-acting methods such as the IUD and the hormonal implant are nearly 100 percent effective and require no effort after insertion. But birth control pills are about 92 percent effective.
Alaska Takes Biggest Step Yet Toward Health Insurance Exchange
Alaska has opposed the federal health law so adamantly that it is the only state that chose not to even apply for a $1 million grant the federal government was passing out to states to plan a health insurance exchange. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be an online marketplace to buy insurance in Alaska.
FAQ: The Obama Administration’s Compromise On Contraception Benefits
The Obama administration, stung by fierce opposition from Catholic leaders to a new rule requiring that insurance plans offer free contraception, announced revised regulations Friday. Kaiser Health News summarizes common questions and answers to explain the new policy.
The White House Fact Sheet On The Contraception Compromise
This fact sheet was released by the White House in advance of President Barack Obama’s Feb. 10 comments about mandated health insurance coverage for contraception.
Rules Requiring Contraceptive Coverage Have Been In Force For Years
Employers have pretty much been required to provide contraceptive coverage as part of their health plans since December 2000. That’s when the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that failure to provide such coverage violates the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act. But controversy over a new rule requiring even religious employers to cover contraception remains.
Consumers Hit By Higher Out-of-Network Medical Costs
Insurers switch to new way to calculate reimbursement that shifts more of the expenses onto patients.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Backlash Grows Over Contraception Rule In Health Law
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about an Obama administration rule that would require many religious-affiliated groups to cover birth control in their insurance plans. House Speaker John Boehner has suggested Congress could take legislative action to stop the rule
Minnesota Plans For Exchange, Even Without New Law
Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, said that authorization will be needed at some point from the state legislature for an exchange. But he also suggested that much work could be done ahead of legislative action.
Q&A: Can You Be Denied Insurance Due To Pregnancy?
Losing employment and group coverage during a pregnancy narrows consumers’ health insurance options.
Can Insurers Charge You More Due To A Pre-Existing Condition?
There is still confusion about whether pre-existing conditions matter when it comes to the cost of your health insurance premium.
People In State High-Risk Insurance Plans Often Feel Left Behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Romney’s Defense Of The ‘Individual Mandate’ Praised By An Architect Of Mass. Law
When Mitt Romney vigorously defended Massachusetts’ decision to require that nearly every resident either have health insurance or pay a tax penalty Thursday night, some said it was the best support of the individual mandate made by any candidate so far this election cycle.
Obama On Health Insurance Reform: ‘I Won’t Go Back’ (State Of The Union Excerpts)
The president was brief but resolute on health reform in his State of the Union speech. In the GOP response, Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind., said Medicare dollars should be devoted to “those who need them most.”
Tips For Buying Long-Term Care Insurance
Consumer advocates say if you decide to get the coverage, be careful about the details.
Health Plans Launch Own Exchanges Ahead Of Public Versions
Several large insurers in Minnesota are launching private insurance exchanges to protect themselves against competition from the public exchanges when they go online in 2014.
Bishops Will Sue Feds Over Contraception Rule
The federal rules, which the Obama administration reaffirmed Friday, require health insurers to provide women with a range of preventive health services, including birth control, without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or deductible.
