Latest KFF Health News Stories
Conservative Group Forecasts Medicare Doctor Access Problem
Seniors may have increasing difficulty getting a doctor appointment over the next 10 years, according to a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Transcript: Health On The Hill – September 7, 2010
As the Obama administration continues to implement the health care overhaul law, some myths
Boost Coming For Programs That Help Expectant Moms
New federal health reform legislation over the next several years will pump millions of dollars into home visitation programs for new and expecting mothers with the goal of reducing rates of premature birth and infant mortality.
Medicare Will Experiment With Expansion Of Hospice Coverage
The health law calls for a demonstration program to test covering hospice treatments for patients still seeking to fight their illness.
Support Slips For Health Reform Law, New KFF Poll Shows
As mid-term elections approach, the public is split over the law. Federal subsidies to help people buy insurance are popular, while a requirement that most Americans buy coverage isn’t.
As Reform Improves The Overall Market, Inefficient Insurers Could Take Hits
The whole point of the nation’s conversation about health reform has been to find ways to spend differently so that the result is a higher quality, more humane health care system.
The Medical Loss Ratio Requirements Are Being Carefully Crafted
In a response to the August 23 opinion column by Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Michael Ramlet, Timothy Jost, a National Association of Insurance Commissioners consumer representative, says the NAIC has been meticulously transparent and participatory in its processes to implement the medical loss ratio requirement.
Bucking The Trend: Primary Care Doc Practices Solo
There’s a catastrophic shortage of primary care doctors who provide basic health care. And the need is expected to grow as more people receive coverage under the new health law.
D.C. In Front Of The Health Reform Curve, Officials Say
District of Columbia city officials highlight early accomplishments in health insurance coverage expansions as reform implementation efforts pick up steam nationwide.
Health Law Requires Continued Coverage For Patients In Clinical Trials
In the past, many patients who opted for experimental treatments for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses found that their insurance companies stop covering all routine care for their illness. The health overhaul mandates that insurers continue to pay for doctor visits, hospital stays, test and other routine treatments.
Health Reform: Here We Go Again
The health law’s shortcomings in controlling health care costs and damage to the federal budget outlook are understood. But the economic consequences of greater uncertainty and reduced innovation are only now becoming clear.
Health Law Changes Rules For Docs With In-House Imaging Machines
Doctors who refer Medicare and Medicaid patients to in-house imaging machines must disclose in writing that they own the equipment.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners met in Seattle and pushed through a much debated recommendation on how federal officials should judge insurance company expenses.
Colleges Say New Health Law May Imperil Student Policies
Colleges and universities are warning federal officials that they may not be able to offer student health plans in the future unless the government clarifies certain provisions of the new health overhaul law.
New Law Offers Hope For Homeless Health Care
Many homeless people are uninsured and ineligible for Medicaid. But that will change beginning in 2014, when Medicaid greatly expands under the new health law.
New Plans For Uninsured Off To Slow Start
The new “high-risk pools” – the federally-subsidized program for uninsured people with health problems – are one of the first benefits of the health overhaul law passed this year, but not many people have applied and been enrolled in the plans springing up around the country.
Physician-Owned Hospitals Prepare For Bleak Futures
The biggest losers in federal health care reform – the country’s physician-owned specialty hospitals – are on pins and needles. With a ban on new facilities, expansion plans quashed and doctor ownership curtailed, 70 such hospitals in Texas are plotting their next move.
Insurer Mounts Offensive And Defensive Strategies On Health Law
Cigna Corp. has geared up with a high-powered team of executives to find new business under the health law while also preserving current benefits for customers and for the company.
Transcript: Health On The Hill – August 16, 2010
Insurers, lawmakers and state insurance regulators continue to debate what may and may not be included in a calculation of the medical loss ratio. Separately, debate is also ongoing over how much power individual states have to enforce provisions of the health care law.
Week In Review: State Budgets Get Reprieve From Feds; Health Reform Politics On The Homefront
Party politics were obvious this week as House Democrats approved $16 billion in additional federal Medicaid funds for states.
