Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Finding A Path Through The Health Insurance Market ‘Gobbledygook’
In her search for a health plan, Lisa Drew discovered that her ZIP code was a black hole for individual coverage.
People Who Donate Organs For Transplants Can Have Difficulty Getting Insurance
Live organ donors – who can offer kidneys or part of their liver, lung or pancreas
Letter To The Editor: Setting The Record Straight On RAND’s Findings
RAND Health Vice President and Director Arthur Kellermann, M.D., disputes the way his organization’s research was depicted in a recent column by John Goodman about Medicaid. Kellerman notes the study in question was designed to examine health care quality, not to determine the value of different types of insurance.
Health Overhaul Could Double Community Health Centers’ Caseload
The centers, designed to help low-income and uninsured people, offer an affordable option for care, but it can also be tough to get an appointment.
The End Of Pennsylvania’s AdultBasic – Not A Sound Investment In The State’s Future
Pennsylvania has long been a laboratory for innovation in providing health coverage to the uninsured. But this legacy came crashing down earlier this year when 42,000 adultBasic enrollees lost their health insurance. The program’s termination was explained as a “fiscal reality,” but this fiscal decision is not a sound investment in the state’s future.
Health Insurance From Both Sides: KHN Interview Of Aetna CEO Bertolini
Mark Bertolini knows the insurance industry inside out. Both he and his son have had life-threatening health crises. He says he wouldn’t qualify for an individual policy and talks with KHN about how Aetna is reacting to the health law.
Debunking The Mythology: The Utah And Massachusetts Health Exchanges
Much has been made of the health insurance exchanges in Utah and Massachusetts and whether they represent opposite points of a continuum of what exchanges can and should provide for consumers and small businesses. But is that really true or is the reality far more nuanced?
Health On The Hill Transcript – House Budget Plan: What It Means, What’s Next
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with CQ HealthBeat’s Rebecca Adams about the fiscal 2012 budget plan from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. It would dramatically change Medicaid and Medicare.
Hospitals And Insurers Face Growing Antitrust Scrutiny
Recent lawsuits show the government is cracking down on suspected anti-competitive actions in the health care and insurance industries.
Understanding Rep. Ryan’s Plan For Medicare
Are vouchers the same as premium support? Will seniors’ health care look like that offered federal workers? A guide to some of the questions and issues in the House Budget chairman’s plan.
High-Deductible Plans: When Spending Less On Health Care Isn’t Always Good News
A recent Rand study found that in families with high-deductible plans, kids were less likely to get immunizations and adults were less likely to get cancer screenings. Not only did this seem to jeopardize the beneficiares’ health, it also called into question the cost savings.
Administration Delaying Some Rules For Appealing Health Insurance Denials
Officials say they will revise the requirements to deal with objections raised by insurers.
Health Insurers Respond To Reform By Snapping Up Less-Regulated Businesses
Health insurance companies respond to new regulations by expanding into related
Healthy Indiana: Conservatives’ Reform Poster Child Or Another Costly Program?
The Healthy Indiana Plan is the Hoosier state’s alternative to traditional Medicaid. It’s boosters also consider it a viable alternative to the dreaded Affordable Care Act. But do they really have a case?
Brokers Seek To Preserve Role In Health Insurance Marketplace
Insurance agents fear the health reform law threatens their livelihood and want changes in rules to protect their commissions and guarantee them a role in the new health exchanges.
Many Adults Struggle To Pay Medical Bills, Report Finds
The recession and rising health costs create financial hardships or cause consumers to forgo care, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund.
Dems To GOP: Show Us Your Health Insurance
A bill introduced by House Democrats would require members of Congress to declare whether they are taking health benefits subsidized by taxpayers. The bill has next to no chance of passing because Republicans control the House. But its introduction puts some heat on the GOP.
Pharmacists Expand Role To Help Educate And Coach Patients
Consumers often find it easier to get time with a pharmacist than a doctor, so drug stores are offering more outreach programs about chronic health problems.
Can My Insurer Deny My 22-Year-Old Health Insurance Coverage?
A reader wonders if she can put her 22-year-old self-employed daughter, who currently has insurance on her own, back on the family policy.
Will Access To Health Insurance For My Sick Wife Be Better After 2014?
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader on if access to good health insurance will be better for his sick wife after 2014.
