Latest KFF Health News Stories
Too Soon To Deride High Obamacare Rate Hikes
Prices for plans sold on the health law exchanges won’t be final until the fall, and some of the highest rate increases may be for plans that do not have very many people enrolled in them.
Medicare Drug Plans Favor Generic Opioids Over Those Designed To Avoid Abuse, Study Finds
The Part D plans have cut back coverage of a newer version of OxyContin that has been formulated to make it tougher for people to snort or inject it. That new version is 20 times more expensive than the generic.
Some Insured Patients Still Skip Care Because Of High Costs
Georgia resident Renee Mitchell is generally pleased with her insurance — a silver-level Obamacare plan. But she still struggles to keep up with her part of the bills.
Burwell Says It’s Up To States, Congress To Help Consumers If Court Strikes Down Subsidies
The HHS secretary’s remarks on Capitol Hill came as both Democrats and Republicans await a Supreme Court decision on the issue this month.
Organ Donation: State Efforts Have Done Little To Close The Supply Gap
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that most state-based policies to encourage organ donation in the United States have fallen flat.
Obama, Championing The Health Law, Says It Shows The Country ‘We Want To Be’
As he awaits a decision from the Supreme Court on federal subsidies to help cover the cost of premiums in three dozen states, the president points to the millions who have gained insurance and decries efforts by political opponents.
Insurer Uses Patients’ Personal Data To Predict Who Will Get Sick
A Philadelphia health insurance company analyzes its clients’ health data and other factors to find the frailest and assign them health coaches. That may improve health, but is it a breach of privacy?
What Health Law? Many Poor People Still Unaware Of Obamacare Options
State policies are found to have big impact on residents’ awareness of the health care law and sign-up rates.
Bill To Speed FDA Approvals Includes Rewards For Drugs Designed For Kids
The 21st Century Cures bill now being considered by Congress would extend a program that promotes pediatric drug research.
What’s At Stake When The Supreme Court Rules On Health Plan Subsidies
A decision in King v. Burwell is expected by the end of the month.
Anti-Abortion Activists See Mixed Results In Texas Legislature
Legislation tightening rules for minors seeking abortions passes in Texas and is expected to become law. Another bill favored by abortion opponents fails.
New Preventive Health Services Approved For No-Cost Coverage
Two new procedures have been added to the list of what should be covered by insurance without charge to consumers under provisions of the health law.
Growing Pains For State Obamacare Exchanges
Minnesota, Colorado and Connecticut are figuring out how to continue running their health insurance marketplaces as federal start-up funding runs out.
Bringing Doctors To Patients Who Need Them Most
California’s sprawling Inland Empire is making vigorous efforts to train and attract primary care doctors attuned to the needs of the fast-growing and under-served population.
Paramedics See Roles Expand – Minus The Lights And Sirens
In Reno and around the country, community paramedics are providing more primary and preventive care and taking nonemergency patients to facilities other than ERs.
KHN Video: The Supreme Court Decision In King v. Burwell Could Affect Your Wallet
Confused about the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court? The justices are expected to rule on the King v. Burwell case by the end of the month. Here’s what you need to know about it — in less than 2 minutes.
More Patients, Not Fewer, Turn To Health Clinics After Obamacare
Patients are flocking to community health clinics for care in North Carolina and elsewhere. Clinic leaders think health law advertising has driven up demand, especially for people in the Medicaid gap.
More Than 1.3M Floridians May Lose Their Obamacare Subsidies, More Than Any Other State
The subsidies are at the center of a Supreme Court case challenging the health law. In King v. Burwell, the plaintiffs argue that the language of the health law restricts the subsidies to states that established their own exchanges.
Consumers Drawn To Low Prices Of Temporary Health Plans Despite Risks
The policies offer a stopgap for people between jobs, but enrollees still pay a federal tax penalty because the policies fall short of health law standards.
California Sees Housing As Significant Investment In Health Care
The state is proposing to use federal Medicaid dollars to usher ill homeless people into housing, arguing the policy saves taxpayers money.
