Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health On The Hill – January 19, 2010
The outcome of the Massachusetts Senate race could play a pivotal role in efforts by President Obama and congressional Democrats to pass a health care overhaul bill this year.
Opponents Threaten Constitutional Challenge To Individual Mandate
A major component of the Congressional health bills is a requirement that nearly everyone buy health insurance. But conservatives who oppose health reform have threatened a challenge on constitutional grounds.
Obama, Democrats Compromise On ‘Cadillac’ Tax, Eager To Move Past Health Bill
President Obama was upbeat about negotiations on health legislation as he addressed the Democratic Caucus last night. With him are House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)
Feds Vs. States: Who Should Run Proposed Health Insurance Marketplaces?
The final decision on who should supervise health exchanges is critical to health plan choices available to consumers, the cost of the premiums and the clout regulators may have.
Florida Officials Say They Will Resist Some Requirements In Health Overhaul
Florida’s Republican attorney general opposes the individual mandate and a state insurance official says significant changes in state laws would be needed to meet federal requirements if overhaul passes.
Chamber Of Commerce Says Health Fight Over – But Sees Room To Maneuver
Officials at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce predict that House and Senate negotiators would finish their work and get a final bill to President Barack Obama by mid-to-late February.
House, Senate View Health Exchanges Differently
One key element of both the House and Senate health bills would create health insurance “exchanges” where individuals and small businesses could purchase health insurance. However, the House and Senate versions would work in very different ways. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
Transcript: Health On The Hill – January 11, 2010
With House members returning to town, negotiations continue between House and Senate Democrats over differences in the two chambers’ health care bills.
Health On The Hill – January 11, 2010
With House members returning to town, negotiations continue between House and Senate Democrats over differences in the two chambers’ health care bills. Key differences include financing, the level of subsidies provided to help people afford coverage and whether or not to include a tax on high-cost health insurance plans.
Transparency and Sausage Making
Compared to George W. Bush’s administration, President Obama has made significant gains in legislative transparency.
IRS Faces Tough New Duties Under Health Overhaul
Tax agency would be responsible for checking whether individuals get required insurance, distributing billions of dollars in subsidies and collecting new taxes and penalties.
Congress Doing Health Care The Hard Way
Congress is still on holiday break, but President Obama and Congressional leaders are at work starting to merge the House and Senate health care overhaul bills. Congress watchers say looking back at how the debate got to this point may provide some important clues as to where it might lead. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
House Health Care Bill Offers Insurance Help To Some Migrants From Pacific Islands
Legislation would restore Medicaid rights to citizens of the Marshall Islands and two other nations who have the unique ability to travel and work freely in the U.S.
Transcript: Health On The Hill – January 4, 2010
House and Senate lawmakers are beginning to resolve differences between the two chambers’ health care overhaul plans. Those differences include the size of the bills, language governing abortion funding and how the bills would be financed. While the House bill includes a government-run health insurance option the Senate bill does not. Negotiations are expected to continue throughout January.
Health On The Hill – January 4, 2010
House and Senate lawmakers are beginning to resolve differences between the two chambers’ health care overhaul plans. Those differences include the size of the bills, language governing abortion funding and how the bills would be financed. While the House bill includes a government-run health insurance option the Senate bill does not. Negotiations are expected to continue throughout January.
The Unresolved Question Of Medicaid Reimbursements
Over the next few weeks, as the House and Senate forge a compromise between their respective health care reform bills, most of the attention will be on the high-profile issues like abortion and taxes. But there are myriad other issues that, although less visible to the public, could go a long way towards determining the success of health care reform. High on this list is the seemingly technical question of what Medicaid pays primary care physicians.
Health On The Hill – After the Senate Vote
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey calls in from Capitol Hill to discuss next steps, now that Senators have passed a health care bill.
The House, Senate and You: A New Guide to Health Reform
Now that the Senate has passed a hotly debated health care bill, Congress is headed to the next step: House-Senate negotiations in January to try to hammer out a final version. Here’s where things stand and how you might be affected.
Analysis: Health Care Polls Don’t Tell Whole Story
Polls show opposition and unease about the Democrats’ health overhaul bills, but these snapshots of public opinion aren’t necessarily good indicators of how voters will feel later about the legislation and the politicians who are trying to push it through Congress.
On Health Bill, Reid Proves The Ultimate Deal Maker
All 60 members of the Democratic caucus closed ranks behind the bill. And the man getting the credit for bringing them on board is the leader of the Democrats’ supermajority, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.
