Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicaid Expansion Is Still A Tumultuous Fight In Several States
Medicaid expansion was a big deal in a handful of states’ legislatures this year. Wyoming said no, Tennessee said no. Montana said yes in last-minute maneuvering, and three more states are coming down to the wire, including Utah, Alaska and Florida.
What’s Next If The Supreme Court Strikes Down Obamacare Aid?
An interview with policy expert Linda Blumberg of the Urban Institute about the possible consequences of the latest health law case before the Supreme Court, King v. Burwell.
In Louisiana, Obamacare Subsidies Mean Financial Independence For Some
Meet three people from the Bayou State who would likely lose their insurance and their newfound sense of financial stability if the Supreme Court rules subsidies illegal in the King v. Burwell case.
‘Free’ Contraception Means ‘Free,’ Obama Administration Tells Insurers
The announcement says that the health law’s provision that insurers provide free contraceptives extends to all types of prescribed methods.
Missteps By Missouri Medicaid Become Ammunition For Expansion Foes
A stinging federal audit and complaints of long wait times give reluctant lawmakers a line of attack.
Florida Governor Leaves D.C. Meeting Empty-Handed
Despite ‘a good conversation’ with HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Gov. Rick Scott gets no commitment on uncompensated care funding.
Paying Medicaid Enrollees To Get Checkups, Quit Smoking and Lose Weight: Will It Pay Off?
Like wellness programs in the private sector, more than a dozen states are offering incentives to Medicaid enrollees to spur them to make healthier decisions — and potentially save taxpayers money.
Montana Governor Signs Medicaid Expansion Into Law
Backers of Medicaid expansion celebrated in Helena as Gov. Steve Bullock signed the bill extending the health coverage to an estimated 45,000 more Montanans.
An Obamacare Payment Reform Success Story – One Health System, Two Procedures
As part of an experiment run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, doctors, nurses and managers at Baptist Health System in San Antonio joined forces to cut costs for hip and knee replacements, getting patients on their feet sooner, saving taxpayers money and increasing their own earnings.
More Evidence That Health Plans Stint On Mandated Birth Control Coverage
Researchers with the National Women’s Law Center find insurers around the country are failing to provide contraception and other care without copays.
How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about cost and coverage.
Thousands May Have Been Shorted On Insurance Subsidies After Calculation Error
Some families likely received lower subsidies than they were entitled to or were denied Medicaid coverage because of faulty calculations related to children who receive Social Security income.
Tennessee, Kansas Also Get Warning: Expand Medicaid Or Risk Hospital Funds
Federal officials have warned several states that their reluctance to expand Medicaid could cost them special federal funding to treat the uninsured.
Obamacare Processing Center In Missouri Paid 13,000 Hours Of Overtime
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch filed Freedom of Information Act requests after whistleblowers alleged that workers at the Wentzville, Mo. center played games, read or worked very slowly because they had so little to do beginning in fall, 2013 after the facility opened. Serco Inc. said that it paid workers overtime in spring and summer of 2014 because of the large number of backlogged applications as a result of healthcare.gov’s computer problems.
What’s At Stake In The Supreme Court Obamacare Case
Despite political opposition to the Affordable Care Act, more than 186,000 people in Louisiana signed up for health insurance through healthcare.gov. The vast majority of those received subsidies, which could be lost in the King v. Burwell case before the Supreme Court.
Medicaid Expands In Other States, But Not Florida
Other states have overcome political opposition to Medicaid expansion and adopted plans to bring government-subsidized coverage to more of their low-income residents.
Relying On The Health Care Safety Net: Choosing Between Dinner And A Medical Test
Without Medicaid expansion, South Florida’s low-income residents have found out the hard way that the healthcare safety net designed to catch people before they hit bottom is no substitute for insurance.
850,000 Floridians Stuck In Health Care Limbo — And No Solution In Sight
With legislators seemingly deadlocked on Medicaid expansion in Florida, residents in the “coverage gap” are stitching together their medical care through personal ingenuity, half doses of medicines and low-cost clinics.
There May Still Be Time To Save On Health Law’s Tax Penalties
Some consumers who face a 2014 tax bill can make adjustments to improve their liability.
EEOC Proposal On Wellness Program Earns Business Praise, Consumer Concerns
The announcement is an effort to give employers more guidance on how to implement the programs promoted by the federal health law without overstepping the Americans With Disabilities Act.
