Latest KFF Health News Stories
Checking The Facts Behind Obamacare Claims
FactCheck.org has gotten lots of questions about the law and has found that there’s a lot of wrong information out there.
Nurse Practitioners Try New Tack To Expand Foothold In Primary Care
Advanced practice nurses say that despite growing need for primary care, they are stymied by insurers that won’t credential them.
Health Marketplaces Are Open To Nearly Everyone
But individuals who already have insurance through work, Medicare or Medicaid don’t need to shop there.
How Will Immigrants Fare Under Obamacare? It’s Complicated
What benefits, if any, immigrants get under the health-care overhaul depends on several factors: their immigration status, income, length of stay in this country and – in limited cases – their country of origin.
A Reader Asks: When I Retire Can My Husband Get Coverage On The Marketplace?
Consumer columnist says he likely can, but the bigger question is whether he will qualify for subsidies to help defray costs.
‘A Calling’ To Care For The Poor At St. Louis’ Grace Hill Community Centers
Some of the funding for Grace Hill and smaller community health centers in St. Louis may be in jeopardy, even as the number of people seeking discounted care or free is increasing in a state that will not expand Medicaid under the health law.
Navigators Say GOP Lawmakers’ Information Requests Are ‘Shocking’
Organizations that received federal grants to hire and train workers to sign up consumers for health insurance say lawmakers are asking for too much too soon.
Complex Personal Issues May Cloud Decisions About Buying Insurance
Even the people trained to help consumers navigate the new online marketplaces may not have all the answers.
FAQ: How Will The Individual Mandate Work?
The controversial health law provision that requires most individuals to get insurance is still not well understood.
GOP Lawmakers Demand Information From Groups Getting Navigator Grants
In a letter that the administration described as a “blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate,” the Republican House members direct groups to provide a written description of the work they intend to do, the number of employees and volunteers, their duties and how much they’ll be paid.
A Reader Asks: I Get Coverage Through My Estranged Husband. Can I Choose To Go To The Marketplace?
Consumer columnist offers caution about the financial implications of that switch.
Florida Is No. 2 In Nation For Rate Of Uninsured
Census data show that about 25 percent of state residents lack health coverage in a state that has opted against the health law’s expansion of Medicaid, the government health program for the poor and disabled.
Group Health Omits Abortion Coverage In Plans Sold On Washington Exchange
The Seattle-based insurer and health provider won’t cover abortions in plans it will sell in the new online marketplace but says women will be able to get the procedure without paying more.
Don Berwick’s Newest Phase: Candidate, But Still Dr. Quality
The former acting administrator of CMS, now running for governor of Massachusetts, explains his “Letter to the People of England,” a call for continuous learning to improve quality within Britain’s National Health Service.
Survey: Big Business May Shift Retirees, Part-Timers To Insurance Exchanges
The National Business Group On Health’s annual survey of large employers asked whether they expected various groups currently covered by their plans to choose the health law’s new coverage in 2014.
Pennsylvania Blues Plan Pinpoints Potential Customers Using Data
With less than five weeks before the online exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act open for enrollment, insurers are using tools pioneered by political campaigns to identify potential customers and analyze their needs.
Missouri’s Poorest Residents Won’t Benefit From Obamacare
In a twist that wasn’t intended by the authors of the federal Affordable Care Act, most of Missouri’s poorest, working-age residents won’t be eligible for government help because state lawmakers opted against expanding Medicaid.
No Shopping Zone: Medicare Is Not Part Of New Insurance Marketplaces
Administration officials are planning campaign to convince millions of seniors that they don’t need to sign up for the online exchanges.
Bare Bones Health Plans Expected To Survive Health Law
Retailers, restaurant chains and others find they can continue to offer such coverage and avoid the health law’s heftiest fines.
Why Health Law’s ‘Essential’ Coverage Might Mean ‘Bare Bones’
But how can a law praised for expanding coverage — one that includes an “employer mandate” to offer “minimum essential coverage” — allow companies to offer insurance that might not even cover hospitalization?