The Health Law

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Highlights Of Senator Max Baucus’ News Conference

KFF Health News Original

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., discussed his health proposal at a Capitol Hill news conference today. He acknowledged the lack of Republican support, but expressed confidence that some members of the GOP would sign on, saying: “At the end of the day, we all share a common purpose, that is to make the lives of Americans better tomorrow than they are today, and to get health-care reform done, which means the time to come for action is now.”

Baucus Releases Bill: No Public Option

KFF Health News Original

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus unveiled a health care bill today that would require most people to have health insurance and would bar insurance companies from discriminating against people with medical problems.
Video Highlights Of The News Conference | Mary Agnes Carey Discusses What The New Bill Means

San Francisco’s Universal Health Care Model

KFF Health News Original

The Healthy San Francisco Plan, the city’s public health plan for the uninsured, has many of the elements currently under consideration in Washington, D.C. It was proposed as a stopgap measure until Congress moved ahead with universal coverage. Now, it’s being heralded as a public option that works and a model for reform.

Poll Finds Most Doctors Support Public Option

KFF Health News Original

In the heated, political back-and-forth of the health care debate, doctors’ voices aren’t always heard. A new, comprehensive nationwide survey finds that 73 percent of doctors support the inclusion of a public option.

Can Obama Pay For His Health Bill?

KFF Health News Original

President Obama said in his speech Wednesday that most of his health care plan “can be paid for by finding savings within the existing health care system.” Economists say there are ways to squeeze savings out of the existing health care system, but they might not make people happy.

Living In A ‘Medical Home’

KFF Health News Original

Several states are implementing “medical home” programs, which shifts the health care system from emphasizing acute care for emergencies, such as heart attacks and strokes, to one focusing more on treating – or preventing – chronic illnesses.

Excerpts From The President’s Speech To Congress On Health Care Reform

KFF Health News Original

Highlights of the president’s address to Congress include his proposals for guaranteed insurance coverage, mandates to buy insurance and insurance exchanges. He endorsed a ‘public option,’ but said he would remain open to other ideas to expand coverage.