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How Much Do The Nation’s Pre-Eminent Hospitals Cost Medicare?

By Jordan Rau May 14, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Can you cut health care spending without undermining the quality of care? It’s a major concern as Medicare prepares to prod hospitals to provide medical care more efficiently by giving bonuses to those whose patients cost less and taking money away from places that send the government higher bills. Last week, Capsules culled through the […]

Today’s Headlines – May 8, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 8, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Good morning! Los Angeles Times: Congress Returns To Fight For The Presidency Democrats will seek to portray Republicans as protecting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Republicans will use the sluggish economy and Obama’s healthcare law as prime examples of big government failures. … The fight over student loan interest rates, which […]

Reassessing McAllen’s Health Bill

By Jordan Rau May 10, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Remember McAllen? It’s the Texas border town that during the health care debate became synonymous with wasteful medical spending. Even Barack Obama was talking about it. In part because of McAllen’s bad reputation, based on studies by the Dartmouth Atlas, Congress ended up instructing Medicare to start rewarding hospitals that provide care efficiently — and taking […]

Today’s Headlines – April 26, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton April 26, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Politico: Government Shutdown On The Horizon? Plunging ahead along party lines, the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a set of Republican-backed spending targets that break with the August debt accords by demanding more than $27 billion in additional savings from non-defense programs. The 28-21 vote sets up a long summer of political skirmishing, all […]

Today’s Headlines – May 4, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 4, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Happy Friday! Here are your end-of-week headlines! The Washington Post: Poll: Obama Leads Romney As Campaigns Converge On Virginia The Democratic president has a key advantage in his bid for re¬election: The coalition of Virginians that helped propel him to victory in 2008 — young voters, suburban Washingtonians, women and African Americans — is largely […]

Today’s Headlines – May 1, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 1, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Good morning! Here are your early headlines: The Associated Press/Washington Post: On Taxes, Health Care And Government’s Role, Obama And Romney Offer Distinct Choices To Voters Those differences surely exist. Obama and his Republican challenger are offering voters a distinct choice on taxes, a sharp disagreement over health care and a classic ideological divide on […]

Today’s Headlines — June 28, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton June 28, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Today’s the big day. Stay with us throughout the morning for reaction and a host of coverage on the Supreme Court’s Decision on the health law. In the meantime, here are some headlines to read as you wait: The New York Times: Awaiting Ruling On Fairly Simple Questions About A Complex Health Law The Supreme […]

Today’s Headlines – July 2, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton July 2, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Good morning! Reuters/Chicago Tribune: Support For Obama Healthcare Law Rises After Ruling Voter support for President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul has increased following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling upholding it, although majorities still oppose it, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday showed (Zengerle, 7/1). The New York Times/Bloomberg News: Letter From Washington: Next Battleground Of […]

Today’s Headlines – May 3, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 3, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Good morning! You’re over the hump, here’s Thursday’s headlines: The Associated Press/Washington Post: Problems Seen For Medicare Provider Payments If Supreme Court Strikes Down Health Care Law Tossing out President Barack Obama’s health care law would have major unintended consequences for Medicare’s payment systems, unseen but vital plumbing that handles 100 million monthly claims from […]

Today’s Headlines – May 16, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 16, 2012 KFF Health News Original

The New York Times: Republicans Pledge New Standoff On Debt Limit But Republicans have not been able to unify around an alternative. Instead, they will bring forward four different budgets for the 2013 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1 — with a budget passed by House Republicans viewed as the most liberal of the lot. […]

Today’s Headlines – June 6

By Stephanie Stapleton June 6, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Happy Wednesday! Here are your headlines: The Washington Post: Gov. Walker Survives Recall In Wisconsin Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won a vote to keep his job on Tuesday, surviving a recall effort that turned the Republican into a conservative icon and his state into the first battleground in a bitter, expensive election year (Fahrenthold and […]

Today’s Headlines – May 9, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton May 9, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Here are your morning headlines: Los Angeles Times: Senate Republicans Block Proposal To Keep Student Loan Rates Low Republicans also want to avoid raising the rate on college loans, but would pay for it by eliminating a public health fund in Obama’s new healthcare law. The stalemate comes as both parties turn routine legislative votes […]

Today’s Headlines – April 19, 2012

By Stephanie Stapleton April 19, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Good morning! Here are your a.m. headlines … The New York Times: In A Shift, Medicare Pushes Bids The Obama administration said Wednesday that it would vastly expand the use of competitive bidding to buy medical equipment for Medicare beneficiaries after a one-year experiment saved money for taxpayers and patients without harming the quality of […]

N.Y. Governor Raps Insurers, Health Providers For ‘Unacceptable Opaqueness’ In Billing

By Julie Appleby March 8, 2012 KFF Health News Original

Too often patients who thought they had all the right approvals from their insurers get hit with surprise bills for out-of-network medical costs, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says in a report that calls on insurers, doctors and hospitals to help craft reforms. Complaints about out-of-network costs were among the most common found in a state […]

Wash. Bill Mandating Abortion Coverage Fails To Reach Vote

By Christian Torres March 6, 2012 KFF Health News Original

In yet another hurdle for a bill that would require insurers to provide abortion coverage, advocates were not able to get a floor vote in the Washington state Senate for the Reproductive Parity Act.  But, according to the bill’s proponents, it isn’t entirely off the table yet. Under the bill, public and private insurers that offer health […]