The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
521 - 540 of 3,714 Results
Disputes between hospitals and Medicare Advantage plans are leading to entire hospital systems suddenly leaving insurance networks. Patients are left stuck in the middle, choosing between their doctors and their insurance plan. Thereâs a way out.
The Supreme Court this week heard its first abortion case since overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, about an appeals court ruling that would dramatically restrict the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. But while it seems likely that this case could be dismissed on a technicality, abortion opponents have more challenges in the pipeline. Meanwhile, health issues are heating up on the campaign trail, as Republicans continue to take aim at Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act â all things Democrats are delighted to defend. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join Ńîšóĺú´ŤĂ˝Ňîl Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Ńîšóĺú´ŤĂ˝Ňîl Health Newsâ Tony Leys, who wrote a Ńîšóĺú´ŤĂ˝Ňîl Health News-NPR âBill of the Monthâ feature about Medicare and a very expensive air-ambulance ride. Plus, for âextra credit,â the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
A California law that takes effect this summer will grant minors on public insurance the ability to get mental health treatment without their parentsâ consent, a privilege that their peers with private insurance have had for years. But the law has become a flashpoint in the stateâs culture wars.
Itâs estimated that an older patient can spend three weeks of the year getting care â and that doesnât count the time it takes to arrange appointments or deal with insurance companies.
Used to operating with scarce resources, Montana Medicaid providers say gaps in state payments have left them struggling further.
There are legal safeguards to protect patients from big bills like out-of-network air-ambulance rides. But insurers may not pay if they decide the ride wasnât medically necessary.
A state policy to extend Medi-Cal to qualified Californians without legal residency is running up against a federal requirement to resume eligibility checks. The redetermination process is causing many Latinos, who make up a majority of Medi-Cal beneficiaries, to be disenrolled.
Saturday marks the 14th anniversary of the still somewhat embattled Affordable Care Act. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joins host Julie Rovner to discuss the accomplishments of the health law â and the challenges it still faces. Also this week, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Mary Agnes Carey of Ńîšóĺú´ŤĂ˝Ňîl Health News join Rovner to discuss what should be the final funding bill for HHS for fiscal 2024, next weekâs Supreme Court oral arguments in a case challenging abortion medication, and more. Plus, for âextra credit,â the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
Savings estimated by the Congressional Budget Office from allowing the federal government to negotiate Medicare drug prices are based on a 10-year cumulative projection.
Republican Gov. Brian Kempâs Georgia Pathways to Coverage program has seen anemic enrollment while chalking up millions in start-up costs â largely in technology and consulting fees. Critics say the moneyâs being wasted on a costly and ineffective alternative to Obamacareâs Medicaid expansion.
Demand for help monitoring patientsâ vital signs remotely has taken off since a Medicare change in 2019. Dozens of companies now push the service to help overburdened primary care doctors â and as a revenue stream. But some policy experts say its growth has outpaced oversight and evidence of effectiveness.
Drugmakers offer copay assistance programs to patients, but insurers are tapping into those funds, not counting the amounts toward patient deductibles. That leads to unexpected charges. But the practice is under growing scrutiny.
One of the most unfair aspects of medical insurance is this: Patients can change insurance only during end-of-year enrollment periods or at the time of âqualifying life events.â But insurersâ contracts with doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies can change abruptly at any time.
Health care wasnât expected to be a major theme for this yearâs elections. But as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump secured their respective party nominations this week, the future of both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act appears to be up for debate. Meanwhile, the cyberattack of the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare continues to do damage to the companiesâ finances with no quick end in sight. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join Ńîšóĺú´ŤĂ˝Ňîl Health Newsâ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Kelly Henning of Bloomberg Philanthropies about a new, four-part documentary series on the history of public health, âThe Invisible Shield.â Plus, for âextra creditâ the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
A pill form of an effective drug for postpartum depression hit the market in December, but most insurers do not yet have a policy on when or whether they will pay for it. The hurdles to obtain its predecessor medication have advocates worried.
On this episode of âAn Arm and a Leg,â host Dan Weissmann breaks down the complicated and expensive world of Medicare with practical tips to pick the right plan and avoid penalties.
President Joe Biden used his roughly 68-minute address to Congress to counter lackluster public approval ratings and draw clear contrasts between his administrationâs policies and those of Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans. Abortion and health care were in the spotlight.
The cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth Groupâs Optum division is the worst on the health care industry in U.S. history, hospitals say. Providers struggling to get paid for care say the response by the insurer and the Biden administration has been inadequate.
Š 2026 KFF