Latest KFF Health News Stories
Key Health Law Provisions Begin Sept. 23
Some insurers have already altered their plans to reflect the law. But starting this month, a number of provisions become mandatory for insurance plans, including a ban on lifetime benefit limits and the ability to keep adult children on parents’ plans.
Transcript: Health On The Hill – September 13, 2010
As Congress returns from its August recess, the Senate is expected to debate amendments to a package of small business tax breaks that would repeal a provision in the health care law requiring businesses to submit a 1099 form to the IRS for yearly purchases of $600 or more from a vendor.
Medical School Students Facing A New Reality
When today’s medical students graduate
Government Economists Say Health Overhaul Won’t Significantly Increase Spending
Economists in the federal Medicare office say health overhaul legislation and other changes made by regulators and Congress since February will only have a “moderate” effect on health spending.
Don’t Discount The Value of An Agent, They Discount Your Insurance
Janet Trautwein, the CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters, dispels recent media reports about the demise of insurance agents.
Assessing The Needs Of Disabled Medicare Beneficiaries
To provide better services, government officials need more concrete information about the needs of the disabled community, White House adviser says.
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.
