Latest KFF Health News Stories
GOP Pushes To Let States Reduce Medicaid Rolls
Forget about Medicaid block grants. The GOP says states should be allowed to make it harder to qualify for the health program for the poor. Will Democrats go along?
Democrats Push Senate Budget Vote On GOP Medicare Plan (Video)
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Democratic efforts to get Senate Republicans on the record regarding an increasingly unpopular GOP budget that includes big changes to Medicare. A vote is scheduled this week. The move is seen by some as a strictly political step that won’t bring lawmakers closer to agreement on a budget. (A transcript is also available.)
Vermont Steps Closer To Single-Payer Health Care
Gov. Peter Shumlin says the new system will treat health care as a right and be a huge jobs creator.
Health Insurance Rate Hikes Face Tougher Scrutiny
The Obama administration issued final rules Thursday requiring insurers to justify rate increases of 10 percent or more.
Coburn Exit Has Some Questioning Role Of Gang Of Six
In today’s Health On The Hill, KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with The Fiscal Times’ Eric Pianin about the Gang of Six, negotiators seeking consensus on deficit reduction plans. The group lost a member this week after Sen. Tom Coburn left talks Tuesday over proposed cuts to Medicare, potentially leaving them overshadowed by other similar efforts, like one headed by Vice President Joe Biden.
Administration Offers New Path For ACOs
Facing strong criticism of the proposed regulation for accountable care organizations, the Obama administration announced new options to lure hesitant hospitals and doctors.
Minnesota GOP Between A Rock And Hard Place on Health Exchange Options
GOP lawmakers generally oppose efforts to set up the insurance marketplaces called for in the health law – but they aren’t crazy about the alternatives either.
Sit Down, Mitt, You’re Not Helping (Guest Opinion)
Mitt Romney’s reversals on a variety of policy issues create the impression that when he’s with you, he’s with you. At least until he leaves the room. The impression is again playing out in regard to Romney’s stunning reversal on Massachusett’s health plan.
States Seek to Soften Rule on Insurers’ Profits, Millions Of Dollars In Consumer Rebates At Stake
Nine states are pushing the Obama administration to ease a requirement that insurers spend 80 percent of their premium revenues on medical care
Gloomier-Than-Expected Forecast For Medicare
The outlook for the federal health insurance program that, as of last year, covered 47.5 million elderly and disabled Americans is a dramatic shift from last summer.
Untouchable! Vets’ $52 Billion Health Care Plan
The military is trying to figure out ways to slow down the rapidly rising cost of care and the Obama administration’s 2012 budget calls for the first changes since 1996.
Navigating The Tricky World Of Maternity Coverage
Michelle Andrews, author of KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” weekly feature, talks with Jackie Judd about how various types of insurance plans do
Romney Defends Mass. Health Plan: ‘Right For The People Of My State’ (Video Excerpts)
In a major speech today at the University of Michigan Medical School, Mitt Romney defended the health reform law he signed while governor of Massachusetts. And, he used a PowerPoint presentation to lay out a very different vision for what he would do if he becomes president, which includes reliance on more market-based competition among insurers and health care providers.
Romney Defends Mass. Health Plan: ‘Right For The People Of My State’
In a major speech today at the University of Michigan Medical School, Mitt Romney defended the health reform law he signed while governor of Massachusetts. And, he used a PowerPoint presentation to lay out a very different vision for what he would do if he becomes president, which includes reliance on more market-based competition among insurers and health care providers.
Navigating The Tricky World Of Maternity Coverage
Michelle Andrews, author of KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” weekly feature, talks with Jackie Judd about how various types of insurance plans do
Located in one of the nation’s most medically underserved areas, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center is bracing for GOP-backed Medicaid cuts that the facility’s director says would be disastrous.
Letter From California: Exchange Board Has Daunting Task
The Golden State was the first to create a health care exchange under federal law. But setting up the online marketplace will take time — and money that the cash-strapped state might not have.
For The NAIC, A Consequential Decision On The MLR (Guest Opinion)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is considering whether to endorse legislation that would remove broker and agent commissions from the medical loss ratio. The final decision will have far-reaching implications for the reliability of the MLR as a measure of a health plan’s value.
When it comes to controlling rising health care costs, we face an urgent problem that leads to a simple question: Is there a smart idea that can be done now? Yes. It’s called “Paying for Outcomes.”
The first Republican debate among some of the presidential contenders included some questions about the health law, the role of the federal government, medical malpractice and Medicare. These excerpts of the debate include answers from Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich did not attend the Greenville, S.C. debate.
