Latest KFF Health News Stories
Too Little, Too Late For Many New Yorkers Seeking Hospice
Evidence shows hospice care can extend life and save money, but only if patients and doctors dare ask for the help. One New Yorker said hospice gave her back a normal life — at peace, pain subdued.
NIH Cancels Children’s Study After 10 Years Of Work
The research, which cost $1.3 billion so far, was supposed to follow 100,000 children from birth to age 21 to track biological and environmental effects.
Nearly 2.5 Million Consumers Have Selected Health Plans On Federal Marketplace
Officials say the online site and consumer call centers were extremely busy over the weekend as people sought to buy insurance before the Dec. 15 deadline to have a policy in place for January.
Popularity Of Outpatient Surgery Centers Leads To Questions About Safety
The recent death of Joan Rivers, who suffered cardiac arrest at a center in New York, highlights some of the concerns among consumer advocates.
Alaska’s New Governor Sets Sights On Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Bill Walker, an Independent, campaigned on Medicaid expansion and now he has to pitch it to a reluctant Republican legislature.
Few Women Have Coverage For Egg Freezing
Although egg freezing is the perk du jour at some high profile companies, too often such options are not available, even for women with serious illnesses such as cancer.
Fantastic Voyage: Tiny Sensors May Soon Monitor Seniors’ Medicines From Inside
New nano-meds, miniscule robots embedded in a pill, send signals to an external monitor to record each new medication as it slides through the digestive tract. This will be especially useful for older people, who may not be able to keep track of a panoply of medicines.
Small Businesses Drop Coverage As Health Law Offers Alternatives
Small employers are canceling medical plans and leaving workers to buy insurance through the law’s online marketplaces — sometimes to everyone’s benefit.
Many Obamacare Plans Set Out-Of-Pocket Spending Limits Below The Cap
This news analysis examines why consumers should look at more than premiums when shopping for policies.
With 1.5 Million Sign-Ups So Far, Obamacare Enrollment Is Brisk
State and federal exchanges report strong interest in 2015 plans, smoother exchange performance and better-trained assisters.
Making The Human Condition Computable
For centuries, the central challenge in health care was ignorance. Now, health care is being flooded with information. But commerce and medicine are still trying to figure out what do with all that data.
Obamacare Co-Ops Cut Prices, Turn Up Heat On Rival Insurers
For-profit carriers complain the upstarts have an unfair edge because of low-interest federal loans.
Wellness At Work: Popular But Unproven
Almost all large employers offer at least one wellness plan, but studies showing these efforts really save money are scarce.
Doctors’ Testimony Crucial As Border Children Seek Asylum
Medical-legal partnerships in New York and Los Angeles help some unaccompanied minors navigate immigration hearings.
Consumers May Miss Out On Subsidies Due To Uncertainty About Job-Based Coverage
Some people don’t know whether their job-based coverage disqualifies them from federal subsidies to buy policies in online insurance marketplaces.
Nearly 9 Percent Of Medicaid Births Delivered Early For No Medical Reason
Study finds that early elective delivery rates are declining but authorities say they are still too high, leading to worse health outcomes for mothers and children.
Obamacare Creates Boom For Federal Contractors
Surging contracts related to the Affordable Care Act have helped make the Department of Health and Human Services a fount of revenue for private business.
Switching To A Spouse’s Plan Can Be Difficult If Timing Isn’t Right
If a couple wants to transfer health insurance policies, it is often pretty easy because most companies use a calendar-year coverage period. But if one company’s enrollment is on a different schedule, switching can be problematic.
Federal Officials Urge Marketplace Consumers To Look For Better Deals In 2015
People who bought coverage on healthcare.gov for this year could likely find cheaper premiums if they shop again.
Who Is Getting ACA Insurance – And Who Isn’t
About 10 million people have gained insurance, but there are still several diverse groups of people who won’t get coverage.
