Latest KFF Health News Stories
Home Visits By Nurses For First-Time Mothers Help Reduce Government Costs
The Nurse-Family Partnership is one of more than a dozen programs that are eligible for funding under the federal health law. Congress renewed the spending this year.
In Louisiana, Obamacare Subsidies Mean Financial Independence For Some
Meet three people from the Bayou State who would likely lose their insurance and their newfound sense of financial stability if the Supreme Court rules subsidies illegal in the King v. Burwell case.
‘Free’ Contraception Means ‘Free,’ Obama Administration Tells Insurers
The announcement says that the health law’s provision that insurers provide free contraceptives extends to all types of prescribed methods.
How One Hospital Brought Its C-Sections Down In A Hurry
Faced with the possible loss of an important insurer, a large Orange County, Calif., hospital rapidly reduced excessive cesarean section rates in part by sharing each physician’s rate with everyone in the obstetrics department.
Cancer Spawns Construction Boom In Cleveland
When the Cleveland Clinic opens its new cancer center, it will be five minutes away from a competitor’s new cancer hospital.
Staffing An Intensive Care Unit From Miles Away Has Advantages
Some hospitals are using a remote command center to keep an eye on ICU patients. This brings the expertise of a major medical center to rural hospitals — and may help keep the rural centers open.
Study: Cataract Surgery Fast And Safe, But Many On Medicare Get Costly Pre-Testing
Having blood work and other tests before cataract surgery isn’t usually recommended, but a study finds that more than half of Medicare beneficiaries get them.
Losing A Hospital In The Heart Of A Small City
Economic challenges are squeezing the city of Lakewood, just outside of Cleveland, forcing the closure of one hospital, even as another is built in a more affluent suburb.
Florida Governor Leaves D.C. Meeting Empty-Handed
Despite ‘a good conversation’ with HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Gov. Rick Scott gets no commitment on uncompensated care funding.
Patients Not Hurt When Their Hospitals Close, Study Finds
Despite frequent fears in communities when losing their hospitals, mortality rates do not rise, say Harvard researchers who examined 194 closures.
Paying Medicaid Enrollees To Get Checkups, Quit Smoking and Lose Weight: Will It Pay Off?
Like wellness programs in the private sector, more than a dozen states are offering incentives to Medicaid enrollees to spur them to make healthier decisions — and potentially save taxpayers money.
Running Out Of Money Is More Than Just A Worry For Many Seniors, Study Finds
About 12 percent of people 85 and older who died had no assets left and 20 percent had only their homes, according to the research. But even people who die much younger can face similar financial problems.
Decoding Your Diagnosis: Psychiatrists Unveil Plain-English Guide For Patients
The American Psychiatric Association is releasing a new resource, Understanding Mental Disorders: Your Guide To DSM-5, to give patients and their families a better understanding of what these conditions involve and arm them with tools to advocate for their care.
Medicare Itemizes Its $103 Billion Drug Bill
Federal officials release data showing prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identifying the most common and costly drugs.
An Obamacare Payment Reform Success Story – One Health System, Two Procedures
As part of an experiment run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, doctors, nurses and managers at Baptist Health System in San Antonio joined forces to cut costs for hip and knee replacements, getting patients on their feet sooner, saving taxpayers money and increasing their own earnings.
More Evidence That Health Plans Stint On Mandated Birth Control Coverage
Researchers with the National Women’s Law Center find insurers around the country are failing to provide contraception and other care without copays.
Florida House Goes Home Early Over Medicaid Impasse
Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott sues the federal government, saying the state is being coerced to accept the expansion or lose dollars for other health care programs for the poor.
How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about cost and coverage.
Medicaid’s Tension: Getting Corporate Giants To Do Right By The Needy
Tennessee’s TennCare program awaits federal rules to limit insurer profits and set stricter standards for quality and doctor networks — the biggest rules change for Medicaid managed care in a decade.
California High Court To Consider Limits on Regulators’ Access to Prescription Database
A Burbank doctor, with the support of the AMA, says the Medical Board of California violated his patients’ privacy by checking his prescribing practices in a state database without a court order. The board says it needs that access to protect patients from harm.
