Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Med School Teaches Science And Data Mining
At NYU medical school, students learn to access huge troves of data to become doctors who understand the health care system, and individual ailments, better.
Alaskans Face Tough Choices Because Of High Insurance Costs
The highest Obamacare insurance rates in the country are in Alaska. Though most people get a subsidy to help defray the cost, those who don’t are increasingly wondering if they should cancel their health insurance.
California Targets African Americans And Latinos In New Round Of Obamacare
Only about half of blacks considered eligible for subsidies have enrolled.
Exchanges Face Sign-Up Challenges As Health Law’s 3rd Open Enrollment Begins
After millions of people signed up for Obamacare over the past two years, the ones still lacking insurance may be harder to both find and persuade to enroll.
Costs May Keep Low-Income Patients From Clinical Trials, Study Finds
Insurance generally covers routine costs patients encounter in a clinical trial, but the patients can still be responsible for co-payments and other expenses, such as lost wages and travel.
Feds Issue Proposed Rule On Health Information Collected By Workplace Wellness Programs
This proposal allows these workplace wellness programs to set financial incentives for participation as high as 30 percent of the cost of family coverage. A separate draft rule pegs this amount to the cost of employee-only coverage.
UnitedHealthcare Expands Effort To Rein In Rising Costs Of Cancer Treatment
As part of an effort to pinpoint what’s driving up health expenditures, the insurer is broadening a pilot program to include about 500 more oncologists, bringing the total to 650 physicians in seven states.
California and Federal Government Locked In Debate Over Billions In Medicaid Funding
Delays in reaching an agreement on $7.25 billion in Medicaid funding for reforms in California has public hospitals and other providers worried.
Enrollment Guide: A Few Tips To Help You Shop For A New Marketplace Plan
Federal officials are promising that new healthcare.gov features – some of which are still being tested – will make the process of choosing coverage easier.
Poll: Majority Of Americans Agree That The FDA Should Review Drug Ads Before They Air
Nearly eight in 10 say they have seen or heard these ads, and more than a quarter have discussed one of the drugs with a physician as a result.
Health Law Increases Coverage Rates For Women Not Yet Pregnant
The Urban Institute and March of Dimes estimate 5.5 million women of childbearing age gained health insurance under the federal health law since 2013, but many still have unmet needs.
Marketplace Customers Could See Higher Premiums, No Coverage For Out-Of-Network Care
Enrollment for healthcare.gov plans for 2016 begins Sunday and consumers should carefully check their options to see what their costs will be, how much of a subsidy they qualify for and whether their doctors and hospitals are in the plan’s network.
Premiums For Key Marketplace Silver Plans Rising An Average Of 7.5 Percent, HHS Says
Federal officials say tax credits will blunt the impact of price increases in 2016 for most consumers buying the second-lowest silver health plan in 37 states.
Fewer Black Men Apply To Medical School Than In 1978
Just 1,337 black men applied to medical school in 2014 and 515 enrolled. Why?
In L.A., Community Health Workers Are Part Of The Medical Team
An experimental program in Los Angeles County pairs community health workers with chronically ill patients, aiming to improve patients’ health and access to care.
Updated Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Unlikely To Affect Insurance Coverage
The American Cancer Society now recommends that women begin annual mammogram screenings at age 45 instead of age 40, and that providers reduce the frequency of screening to every two years after age 54.
In Tracking Outbreaks Of Food Poisoning, Can Yelp Help?
During a recent, widespread food poisoning outbreak in San Jose, some of the most detailed accounts surfaced on the popular consumer review site.
Are Medicare ACOs Working? Experts Disagree
Federal officials reported recently that in 2014 the accountable care organizations saved $411 million, but after the program paid bonuses to the successful groups, Medicare recorded a net loss of $2.6 million. So KHN asked a panel of experts to offer their views about the program.
The North Carolina Experiment: How One State Is Trying To Reshape Medicaid
With legislation that passed last month, North Carolina is trying to build a hybrid managed care, accountable care model – with doctors, hospitals and insurance companies all sharing some risk. Advocates worry it could eclipse gains made by Medicaid in the state in the past.
For Former Foster Kids, Moving Out Of State Can Mean Losing Medicaid
Youths who have aged out of the foster care system can lose their Medicaid eligibility when they move to another state. Advocates and some members of Congress want to fix that.
