House GOP Launch Hearings On Health Law
House Republicans have launched a series of hearings aimed at giving the law the comeuppance they think it deserves.
House Republicans Put Spotlight On HHS Insurance Office
The new Republican chairmen of a powerful House committee and its investigative subcommittee want Obama administration officials to explain exactly how they’re implementing the health law.
Fact Check: Questions Mount As Health Law Rolls Out
Even as congressional Republicans are seeking to undo the health law, some of its provisions continue to kick in. NPR answered consumer questions about the impact of law.
Democrats Seek Right Message To Boost Health Law
For Republicans intent on repealing the new health care law, the message has been simple: It’s bad. Democrats, on the other hand, have had a much more difficult job selling the merits of the law — often doing more to confuse than to enthuse the public.
With A New Congress, It’s High Time For Some Health Overhaul Facts
With the debate over health overhaul back in full force, we examine the claims being thrown around by Republicans and Democrats about the effect of the law and what might happen if it’s repealed.
Democrats Ramp Up War On GOP Health Benefits
While Republicans continue to plot ways to reverse the Affordable Care Act when they take over the House Jan. 5, Democrats are stepping up their attack on Republicans’ own health benefits.
Care At Stake As Congress Nears ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
Lawmakers are close again to delaying a 25 percent cut in reimbursement to doctors who serve Medicare patients. It’s the fifth time this year Congress has faced down the cuts, which could have dire consequences for the program if enacted.
Docs Not Dropping Medicare Patients Just Yet
A new survey from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) finds doctors aren’t actually following through on threats to drop seniors from their patient rosters – at least not yet.
Big Questions About Insurance Plans With Limited Coverage
One of the bigger debates raging in health policy circles at the moment is about the value of “mini-med” plans.
Caution: High Deductible Plans Might Be Bad For Your Health
Both high and low income earners forgo care when they have to pay a lot out of pocket up front. And they both get stressed out about it, says a new report.
Liberals Pounce On GOP Congressman Who Wants His Health Care
When a little-known GOP Congressman-elect who campaigned against the new health law demanded that the benefits of his new federal health plan start immediately, it was an irresistible opening for some.
Health Industry Cool To Complete Repeal Of Reform Law
Republicans in Congress say their priority for next year is to build momentum for an eventual repeal of the new health law. But they could be in for a surprise: While repeal may be popular with Republican voters, the GOP could face pushback from some allies in the health care industry.
Study: Malpractice Costs Just A Tiny Fraction Of Health Spending
The costs of “defensive” medicine practiced by doctors guarding against lawsuits are real, but not nearly as high as some have claimed. Even so, it’s probably worth trying to tame them, some policy analysts say.
What You Can Do About The High Cost Of Health Care: Fix It
A nonprofit group is offering a $1,000 prize for the best essay on solving the nation’s problem of high health care costs.
Midlevel Providers Fill Primary Care Doctors’ Shoes
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine, and many operate almost completely independently of physician supervision. And unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners is on the rise.
Future Of Primary Care? Some Say ‘Medical Home’
Martin’s Point in Maine is among those pioneering a concept aimed at making care more efficient.
Bucking The Trend: Primary Care Doc Practices Solo
There’s a catastrophic shortage of primary care doctors who provide basic health care. And the need is expected to grow as more people receive coverage under the new health law.
Virginia Lawsuit Challenging Health Law Passes Key Hurdle
The first big legal test of the constitutionality of the “individual mandate” that requires just about everyone in the U.S. to have health insurance starting in 2014 is going to get out of the starting gate.
Seniors Still In The Dark On New Health Law
That fact that people don’t know a lot about what’s in the new health law isn’t exactly news. But a new poll that shows just how little Grandma and Grandpa know about it must be giving the new law’s supporters a serious case of heartburn. That’s because seniors are not just a key voting bloc […]
Battle Continues Over Abortion In High-Risk Insurance Pools
The battle over whether the new federally-funded program to help people with pre-existing health conditions will pay for abortions just won’t go away.
