Kelsey Miller

Poll: Majority Favors Charging Smokers Higher Insurance Rates, But Not Overweight People

KFF Health News Original

Fifty-eight percent of Americans surveyed favor charging smokers higher insurance rates, but only 41 percent would charge overweight people more, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. Under the Affordable Care Act, states have the option of allowing health plans participating in online insurance marketplaces to charge smokers up to 50 percent higher premiums than non-smokers. […]

My Place CT

KFF Health News Original

Connecticut Department of Social Services’ Dawn Lambert discusses the state’s efforts to address residents’ long-term care needs while minimizing the strain on the state’s Medicaid budget.

Physician Payments Sunshine Act Goes Into Effect Without Initial Concerns

KFF Health News Original

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, an Affordable Care Act provision requiring doctors and medical companies to disclose their financial relationships, went into effect Aug. 1. Physicians say they are now working to find a balance between necessary transparency and what some perceive to be burdensome filing. “We want to spend our time seeing patients, not doing paperwork,” said […]

7 States, Governors Team To Tackle Hospital ‘Frequent Flyers’ Problem

KFF Health News Original

Seven states and the National Governors Association are teaming up to find ways to save money and better coordinate the care of Medicaid and uninsured patients who frequently use hospital emergency rooms and other costly health services. “There’s a handful of people who drive most of our spending,” said Dan Crippen, the executive director of […]

Study: Emergency Rooms Take Toll On Older Patients

KFF Health News Original

The majority of older patients who go to emergency departments in several nations around the world are likely to start out with complex conditions that deteriorate after their visits, according to a study published in the June 25 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine. Researchers from the Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine at the University […]