Latest KFF Health News Stories
$6.8 Billion Spent Yearly On 12 Unnecessary Tests And Treatments
The conclusion comes from a study that looked at procedures and prescriptions ordered by primary care doctors frequently.
Big Insurer Fights Back In Court Against Regulation Of Profit Margin
The case brought by Anthem Health Plans of Maine could have regulatory repercussions around the country.
Premiums, Deductibles And Cost Sharing In Employer Health Plans Keep Rising
As they shoulder more health care expenses, workers in some plans can reduce their costs by participating in company wellness programs.
HHS Releases Final Regulations For ACOs
KHN staff writers Jenny Gold and Phil Galewitz report on the new rule, which will make it easier for health care providers to participate in the new models of delivering health care.
The CLASS Act has been vilified by Republicans and defended by Democrats. Here’s a small sample of some of those comments.
Viewpoint: CLASS Long-Term Care Insurance Is Dead, But What Comes Next?
Howard Gleckman writes that, with the demise of the CLASS Act, it is critical to act quickly and develop a consensus plan to address the nation’s long-term care problem.
CLASS Dismissed: Obama Administration Pulls Plug On Long-Term Care Program
KHN staff writers Julie Appleby and Mary Agnes Carey report that federal officials have effectively shut down part of the health care law aimed to help consumers pay for long-term care.
Tips To Cope With Health Benefits ‘Open Season’ Decisions
While insurance companies are required to accept all applicants of any employer, no matter what pre-existing health conditions are present, there may be some sticker shock on what your premium will be in January.
Chasing The Stars, Insurers Improve Quality — And Revenue
Only a handful of Medicare Advantage plans win five stars for quality. But the bonuses attached to the federal rating system are reshaping the competitive landscape for insurers.
Transcript: What Is The Super Committee Doing? Advocates Elbow Lawmakers On Cuts
Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey about the latest in talks around the “super committee’s” efforts to cut the deficit. Advocates and lawmakers are busy whispering what health programs should be shielded from cuts and which should be on the chopping block.
What Is The Super Committee Doing? Advocates Elbow Lawmakers On Cuts
Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey about the latest in talks around the super committee’s efforts to cut the deficit. Advocates and lawmakers are busy whispering what health programs should be shielded from cuts and which should be on the chopping block.
Medicare Plans See Dollars In The Stars
Star ratings are bleeding into bottom lines, board rooms and corporate strategy as Medicare Advantage plans chase top scores.
When Battling Cancer, Patients Often Face Hefty Expenses
Advances in treatment, including new drugs and high-tech procedures, can be costly, even for those with insurance.
Cancer Patients Could Benefit From Greater Use Of Rehabilitation
Oncologists often overlook therapies that can ease the debilitating effects of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and insurance plans frequently limit coverage.
Florida Readies Its Own Health Insurance Exchange
But it’s unlike the online marketplace required by the federal health law and draws only tepid support from health plans and insurance agents.
Advisory Panel Says Essential Health Benefits Package Must Be Affordable
The Department of Health and Human Services now must decide what benefits should be required in policies sold through insurance exchanges beginning in 2014.
Disparities Cloud Health Improvements In Past Decade, Report Finds
Federal officials note that minorities and low-income Americans continue to have less access to health care even as the country makes improvements in life expectancy and lowering death rates related to several conditions.
The prospects for this voluntary long-term care insurance program appear increasingly complicated.
Transcript: Forecasting What ‘Essential Benefits’ Recommendations Influential Panel Will Make
Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s Julie Appleby about recommendations an Institute of Medicine panel will make to help the Department of Health and Human Services determine just what “essential benefits” insurers will have to cover in health law-mandated marketplaces.
Forecasting What ‘Essential Benefits’ Recommendations Influential Panel Will Make
Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s Julie Appleby about recommendations an Institute of Medicine panel will make to help the Department of Health and Human Services determine just what “essential benefits” insurers will have to cover in health law-mandated marketplaces.
