Latest KFF Health News Stories
Families To Pay Price If Maternity Care Coverage Is Cut By GOP
Before the health law, buying an individual policy that included coverage for pregnancy and labor was extremely difficult.
Deciphering CBO’s Estimates On The GOP Health Bill
The federal government’s budget experts estimate that the Republican plan would reduce the deficit but dramatically drive up the number of uninsured.
Say What? Fact-Checking The Chatter Around The GOP Health Bill
In the heated political arguments as Republicans rush to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, some facts can get buried.
KHN On Call: How Retooled Health Law Might Treat Those With A History Of Illness
People with preexisting conditions will still be able to buy coverage under the GOP plan, but it’s not clear there will be plans anyone can afford.
By Law, Hospitals Now Must Tell Medicare Patients When Care Is ‘Observation’ Only
Not being officially admitted — a status known as observation care — can have financial consequences for beneficiaries, and patients had often complained they were not informed.
HMO Doctors Take Pains To Slash Opioid Prescriptions
A Kaiser Permanente pain management program in Southern California aims to help patients taper off addictive painkillers. Some doctors and patients see it as a godsend; others complain that patients have been cut off medications they need.
GOP Health Plan Could Be Bitter Pill For California’s Obamacare Exchange
Critics say the proposed changes could poison one of the nation’s healthiest marketplaces, driving up premiums and drawing in only the sickest patients. Republicans and industry analysts call those concerns overblown.
Truth And Consequence: KHN Joins Team To Parse Lawmakers’ Lingo On Health Law
Kaiser Health News is working with ProPublica and other news organizations to collect and analyze letters and emails from elected officials to constituents on the ACA, beginning with a misleading missive by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt. Send us more!
To Save On Drug Costs, Insurer Wants To Steer You To ‘Preferred’ Pharmacies
Blue Shield of California is hoping to steer consumers to “preferred” pharmacies where drugs are cheaper and copays lower.
Trump, Dems Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices
Two Democratic congressmen met with President Trump to seek his support for a bill to expand the government’s ability to negotiate drug prices, but it’s not clear it would have much impact or will gain support.
A Playbook For Managing Problems In The Last Chapter Of Your Life
Many people age 75 or older can take steps to avoid a crisis in the remaining years of their lives.
LA County Health Chief Wants To ‘Catch’ People Dropped From Coverage
Mitch Katz, director of the L.A. County Health Agency, says California must find ways to cover state residents who might lose their health coverage if Obamacare is repealed.
Five Ways The GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From The ACA
From Medicaid funding to paying for over-the-counter drugs, the legislation offered by House Republicans offers a far different pathway to coverage than Obamacare.
Los Angeles County Scores An E-Success In Managing Specialist Care
An electronic consulting and referral system adopted by the county’s safety net public health system in 2012 has reduced waiting times for appointments with specialists and eliminated the need for such appointments in a significant number of cases, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs.
Dentists Work To Ease Patients’ Pain With Fewer Opioids
Dentistry is at a crossroads and many in the field are reassessing their narcotics prescribing habits.
Three Key Senators Ask GAO To Investigate Possible Abuses Of The Orphan Drug Act
Amid an uproar over high drug prices, three GOP senators are asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the Orphan Drug Act is being abused.
Are Virtual Doctor Visits Really Cost-Effective? Not So Much, Study Says
Rand Corp. finds that telehealth encourages patients to seek care for minor illnesses they wouldn’t bother to make an office visit for, raising overall health costs.
Cancer Rates Dropped During The Recession. That’s Not Necessarily A Good Thing.
Researchers believe Californians, many of whom lost health coverage, delayed doctor visits that could have led to earlier detection. Now, with people seeking medical care under the Affordable Care Act, some experts expect to see an increase in late-stage cancers.
GOP Overhaul Would Keep Obamacare’s ‘Cadillac Tax,’ But Delay It Until 2025
Although Republicans flirted with the idea of changing the tax code so that the value of employer-sponsored health insurance is added to workers’ tax liability, House leaders decided to instead keep the ACA’s tax on insurers and employers that provide generous coverage.
House GOP Health Bill Jettisons Insurance Mandate, Much Of Medicaid Expansion
After intense negotiations among party factions, Republican leaders unveil legislation that committees will mark up this week.
