Latest KFF Health News Stories
Secret Sauce In Maine’s Successful High-Risk Pool: Enough Money
Before the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges began, Maine had an “invisible high-risk pool” in place. Republican lawmakers are pointing to it as a success — but it was better funded by a vast margin than the high-risk pools in the House replacement bill.
CMS Gives States Until 2022 To Meet Medicaid Standards Of Care
The Trump administration has given states three more years to meet federal standards aimed at helping elderly and disabled Medicaid enrollees receive services without being forced to go into nursing homes.
Parents Of Sick Children Fear Trap If States Have Say On ‘Preexisting Conditions’
“I’m not going to risk my son’s health on the political whims of Jefferson City,” says one Missouri father, whose son requires about $20,000 to $30,000 in medical care expenses a year. The new GOP health bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act lets states decide whether or not insurers must cover people with preexisting conditions, such as birth defects.
Pseudoscience Fuels Fear Behind Minnesota Measles Outbreak
An outbreak of 34 cases of measles has hit Minnesota’s densely populated Somali-American neighborhoods, where 6 in 10 children are not vaccinated against the virus.
Pre-Obamacare, Preexisting Conditions Long Vexed States And Insurers
Before the federal health law guarantee that consumers cannot be turned down because of their medical history, it was difficult to balance insurers’ needs to make a profit and individuals’ needs for coverage.
HHS, States Move To Help Insurers Defray Costs Of Sickest Patients
In a letter to all governors, HHS Secretary Tom Price invited them to consider seeking federal help to set up reinsurance funds that would help cover losses that insurers have because of high numbers of sick patients.
Trump Extends Flawed ‘Fix’ For VA Health Scandals
The $10 billion plug-in that lets frustrated veterans receive care from private-sector providers is still causing frustration.
In Remote Idaho, A Tiny Facility Lights The Way For Stressed Rural Hospitals
In a region where bears outnumber people, a small medical facility sets a modern example for rural hospitals on life support.
In ‘Stealth Move,’ Mich. Refines Vaccine Waivers, Improves Rate Among Kids
A whooping cough and measles outbreak prompted lawmakers to require parents to personally meet with health officials before a waiver can be granted.
Another Circle Of Hell: Surviving Opioids In The Fentanyl Era
Unlike heroin, fentanyl routinely shuts down breathing in seconds, and it’s becoming more common.
CMS Chief To Sit Out Watershed Decision On Medicaid Work Mandate In Kentucky
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma will recuse herself from the agency’s decision-making on whether to approve Kentucky’s Medicaid waiver because she helped develop the proposal in her former job as a health policy consultant.
‘It’s Not Like Other States’: High-Cost Alaska Sits In The Eye Of Health Reform Storm
With the most expensive medical care and health insurance premiums in the nation, Alaska seeks a novel way to bail out Obamacare.
Missouri Rejects Federal Money In Order To Set Up Its Own Abortion Restrictions
Abortion is already heavily restricted in Missouri, but now the state is cutting more funding to organizations that provide abortions, even though it means rejecting millions of dollars from the federal government.
Texas Braces For Medicaid Cuts Under GOP Health Plan
Texans on both sides of the political spectrum say the Lone Star State is not going to fare well under GOP plans to replace the Affordable Care Act.
Repeal Of Health Law Could Force Tough Decisions For Arizona Republicans
It is unclear what will happen to the 400,000 people who signed up for Arizona’s expanded Medicaid program if the GOP health law replacement succeeds.
On Medicaid Money, GOP Has Win-Or-Lose Proposition For States
The House Republicans’ bill to repeal Obamacare would change how the federal government allocates matching funds to state Medicaid programs — and could cost some states billions of dollars a year in federal aid.
Change In Texas Medicaid Payments Helps Cut Number Of Premature Births
Texas has reduced unnecessary early deliveries by 14 percent since refusing to pay doctors who performed C-sections that weren’t medically necessary.
Where You Live May Determine How You Die. Oregon Leads The Way.
A state with integrated systems for end-of-life care offers better treatment for the seriously ill, according to a new study.
Dentists Work To Ease Patients’ Pain With Fewer Opioids
Dentistry is at a crossroads and many in the field are reassessing their narcotics prescribing habits.
For New Medicaid Patients, The Doctor Is In (Generally). But You May Have To Wait.
A new study examines whether people newly insured through the Affordable Care Act are adding pressure to primary care access challenges.
