Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Florida’s Gov. Scott, Chief Opponent Of Health Law, Meets With HHS Chief Sebelius
Gov. Rick Scott visited Washington to press HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for approval on the Florida’s Medicaid managed care plans. Afterward, he offered few details about their discussion on another major issue — how, or if, the state will carry out key parts of the Affordable Care Act.
When An Employer Drops Coverage, Workers Lose Their Tax Advantages
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions, including how alternative medicine might be treated under the health law, and offers more details about coverage for adult children.
Senior Correspondent Sarah Varney Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: KHN Senior Correspondent Sarah Varney says she will follow the stories of people who will be affected the most by implementation of the health law.
Web Reporter Alvin Tran Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: KHN Web Reporter Alvin Tran discusses how important the coming year will be for health exchanges and addressing health disparities and barriers to care.
Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: KHN Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau says he’ll be watching for changes in how hospitals and doctors are paid — away from “fee-for-service” and toward paying for better quality.
Web Reporter Ankita Rao Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: KHN Web Reporter Ankita Rao says that in 2013 she will follow new models of health care delivery designed to counter health care system inefficiencies.
Web Reporter Shefali Kulkarni Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: KHN Web Reporter Shefali Kulkarni says that she’ll be watching closely how doctors and patients interact with and educate themselves about the health law.
Senior Correspondent Jay Hancock Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming in the new year: Senior Correspondent Jay Hancock says he will closely watch insurers and what they offer to a throng of new people entering the insurance market.
Senior Correspondent Phil Galewitz Discusses What 2013 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Phil Galewitz says he’ll be watching state decisions on expanding Medicaid, establishing exchanges and reaching out to the public on the law.
