Latest KFF Health News Stories
Despite Progress, African Americans Still Hard Hit By Medical Bills
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. For many years, high medical bills have been a leading cause of financial distress and bankruptcy in America. That pressure may be easing ever so slightly, according to a survey released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But one in five Americans still […]
Latinos Key To Obama’s Health Law Strategy
President Barack Obama, who was re-elected with strong support from the Latino community, is in California today and will endorse a plan that focuses on getting Latino Americans signed up for coverage under his health care law. In remarks to the news media, slated to be given in San Jose, the president will lay out his […]
Study: Consumers Saved $2.1B On Individual Coverage Under Health Law
People who bought their own health insurance last year saved $2.1 billion because of the federal health law, mainly because of a provision that limits how much of their premium can go to insurers’ administration and profits, says a report out today from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the […]
Of ACOs And Proton Beams: Why Hospitals ‘Live In Two Worlds’
For the past several years, hospital CEOs have been talking a big game about accountable care—the latest health care model, which pays doctors and hospitals for quality, rather than the volume of services they provide. ACOs make providers jointly accountable for the health of their patients, giving them financial incentives to cooperate and to save […]
GOP Lawmakers Press Sebelius To Help Child Awaiting Transplant
A child in desperate need of a lung transplant clinging to life. Long waiting lists of patients who need organs and too few donors to meet the demand. Rules that govern who gets what life-saving organs – and when. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had to confront all those issues on […]
Fewer U.S. Families Report Having Difficulty Paying Medical Bills
Fewer American families are having problems paying medical bills, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics. Still, nearly a fifth off families still struggle with that financial responsibility. The report found that 20.3 percent of families headed by someone under the age of 65 — 54.2 million people — […]
California Law Likely Resulted In Lower Bills, Free Care For Uninsured
A California law limiting how much hospitals can charge the uninsured likely resulted in lower bills for many patients – and free care for most of the state’s poorest uninsured residents, according to a study published today in the journal Health Affairs. While some hospitals around the country have voluntarily agreed to reduce how much they […]
Medicare Data Show Wide Divide In What Hospitals Bill For Outpatient Services
Medicare released average bill charges for 30 hospital outpatient procedures Monday, showing big differences from hospital to hospital in how much they bill patients for the same service. The data come a month after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services garnered front-page attention for its release of similar information about 100 common hospital inpatient procedures. […]
Slowdown In Medicare Spending Extends Trust Fund
Slower growth in spending is helping extend the life of Medicare’s hospital trust fund to 2026, two years beyond last year’s estimate, officials said Friday. They also reported, however, that Social Security’s disability trust fund, which pays monthly benefits to disabled workers and their families, is expected to be exhausted by 2016. Social Security will begin to […]
D.C. Approves Two New Proton Therapy Centers
After months of heated debate, two of Washington’s biggest hospital systems won approval Friday to build proton treatment facilities that will cost a total of $153 million despite questions about whether the treatment is any more effective than less expensive options. Johns Hopkins Medicine will be allowed to build a two-room proton center at Sibley […]
White House: There Will Be Competition In Insurance Exchanges
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The Obama administration is countering criticism that the new health insurance exchanges will be lacking in competition, though it’s doing so a bit quietly. At a White House briefing Thursday for health reporters, in which senior administration health officials spoke on the condition that they not […]
Study: Health Law Protected Young Adults From High Hospital Bills
Researchers at the RAND Corporation set out to find some hard data on one aspect of the health law: Does having medical insurance protect young adults from the financial ruin that often comes with a major injury or illness? The quick answer: Yes, it does. Since September 2010, the Affordable Care Act has allowed young […]
Final Rule Upholds Increased Rewards, Penalties For Wellness Participation
Employers will be able to increase rewards to workers who participate in wellness programs under final rules released Wednesday by the Obama administration. The final rules, similar to those proposed in November as part of the Affordable Care Act, have raised concerns among advocates who represent people with chronic or severe illnesses, as well as […]
President Obama To Hit The Campaign Trail For Health Law
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. President Obama often tells audiences that he has waged his last campaign. But that’s not exactly true. The White House is gearing up for a massive campaign this summer that will cover all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. And the president’s legacy may hinge on whether […]
In Case Of Tornado, EHRs Can Be Just The Prescription
Everyone expects a hospital to be ready to jump into action when disaster strikes. But what about when the disaster devastates the hospital itself? Turns out, it helps a lot to have an electronic medical record system in place. At least that was the case at Moore Medical Center in Oklahoma, a small hospital right in […]
Mass. Advocates Want To Snuff Out Higher Premiums For Smokers
You’ve heard all the campaigns and statistics: Smoking Kills. It’s the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. And it’s expensive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says smoking costs the country $193 billion a year in lost productivity and health care spending. Add another $10 billion for secondhand smoking expenses. That’s why […]
11 Insurers Want To Play Ball In Colorado’s Marketplace
Corrected at 6:00 p.m. to reflect that 11 insurers, rather than 17 have submitted policies to sell in the state’s new online health insurance marketplace. The larger number includes those proposing to sell both inside and outside the online marketplace. Colorado became the latest state Wednesday to post proposed health insurance plans for its new online […]
Accuracy of Blood Glucose Meters Draws Scrutiny
Blood glucose meters, which millions of diabetics rely upon to regulate their blood sugar, have become less costly and easier and less painful to use. But they haven’t become more accurate, a top Food and Drug Administration official said Tuesday at a meeting of researchers analyzing studies that show wide variation in the performance of the machines […]
Survey: Even In Southern States, Medicaid Expansion Is Popular
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina have a lot in common: The summers are hot and the political climates are conservative. These are states where Mitt Romney handily beat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, so it’s not surprising to learn that the president’s signature health law is unpopular there. But despite the […]
GOP Fears About IRS’ Access To Medical Records Disputed
Listening to recent statements from some congressional Republicans, you might think that the 2010 health law allows the Internal Revenue Service to have access to your medical records. Not so, says the Department of Health and Human Services. “The Affordable Care Act maintains strict privacy controls to safeguard personal information. The IRS will not have […]
