Medicaid

Latest KFF Health News Stories

As States Try To Rein In Drug Spending, Feds Slap Down One Bold Medicaid Move

KFF Health News Original

Medicaid drug spending doubled in five years in Massachusetts. The state wanted to exclude expensive drugs that weren’t proven to work better than existing alternatives from its Medicaid plan, but the federal government blocked the effort.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ A Detour On A Smoking Off-Ramp

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Sarah Jane Tribble of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call talk about the Food and Drug Administration’s latest actions to address teenagers’ use of e-cigarettes, Arkansas’ Medicaid work requirements and news about the uninsured from the latest federal Census report.

Confusión deja a niños de bajos ingresos en un limbo de atención de salud

KFF Health News Original

Bajo la ley federal, los niños son elegibles para una amplia gama de servicios, pero proveedores confundidos y los planes de salud a menudo solo consideran los pocos servicios aprobados para los adultos.

California: A Health Care Laboratory With Mixed Results

KFF Health News Original

California frequently innovates to address its wide-ranging health care needs, but it has not always achieved its aims. A series of articles in the journal Health Affairs shows, among other things, that efforts to care for HIV patients, provide better access to reproductive services for low-income women and fill gaps in primary care have sometimes fallen flat.

Lawmakers Push To Protect Patients And Counter Trump

KFF Health News Original

California legislators approved some significant health care proposals in their rush to meet the Friday end-of-session deadline. They tackled controversial topics, such as making abortion pills available on college campuses, and adopted measures countering Trump administration attacks on the Affordable Care Act.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Ask Us Anything!

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico answer listeners’ questions about health policy and politics.

HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards

KFF Health News Original

The study follows a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes have reported fewer registered nurses on duty than Medicare requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government.

Medicaid Covers Foster Kids, But Daunting Health Needs Still Slip Through The Cracks

KFF Health News Original

Nearly all children in the foster care system are covered by Medicaid. Yet, foster parents still struggle to meet the extraordinary health needs of their children. To solve this, some states are experimenting with a coordinated approach to care — with mixed results.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ See You In Court!

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about a spate of lawsuits involving the Affordable Care Act, as well as the latest in state and federal efforts regarding the Medicaid program for the poor.

Medicaid Officials Target Home Health Aides’ Union Dues

KFF Health News Original

Federal officials are proposing a rule to prohibit home health aides paid directly by Medicaid from having their dues for the powerful Service Employees International Union automatically deducted from their paychecks. The effort would likely mean those workers are far less likely to pay dues and could diminish the union’s influence.

Medicaid Expansion Making Diabetes Meds More Accessible To Poor, Study Shows

KFF Health News Original

The number of diabetes drug prescriptions filled for low-income people enrolled in Medicaid rose sharply in states that expanded eligibility for the program under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study.