Latest KFF Health News Stories
Report From Michigan: What State Residents Stand To Gain From Health Reform
State officials leading the nullification campaign talk a lot about what their citizens stand to lose as the Affordable Care Act takes effect. But the real loss will be if, somehow, the opposite were to happen–and the people living in those states were left dealing with the same dysfunctional health care system that exists today.
New Long-Term Care Insurance Will Provide Flexible Cash Benefits
The CLASS Act, part of the health care overhaul, will provide about $75 a day to people who sign up for the long-term care insurance policy. Advocates say it could help people stay in their homes. But critics raise concerns about the financial viability of the program.
New Health Law Expands High-Risk Coverage
Many states have “last resort” health insurance programs, but they cover few people.
Health Law Rolls Back Abortion Rights, Groups Say
Recent fights between anti-abortion groups could leave people with the impression that the new health overhaul law expands women’s access to abortion. But abortion-rights groups vehemently disagree. “There are extraordinary things in health care reform for women,” says Judy Lichtman, a senior adviser to the National Partnership for Women and Families, which supports abortion rights. […]
Waxman Backs Away From Challenge To Big Corporations On Health Costs
A new congressional staff report is quieting the dispute regarding the losses that large corporations were anticipating as a result of the new health law. Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, cancelled a planned hearing for next week.
What Health Care Reform Means for Main Street
Health care coverage differs among Americans, and many details of the health care reform bill are still unclear. To help clear up the confusion, The Fiscal Times recruited six volunteers representing different incomes, geographic areas, ages and lifestyles to look at how the bill will affect a variety of people.
Consumers Guide To Health Reform
The new health reform law will extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, but also has an effect on almost every citizen. Here’s how the law might affect you.
Health On The Hill – April 12, 2010
Physicians face a 21 percent cut in their Medicare payments unless the Senate approves legislation this week to stop the scheduled reduction. Meanwhile, education efforts about elements of the health care overhaul package are continuing, with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies and outside groups working to give the public more specifics about the measure.
Health On The Hill – April 12, 2010
Physicians face a 21 percent cut in their Medicare payments unless the Senate approves legislation this week to stop the scheduled reduction. Meanwhile, education efforts about elements of the health care overhaul package are continuing, with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies and outside groups working to give the public more specifics about the measure.
Americans Asking: ‘How Will Health Reform Help Me?’
Government officials, physicians and nonprofit groups are trying to respond to requests for information as Americans struggle to understand the complexities of the new health law.
Medicare Advantage Competitive Pricing: The Political Failure of a Good Idea
Congressional meddling has become almost synonymous with Advantage administrative pricing and the trend continued after the passage of the health care reconciliation bill.
Can Massachusetts’ Experiment Tell Us What’s Next?
Now that the year-long debate in Congress over health care legislation has come to a close, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s next? Some think that enactment will quickly lead to widespread and generally quiet acquiescence to the terms of the new law, even by those who were strongly against its passage by Congress. Perhaps. But […]
Transcript: Health On The Hill – Early Implementation Challenges To Health Law
Obama administration officials have begun the process of implementing health care overhaul legislation the president signed into law last month.
Health On The Hill – April 6, 2010
Obama administration officials have begun the process of implementing health care overhaul legislation that the president signed into law last month.
True or False: Seven Concerns About The New Health Law
The bill signed by President Obama is long and technical, so it’s no wonder that consumers are confused. KHN staff writers check out several key concerns.
Changes Coming To Insurance Plans
Consumers soon will see plans without lifetime coverage limits or the ability to drop enrollees retroactively, plus there will be added benefits for children and reviews of rate increases.
Government Trying To Cut Health Care Costs With Healthy Eating Program
Efforts to alter a modern lifestyle too dependent on processed foods are being supported by the federal government and are crucial to the nation’s fiscal health as medical spending for chronic diseases including diabetes, arthritis and heart disease threatens to overrun the health system.
Flexible Spending Accounts Getting Slightly Less Flexible
Changing rules on flexible spending accounts mean that starting next year, you can use money from an FSA account to pay for eyeglasses or acupuncture but not an aspirin — that is, unless you have a prescription for it.
The New Health Law Will Affect States’ Budgets
State officials like the amount of increased federal spending in the new health care law, but they worry that their costs could go up and their workload will become heavier.
Insurance Protection For Adult Children Won’t Come Fast Enough For Some Parents
A much-publicized provision of the new health overhaul law would give parents the option of keeping adult children on their insurance plans until age 26, but many details affecting eligibility and timing remain to be worked out.
