Latest KFF Health News Stories
Back To The Future: CBO Budget Predictions and Health Reform
A new CBO report highlights the importance of future lawmakers’ willingness to go through with cuts called for in the new health care law.
Week In Review: Details On Health Reform’s High-Risk Insurance Pools And HHS’ Insurance Website
Two of the new health law’s early deliverables – high-risk insurance pools and a federal website for consumers – took center stage as July 1 marked a busy day in the administration’s implementation schedule.
Online Health Insurance Broker That Once Feared Overhaul Now Sees New Opportunities
eHealthInsurance hopes to get government contract to run the new website that will serve consumers looking for insurance options.
Checking In With… Mediation Expert Nancy Lesser On Congress’ Current Health Reform Dynamics
To an outside observer, the congressional impasse triggered by the health reform debate may seem increasingly entrenched poisoned by politics and conflicting agendas. But to a trained mediator, the debate’s dynamics are not so surprising. Nancy Lesser, a principal at PAX ADR, an alternative dispute resolution firm in Washington, D.C., says the term of […]
Even With The ‘Grandfather Clause’ Protection, Change Is Coming To Most Health Plans
Insurance plans have a history of frequently changing
Transcript: Health On The Hill – May 25, 2010
The House of Representatives may vote on legislation this week that would stop a scheduled June 1 payment cut for doctors who accept Medicare physicians.
London Fog: Berwick and Britain’s NHS
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, said he was “alarmed” by Berwick’s admiration of the NHS. Senators Jon Kyl of Arizona and Pat Roberts of Kansas say Berwick advocates the “rationing” of care. Of course, as Berwick pointed out, our system already rations care by income and medical status. Apparently this is not so alarming to McConnell and the rest of the GOP.
Week In Review: Honing Political Strategy On Health Reform; Facing Down A Medicare Deadline
Confusion from the primary elections this week punctuated the Obama administration’s progress on implementing the new health law.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius must soon decide how to spend millions of dollars on a potentially endless array of worthy prevention projects, ranging from bike trails and community gardens to local public health departments and obesity prevention.
Quality, Economy, Transparency: A New Health Care Code
Wisconsin’s transparent health care costs and outcomes initiative is lowering costs.
Black Americans Look To Health Plan For New Hope
Many African-Americans hope the health care overhaul will cut the high rates of chronic disease in their communities. But not everyone is convinced the bill will ease the health disparities they face.
Obama: Hospitals Must Grant Same-Sex Visitations
Hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding will be required to comply with the order.
GOP On Health Care Fight: ‘It’s Not Over’
One prominent Republican drew the ire of his fellow party members this week by calling the passage of the health care bill the GOP’s Waterloo. But Republicans say the issue has lost none of its power to motivate the opposition in the midterm elections and beyond.
Highlights: President Obama Signs Health Bill
At a White House ceremony this morning, President Barack Obama signed into law the Senate version of health insurance reform. The White House released video of the event, which includes remarks by the president and Vice President Joe Biden.
Transcript: President Obama’s Speech After House Passes Health Reform
Read the transcript of President Obama’s speech, which he gave late Sunday night after the House passed the health reform package.
Full Text: Reconciliation Act of 2010
Read the full text of the Reconciliation Act of 2010, as released today by Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.
Health On The Hill – March 15, 2010
Over the weekend, White House officials urged the House of Representatives to vote on the Senate-passed health overhaul bill. Meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Pelosi is still working to assuage concerns from both sides of the ideological base on the issue of abortion. A vote is expected sometime this week.
Timeline: A History Of Reconciliation
For 30 years, major changes to health care laws have passed via the budget reconciliation process. Here are a few examples.
Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan
In November, 1993, Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., introduced what was considered to be one of the main Republican health overhaul proposals: “A bill to provide comprehensive reform of the health care system of the United States.” Titled the “Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act of 1993,” it had 21 co-sponsors, including two Democrats (Sens. Boren and Kerrey). The […]
Malpractice Reform: A Test Case for Bipartisanship At The Health Summit
Republicans and Democrats should come together on one bipartisan issue at Thursday’s health care ‘summit’: medical malpractice reform.
