Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Bars New ‘Seamless Conversion’ Efforts For Some Seniors
Some insurers have been allowed to move customers on the health law’s marketplaces into their Medicare Advantage plans when they become eligible for Medicare, but seniors complain they didn’t always know it was happening.
The Health Law: Rising Costs, Subsidies And Its Future Under The Next President
Affordable Care Act premiums will increase by an average of 25 percent next year, according to new reports. But more than 8 in 10 consumers could be cushioned from the price hikes through subsidies.
Drug Prices, Not The Health Law, Top Voters’ Health Priorities For 2017
Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents support making sure high-cost drugs for chronic conditions are affordable.
Video: How Obamacare Premium Hikes Affect Politics And Your Wallet
PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff talks to Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News and Reid Wilson of The Hill.
What Would A Public Insurance Option Look Like?
UCLA health policy expert Gerald Kominski says a “public option” health plan would look a lot like private insurance, and politics will determine whether it would happen on a state or national level.
Burwell Says Upcoming Enrollment Efforts Are Pivotal For Health Law
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announces that federal officials expect the number of people picking plans will grow by 1 million this year to nearly 14 million people, but she acknowledges that rising prices and fewer insurers are challenging the marketplaces.
Emergency Room Use Stayed High In Oregon Medicaid Study
A new study on Oregon’s famed Medicaid experiment eight years ago shows no decline in emergency room care even after two years of coverage.
Are Blues’ Plans Benefiting Unfairly From Program To Offset Cost Of Sicker Patients?
Other insurers complain that Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have bloated overhead costs and reap too much from the Obamacare risk-adjustment fund, paid for by insurers. The companies deny it.
Frustration Runs Deep For Customers Forced To Change Marketplace Plans Routinely
Doctor and hospital switching is a recurring scramble for these consumers who face rising premiums and plan exits.
How Narrow Is It? Gov’t Begins Test Of Comparison Tool For Health Plan Networks
This fall, the tool will be available in four states with hopes of expanding it to other states in the future.
Report: States Increase Cost Controls To Manage Medicaid Growth
Medicaid enrollment and total Medicaid spending are projected to rise more slowly for 2017, but states’ tab will grow faster as the federal government begins to taper its funding for Obamacare expansions, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports in its annual 50-state survey.
Rising Health Premiums Rankle Individuals Paying Full Price
Insurance customers who don’t get federal subsidies are facing double-digit premium increases in many places this year and forced to make hard choices about coverage.
Trump’s Debate Claim On Health Care Costs: It Depends What You Mean By ‘Cost’
Although many consumers are feeling the heat from increased health care spending, the overall bill may not be larger.
President Trump Wouldn’t Have To Wait For Congress To Undo Much Of The Health Law
Since President Barack Obama has used executive authority many times to help stabilize the law, Donald Trump could likely reverse those decisions and undermine the law.
A Bygone Era: When Bipartisanship Led To Health Care Transformation
A federal law enacted shortly after the end of World War II provided grants and loans to fund hospital construction that have left a lasting legacy.
Health Law Targets Women’s Preventive Services, But It Offers Help To Men, Too
A number of preventive services used by both men and women are now available at no cost to consumers.
Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Want Restraints On Drug Prices
As the spiraling costs attract headlines, many people are looking to the government to rein in prescription drug prices, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
Would You Like Some Insurance With Your Insurance?
Gap insurance plans, used to cover out-of-pocket health expenses like high deductibles, are becoming increasingly popular among consumers and businesses.
Health Law Expanded Coverage For Ex-Inmates, But Gaps Remain
The health law’s Medicaid expansion and its requirement that employer medical plans cover dependents up to age 26 had a significant impact on coverage for this population. The portion of young adult ex-inmates without insurance fell from 40 percent to 32 percent.
Number Of Uninsured Falls Again In 2015
The annual Census report finds that the number of uninsured falls to 29 million from 33 million.
