Latest KFF Health News Stories
New Health Law Throws Lifeline to ‘Uninsurables’
In a new KHN feature, Michelle Andrews writes about the coming changes to health care. The new law offers relief for people who can’t get insurance because they are sick or have been sick. States can set up their own pools, or let the federal government do it.
COBRA Health Insurance Subsidies Waiting For Senate Action
People recently laid off are waiting – once again – to hear if they will be eligible for subsidies to stay on their employer’s health insurance.
Tennessee Removes About 100,000 People From Medicaid Rolls
The TennCare cuts, which followed the resolution of a long-running court battle, affected mostly elderly or disabled residents, including approximately 37,000 who had relied on the state program for all their health care needs.
True or False: Seven Concerns About The New Health Law
The bill signed by President Obama is long and technical, so it’s no wonder that consumers are confused. KHN staff writers check out several key concerns.
Some Will Remain Uninsured After Reform
When President Obama signed health care overhaul into law Tuesday, did he fulfill a campaign promise to “bring health care to all?”
How Health Reform Could Affect The ‘Young Invincibles’
Under the health bills being debated in Congress, young adults would be required to buy insurance – but they could buy low-cost “catastrophic” plans, requiring high deductibles. That’s igniting a fierce debate whether young adults – sometimes known as the “young invincibles” – would benefit from such plans.
Community Health Centers Providing Return On Investment
The federal stimulus package that sent nearly $2 billion to community health centers appears to have paid off in economic returns.
How Health Overhaul Would Affect The Uninsured
As a part of our “Are You Covered?” series, KHN and NPR also examine how the health overhaul would impact the uninsured.
As Focus Shifts To Jobs, The Uninsured Seek Solutions
Nurse practitioner Mary Mackie reviews a patient’s file with a health counselor in the temporary site of the New Orleans Faith Health Alliance. (Debbie Elliott/NPR) The national debate over health care appears to be taking a back seat to jobs creation – but the problem persists for people who have jobs but no health insurance. […]
Florida Health Insurance ‘Safety-Net’ Plans Falling Short
Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, a candidate for U.S. Senate who is critical of President Obama’s ideas on health reform, says the nation should instead adapt a plan he helped to enact: Florida Health Choices.
Pregnant African Tourist Gets Support, Costly Treatment From U.S. Health Care System
Don Emmanuel Kayembe, 2, was born with heart defects and congenital developmental issues while his mother, Jeanne d’Arc Kayembe, was in the United States on a tourist visa. She struggled to oversee his medical care while also trying to find a way to stay here.
COBRA Help For Laid-Off Workers May Come Before Christmas
The COBRA subsidy extension now pending in Congress could be considered in the Senate this weekend.
End Of COBRA Subsidy Rattles Newly Unemployed
As part of the economic stimulus, the government offered subsidies so laid-off workers could keep their health insurance. For some, the subsidies are running out.
How Health Reform Bills Would – And Wouldn’t – Affect Illegal Immigrants
This brief explainer examines the number of uninsured illegal immigrants, where they go for health services and how they would fare if current health reform proposals pass.
Baucus Plan Is Harmful To Low-Income Workers
Broadening health coverage is a worthy goal, but the Senate Finance Committee proposal comes at a high price
People Who Choose Not To Have Health Insurance
Not all of America’s 46 million uninsured people can be considered victims of a system that excludes them financially or because of pre-existing conditions. According to an unpublished Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of the CDC’s 2008 National Health Interview Survey, 2 percent of uninsured people said they simply didn’t want health insurance. Some experts say […]
Analysis: Can What Killed California Health Reform Strike Again?
In 2007, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed covering the state’s uninsured with a plan similar to the one Congress is now considering. By January 2008, his plan was killed by a state Senate committee. While Obama’s prospects remain stronger than Schwarzenegger’s ever were, the current effort is hitting roadblocks reminiscent of the California experience.
Fernando Arriola, 58, had full health coverage for years at his former job, but since starting his own contracting business, there are no affordable coverage options for him and his wife. Part of our special series produced in partnership with NPR: Are You Covered? A Look at Americans and Health Insurance.
Facing Aging Without Health Insurance
Fernando Arriola, 58, had full health coverage for years at his former job, but since starting his own contracting business, there are no affordable coverage options for him and his wife. Part of our special series, “Are You Covered? A Look at Americans and Health Insurance,” produced in partnership with NPR.
Children Gain Insurance, Adults Lose In 2008
Federal and state programs drive down uninsured rate for children, but adults continue to lose job-based coverage, according to Census report.
