Latest KFF Health News Stories
Licking Wounds, Insurers Accelerate Moves To Limit Health-Law Enrollment
Major changes in broker compensation are designed to discourage enrollment of the sickest, say consumer advocates.
Head Of California Exchange Scolds UnitedHealth For Blaming Woes On Obamacare
Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, says the giant insurer’s complaints about ACA exchanges are “total spin and unanchored in reality.”
Buying Supplemental Insurance Can Be Hard For Younger Medicare Beneficiaries
Congress left it to states to determine whether private Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million disabled people younger than 65 who qualify for Medicare. The result: rules vary across the country.
Surprise! Here’s Another Bill For That ‘Paramedic Response’
California cities increasingly are billing patients for paramedic services that they say were not covered by insurers. One 85-year-old woman took on city hall.
Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches
Health law requirements that small employers offer insurance to full-time workers prompted some fast-food restaurants to convert more employees to part time. Now owners are rethinking that approach.
Study Finds No Harm In Allowing Surgeons-In-Training To Work Longer Shifts
Researchers found little difference in patient outcomes or satisfaction after placing restraints on medical residents’ working conditions in the past decade. Officials have previously sought to prevent inexperienced doctors from making mistakes caused by fatigue.
N.Y., Minn. Opt For Low-Cost Plans To Help Some Residents Afford Coverage
Both states are offering “basic health programs” that provide policies to consumers with low monthly premiums and copayments, and low or no deductibles.
Hospitals Employ Email ‘Empathy’ To Help Doctors And Patients Keep In Touch
A better way to communicate with patients and track their progress?
Insurer’s Approval Of Genetic Testing For Some Cancers Raises Questions
The decision by Independence Blue Cross of Pennsylvania to pay for whole genome sequencing for some cancer patients adds to the debate about how to handle these expensive tests.
Study: Doctors’ Texts Can Prod Patients To Take Drugs, But Questions Linger
In an analysis published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers found that text message reminders help patients do better when it comes to taking their medicines. But questions about the specific ways to make the most of this strategy remain.
A Last-Minute Reprieve For Some Consumers On California Exchange
Faced with the possibility of a tax penalty, many people scrambled to enroll, and the exchange extended the deadline for those who officially started the process as of Jan. 31.
Reforming Federal Oversight Of Medical Devices Won’t Be Easy
Despite dozens of infections from medical scopes, an agreement on how to fix the FDA’s flawed regulation of the device industry remains elusive.
Governor Seeks New Concessions From CMS To Maintain Arkansas’ Medicaid Expansion
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will meet with federal officials to negotiate the future of the state’s Medicaid expansion program, which leading Republicans say could be killed if it’s not changed.
Short-Term Health Plans: The Pros And Cons
Columnist Emily Bazar answers a consumer’s question: “You could get one of these plans, pay the uninsured tax penalty and still pay less.”
Study Finds ‘Mortality Gap’ Among Middle-Aged Whites
A Commonwealth Fund report says that stalled progress in fighting leading causes of death for this group is a bigger culprit than substance abuse and suicide for worse-than-expected rates.
Federal Officials Clarify Rules On Getting New Health Coverage After A Move
The new rules should help make sure people understand when they are eligible for a special sign-up period if they move.
Combined Effects Of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes ‘Substantially’ Raise Autism Risks
A study published in the February issue of Pediatrics examines both the independent and combined effects of these two maternal health factors on children’s likelihood of developing autism spectrum disorder.
Obamacare Sign-Ups Strong In N.C., Despite High Rate Hikes
Health law insurance costs went up across the board in North Carolina, yet sign-ups remain strong heading into the final days of open enrollment.
California Voters Will Have Their Say On Drug Prices
Heated battle expected over November ballot proposal to curb state’s prescription drug costs, as pharmaceutical industry opens its pocketbook to defeat the measure.
Despite Kvetching, Most Consumers Satisfied With Health Plans: Poll
The survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that 71 percent of people with insurance believe their services are excellent or good.
