Phil Galewitz

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pgalewitz@kff.org
@philgalewitz

Health Coverage Holding Up Better For Union Members

KFF Health News Original

Labor unions, under pressure by states and employers to shoulder more of their health care costs, have fared relatively well at protecting workers’ health benefits during the recession, according to a study released today. The study by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington found that from 2007 to 2009 union workers were less […]

Maine Governor, Nuns And Maternity Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who last month signed into law legislation that will phase out a state program subsidizing health care coverage for more than 8,000 residents, says government-run health programs won’t lower costs or help the uninsured. “The only government system that worked was the GI Bill because it provided checks to those who […]

Cantor Chides Obama for ‘Walking Back’ In Negotiations

KFF Health News Original

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., this morning said that President Barack Obama was “walking back” on some potential budget cuts agreed to in bipartisan debt reduction negotiations headed by Vice President Joe Biden. Those talks had identified up to $2.3 trillion in cuts over the next decade, but Obama now will only commit to […]

A Flower But No Cigar for Sebelius

KFF Health News Original

She bought a potted plant, but if Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius thought it would be enough to persuade the operators of her local hardware store to support new insurance regulations, it didn’t happen. Sebelius and her top deputies came to Frager’s Hardware Store near Capitol Hill to unveil proposed rules on insurance […]

Capitol Hill Store Owner Is Both HHS Host and Health Law Skeptic

KFF Health News Original

When Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visits Frager’s Hardware Store near the U.S. Capitol Monday, where she is expected to release the much-anticipated proposed regulations on the health insurance exchanges, she’ll face many skeptics. John Weintraub, the store’s co-owner, is one of them. “I am not confident at all that Obamacare will lower my […]

Feds Cutting Fees, Requirements For High-Risk Health Insurance Pools

KFF Health News Original

With enrollment falling far short of expectations, the Obama administration announces changes to make federally run high risk insurance plans both more affordable and more accessible.

‘No Regrets’ In Nursing Home Industry For Health Law Support-The KHN Interview

KFF Health News Original

Mark Parkinson, head of the largest nursing home lobby, says some nursing homes will be hurt by the law’s requirement to offer workers insurance but they still favor the overhaul to bring health care costs under control.

GOP Pushes To Let States Reduce Medicaid Rolls

KFF Health News Original

Forget about Medicaid block grants. The GOP says states should be allowed to make it harder to qualify for the health program for the poor. Will Democrats go along?

Gloomier-Than-Expected Forecast For Medicare

KFF Health News Original

The outlook for the federal health insurance program that, as of last year, covered 47.5 million elderly and disabled Americans is a dramatic shift from last summer.

Study Details How GOP Budget Plan Would Cut States’ Medicaid Funding

KFF Health News Original

A new analysis of the effect of the House-passed budget finds that states would lose anywhere from 26 to 44 percent of federal Medicaid funds compared to current law.