Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Coverage May Spur Younger Women To Use Long-Acting Contraceptives
The health law specifies that birth control is a covered service in many plans ending the burden of a high up-front cost for IUDs and hormonal implants.
Health Technology’s ‘Essential Critic’ Warns Of Medical Mistakes
“We’re in the midst of a mania right now,” Dr. Scot Silverstein warns, speaking of the race to adopt electronic health records. “We know it causes harm, and we don’t even know the level of magnitude. That statement alone should be the basis for the greatest of caution and slowing down.”
Federal Government To Run Insurance Marketplaces In Half The States
Friday deadline passes and states largely bypass the option to work with the federal government in setting up new online health insurance marketplaces that open for business Oct. 1.
Medicaid Expansion Puts Spotlight On Access To Primary Care
The Affordable Care Act will usher at least seven million more Americans into Medicaid next year, but the question of whether enough doctors will be there to welcome them is keeping some state health policymakers up at night.
President Obama Calls For ‘Modest Reforms’ To Medicare
Health On The Hill: Jackie Judd and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey discuss the health care issues in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address — and Sen. Rubio’s Republican response.
Higher Hospital Readmissions Aren’t Linked To Fewer Deaths, Study Finds
The research bolsters Medicare’s efforts to prompt hospitals to reduce the number of patients who return quickly even though some experts assert that might be a sign of good care.
Oregon May Provide Model For Restructuring Medicaid In Alabama
Alabama lawmakers will soon consider a proposal from Gov. Robert Bentley for a Medicaid overhaul based in part on Oregon’s groundbreaking “community care organizations.” Although Bentley has said he would not support an expansion of Medicaid “under its current structure,” the expected reforms are seen as paving the way for a possible expansion as early as 2015.
Q&A: How Does Marriage Affect Health Coverage For The Young?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about under-26 insurance coverage for newlyweds.
Feds Help States Qualify For More Medicaid Dollars
The Obama administration on Friday released guidance to states on how they can increase their Medicaid funding by eliminating copays for certain preventive services, including immunizations. The provision of the Affordable Care Act was slated to take effect Jan. 1. States that implement the changes can apply for the funding retroactive to that date. The specified preventive services […]
Six Questions And Answers About The Obama Administration’s Birth Control Rule
The new regulations lay out a plan that will keep organizations that self-insure from having to pay for the coverage.
Religious Nonprofits Won’t Pay For Birth Control Under Proposal
After a year of controversy, the Obama administration proposes a way for women who work at nonprofit religious institutions to get free birth control without requiring their employers to pay for it.
Fed Economist Steps Into Dispute On Geographic Differences In Health Spending
A new analysis concludes that things like the prevalence of smoking, obesity and diabetes best explain why Medicare spending in some regions of the country is higher, instead of how medicine is practiced, as other researchers believe.
Q&A: Contraception Coverage Under The Health Law
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about the health law’s provision on no-cost birth control.
TurboTax, Not Travelocity, May Be Better Analogy For Health Exchanges
Consumers in Colorado focus groups said they know very little about insurance and will need a lot of customer support to purchase coverage online.
HMO-Like Plans May Be Poised To Make Comeback In Online Insurance Markets
Insurers bet some consumers will choose cheaper plans that restrict their choice of doctors, despite worries about skimpy care and huge bills for out-of-network providers.
Despite Incentives, Doctors’ Offices Lag On Digital Records
A recent study found that the health care industry isn’t benefiting from computer networks that have transformed other fields. But the federal coordinator for health IT says there has been a lot of progress that will result in better care and cost savings in the future.
Health Law Offers Dental Coverage Guarantee For Some Children
The requirement is only for individual and small-group health plans, and some advocates worry that the new benefits may not be sufficiently comprehensive or affordable.
As ‘Bodega Clinicas’ Fill Void, Officials Are Torn on Embracing Them
The storefront doctor’s offices serve a vast number of uninsured Latino residents, in a kind of parallel, cash-only health system. But officials have little information on the quality of health care the clinicas provide, and whether they might be able to help fill persistent and profound gaps in Los Angeles’ strained safety net.
Voice For Medicare, Medicaid Retiring
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who helped create the Children’s Health Insurance Program and fought to protect the social safety net, says he will not seek reelection in 2014.
A Guide To Health Insurance Exchanges
The new online marketplaces, to be set up by October, are designed to make it easier to buy insurance. But they’re in the middle of a political fight over the health care law.
