Latest KFF Health News Stories
Narrow Networks Get Even Tighter When Shopping For Mental Health Specialists
The average provider network includes only 11 percent of all the mental health care providers in a given market, according to a study this month in the journal Health Affairs.
Uncertainty Over Health Care’s Future Hobbles Entrepreneurs
The Affordable Care Act gave some Americans the chance to strike out on their own in new business ventures because they didn’t have to worry about keeping a job just for health insurance. But the repeal-and-replace efforts reignited this week create uncertainty about whether they can count on that insurance option in the future.
Caregivers Draw Support By Mapping Their Relationships
Innovative CareMaps tool helps caregivers understand their roles and take steps to improve their lives.
Open Your Mouth And Say Goo-Goo: Dentists Treating Ever-Younger Patients
A shift in dental guidelines encourages first dental visits for infants as young as 6 months, or when the first baby teeth emerge. That makes some dentists uncomfortable.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Zombie Repeal-And-Replace Bill Rises Again
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss Senate Republicans’ last-ditch effort to upend the Affordable Care Act ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline.
Last-Ditch Effort By Republicans To Replace ACA: What You Need To Know
Republicans are making a concerted push to unite around a bill sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy that would gut major provisions of the federal health law.
In Stark Contrast To ACA Plans, Premiums For Job-Based Coverage Show Modest Rise
Employers report the sixth consecutive year of small increases, but workers at small firms feel the biggest pinch, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
Nursing Home Disaster Plans Often Faulted As ‘Paper Tigers’
Too often enforcement of rules for dealing with crisis is lax, advocates for nursing home residents say.
As Care Shifts From Hospital To Home, Guarding Against Infection Falls To Families
Despite a lack of medical training, relatives increasingly are assigned complex, risky medical tasks at home, such as maintaining catheters. If done incorrectly, blood clots, infections, even death can result.
Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job
The Trump administration has dramatically trimmed money for the groups that help people enroll in marketplace plans, but those navigators say federal officials have unrealistic assessments of the tasks involved.
Trump’s Deadline On ‘Dreamers’ Reverberates Through Health Industries
From medical students to home health aides, the loss of DACA could deal a blow to the health care workforce, industry leaders suggest.
Without Price Breaks, Rural Hospitals Struggle To Stock Costly, Lifesaving Drugs
A federal drug program blocks rural hospitals from getting discounts on rare-disease drugs, forcing staff to cut back on supplies of lifesaving medicines.
Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find
Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.
FDA Moves To Guard Against Abuse Of ‘Orphan Drug’ Program
Following a KHN investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has moved to speed up approvals of “orphan drugs” while closing a loophole that allowed drugmakers to skip pediatric testing.
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Health Plans Busting Out All Over
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal discuss Democratic, Republican and bipartisan health proposals all being pursued in Congress, including the latest version of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) “Medicare-for-All” proposal. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.
Postcard From The Hill: Senators Shelve Histrionics In Search Of Obamacare Fix
The Senate health committee is putting aside partisan bickering this month to seek a legislative remedy to a possible spike in Obamacare premiums this fall.
Uninsured Rate Falls To Record Low Of 8.8%
Census Bureau reports that 28.1 million people in the country were without insurance in 2016, down from 29 million the year before.
If You’re Blindsided By Health Plan Changes, Learn The Root Causes — And Your Rights
Insurers can reduce benefits or change cost sharing, but they are generally supposed to tell enrollees about the change beforehand. And although plans must tell patients when they are denied coverage, sometimes treatment is affected for other reasons.
Quiz: How Well Are You Paying Attention?
To strengthen your core knowledge of health care policy, it helps to be a regular reader of Kaiser Health News. Here’s a pop quiz to gauge what you have learned.
A Rare Dementia Gene Runs In The Family, But He’s Fine — So Far
A Washington state man inherited the mutated gene that stole his mother’s mind. He doesn’t have the disease, and doctors don’t know why.
