Latest KFF Health News Stories
Consumer Groups: Force Insurers To Provide More Details Justifying Price Increases
Under the new health law, many insurers will have to publicly report how much they plan to raise premiums and why, but consumer advocates say draft rules on how much information is required to justify “unreasonable” increases fall short.
COBRA, Medicaid Subsidies Still Loom Over Congressional Agenda
Democrats had hoped to extend health insurance subsidies for newly laid off workers, extend extra Medicaid payments to the states, and pass a long term Medicare ‘doc fix’ before the July 4 recess. But all they could accomplish was a short-term Medicare fix.
What You Need To Know About The Government’s New Health Insurance Website
The new health law mandated that the government set up a website to help consumers understand all of their insurance options. The site, http://www.healthcare.gov, launched July 1.
Part-Time Workers To Get Help On Health Insurance
The new health care law promises to make it easier for part-time workers to find and buy affordable coverage, starting in 2014. Until then, they don’t have a lot of options.
Transcript: Health On The Hill
The Department of Health and Human Services is facing July 1 deadlines for creation of high-risk pools to help individuals who have been without health insurance for six months or longer and a new web portal to provide consumers with information about health insurance plans.
HHS Launching Health Website For Consumers This Week
A new federal website will give consumers a list of all private and government health care plans for individuals and small businesses in their areas. Insurers and advocacy groups are clashing over the data to be provided.
As Congress temporarily delayed the 21 percent Medicare pay cut to doctors, it failed to resolve the issue of COBRA benefits and Medicaid funding for hard-pressed states.
Health Overhaul Train Leaves Doctors On The Platform
Good news and bad news for doctors who treat Medicare patients.
How New Health Insurance Regulations Could Affect Some Premiums, Coverage
As he trumpeted what he called a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” Tuesday, President Barack Obama tried to calm fears that the new health law would increase insurance costs.
Text: The Obama Administration’s New ‘Patient’s Bill Of Rights’
The White House today released a “Fact Sheet: The Affordable Care Act’s New Patient’s Bill of Rights,” the Obama administration’s summary of new regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Rising Costs Spur Increase In Health Savings Accounts
High deductible health plans and the associated health saving accounts that allow people to put aside money tax-free to cover medical expenses get mixed reviews from many consumers. But supporters of the plans worry that the health overhaul may hamper their use.
Obama To Meet Tuesday With Insurance Executives
The President will also discuss the health law’s new benefits, cost savings.
New Survey: Consumers Who Buy Their Own Health Insurance Report Big Rate Increase Requests
When the big California health insurer Wellpoint sought rate increases up to 39 percent this year, some wondered if they were unusual. But in a new national survey consumers who buy their own policies report the most recent rate requests averaged 20 percent.
Feds To States: Set Up Health Insurance Pools For High-Risk Patients By July 1
The federal government is giving states until June 25 to say how they intend to run high-risk pools to insure people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition and have been uninsured for at least six months.
Market-Based Reform Initiatives Are Key To Health Law Success
Consumer-directed health plans have been useful in controlling the rise of health costs over the last several years, but the survival of these plans is threatened by the new health overhaul law.
Transcript: Health On The Hill
The Senate is debating ways to reverse a 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments that began on June 1.
Cheers, Jeers For New Federal Rules On Changes In Health Benefits
A new Obama administration regulation lays out how employers and insurers can revise their health plans
Administration officials tout the Medicare drug rebate as an early and tangible benefit of health reform while Senate Democrats continue trying to advance a legislative package that includes the Medicare physician payment fix and, potentially, an extension of enhanced Medicaid funding for states.
Pregnant Women And New Mothers Will Get Benefits, Services Under Health Care Law
New health plans must cover tests, supplements for pregnant women, and home visits for young mothers.
What The New Health Law Means For You
The law will extend health insurance to 32 million currently uninsured Americans by 2019, and will also have an impact on how nearly every American buys insurance and what insurance must cover.
