Obamacare’s National Enrollment Looks OK, But States Matter More
With this year’s deadline to register for individual health insurance just a weekend away, much attention is being lavished on two numbers — the 6 million Americans who have signed up so far, and the percentage of those folks who are (or aren’t) young. But experts say the national numbers actually don’t mean very much. “These […]
Skipping Health Insurance Could Cost A Lot More Than $95
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. 2014 is the first year most Americans will have to either have health insurance or face a tax penalty. But most people who are aware of the penalty think it’s pretty small, at least for this first year. And that could turn into an expensive mistake. “I’d […]
Quick Update Of State Insurance Exchanges: Still A Mixed Bag
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. With a bit more than a month left for people to sign up for health insurance plans set up under the Affordable Care Act, the federal website known as healthcare.gov finally seems to be working smoothly — in 36 states. But what’s happening in the 14 […]
Anti-Obamacare Forces Ramp Up Campaign To Stop Implementation
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. With less than eight weeks to go before the official launch of the new health care marketplaces under the federal health law, backers of the law are ramping up to encourage people to sign up. But there’s another effort gearing up this month as well. Opponents […]
Definition Of ‘Full Time’ Becomes A Sticking Point In Obamacare
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Of all the contentious claims about the Affordable Care Act, few have been more contentious than over the impact it’s having on employers. It’s hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on a television without seeing a story about some boss cutting workers’ hours or saying they […]
White House: There Will Be Competition In Insurance Exchanges
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The Obama administration is countering criticism that the new health insurance exchanges will be lacking in competition, though it’s doing so a bit quietly. At a White House briefing Thursday for health reporters, in which senior administration health officials spoke on the condition that they not […]
Cloning, Stem Cells Long Mired In Legislative Gridlock
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The news that U.S. scientists have successfully cloned a human embryo seems almost certain to rekindle a political fight that has raged, on and off, since the announcement of the creation of Dolly the sheep in 1997. “The issue of legislation on human cloning is about to […]
Women’s Health Groups Angered By Administration Morning-After Pill Policies
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The Obama administration’s actions this week on emergency contraception have left many women’s health groups sputtering with anger. But what really has some of the President Barack Obama’s usual allies irritated is the fact that the moves are in direct contrast to speeches he made in […]
New Guidelines May Drop Birth Control Training Rule
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. One of the more popular provisions of the federal health law requires that women be given much freer access to prescription methods of birth control. That includes not only the pill, but implants and IUDs as well. But what happens if there are not enough doctors to […]
Arkansas Medicaid Plan, Born Of Necessity, Shakes Things Up
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Since the Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion under the federal health law optional last year, states’ decisions have largely split along party lines. States run by Democrats have been opting in; states run by Republicans have mostly been saying no or holding back. But now Arkansas – at the […]
Medicaid, Sequester Weighing On Govs’ Minds At Annual Winter Meeting
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. When the nation’s governors gathered in Washington, D.C., over the weekend for their annual winter meeting, the gathering’s official theme was about efforts to hire people with disabilities. But out of the public eye, at the sessions for “governors only,” the discussion reportedly was dominated by […]
‘Morning After’ Pill Advocates Seek Another Look At Age Rules
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. Friday marks a not-so-happy anniversary for some of President Obama’s biggest supporters: It’s exactly one year since Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius decided not to lift the age restrictions on availability of the so-called morning-after pill, Plan B. But now, with the election safely behind them, backers of […]
As Fiscal Cliff Looms, Medicare And Medicaid Face Uncertain Futures
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. No matter who wins the election on Nov. 6, official Washington will have to deal with something called the “fiscal cliff” before the end of the year. What’s coming is a perfect storm of expiring tax cuts, scheduled budget cuts, and various other spending changes scheduled to […]
Romney: People Don’t Die For Lack Of Insurance
The GOP presidential nominee’s claim – in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch – is belied by a large and growing body of academic studies.
GOP Says Coverage For The Uninsured Is Not Their Priority
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. For decades, the primary goal of those who would fix the U.S. health system has been to help people without insurance get coverage. Now, it seems, all that may be changing. At least some top Republicans are trying to steer the health debate away from the problem […]
Abortion Back On The Front Burner For Congress
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. It’s not just states where abortion is heating up as an issue this election year. Congress is getting back into the fray, too. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved, on a party-line vote of 18-14, a bill that would ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of […]
Why Many Young Adults Might Lose Coverage If Health Law Falls
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. When it comes to health care, even the seemingly easy things become hard. Take coverage for young adults under the Affordable Care Act. It’s one of the most successful — and popular — provisions of the law that have taken effect so far. Earlier this week […]
How Opponents Won The Health Care Messaging War
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. OK, so it’s not exactly news that the Obama administration hasn’t done the best job in the world selling the Affordable Care Act to the American public. But now the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism has some statistics to demonstrate just how sorry […]
Embattled Hospital Debt Collector Taps Politicians For Defense
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. So what do you do when you’re accused of hitting up sick patients in the hospital to pay their bills — sometimes even before they get treatment? Well, if you’re Chicago-based Accretive Health, under fire by not only the Minnesota Attorney General but key members of Congress and […]
When Religious Rules And Women’s Health Collide
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. When you go to the hospital these days, chances are good that it will be affiliated with a religious organization. And while that may might just mean the chaplain will be of a specific denomination or some foods will be off limits, there may also be […]
