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The debate that preceded passage of the health-care overhaul resumed as a heated issue in the midterm elections. Politicians and advocacy groups seeking repeal of the law are making dramatic claims about the its cost and effects. How valid are they? We evaluate some of the most common criticisms.
If certain steps are taken, the next round of reform could make health insurance portable, affordable and fair.
State insurance regulators have defined one of the thorniest provisions of the new health overhaul law: the requirement that insurers spend at least 80 percent of revenue on direct medical care.
One in six doctors works for a hospital, and the number is quickly growing. Both sides benefit: hospitals get a steady stream of patients and doctors say they can practice medicine without worrying about the hassles of running a private practice.
A number of interest groups, state officials and ordinary citizens are seeking to have the health care law struck down in federal court, and action is heating up this week.
People who live in long-term care are much more likely to be sent to the hospital, sometimes unnecessarily, which can harm patients and drive up Medicare costs.
Workers are likely to see increases in premiums, deductibles and co-payments, as well as changes in dependent coverage and wellness options.
Senate Democrats release health care bill leaving out--for the moment--two of the most contentious items, while promising more talks with Republicans. Meanwhile, in the House, chairmen of three committees brief fellow Democrats on the contours of their bill.
Think twice before signing up for a new credit card to cover some doctor or dentist's services. Regulators and consumer advocates warn that many of these special deals are deceptive.
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released its long-awaited report on recommendations to cope with the national debt, now and into the future, "The Moment of Truth." Seven of the 66 pages concerned health care spending, especially focusing on Medicare.
Since 1991, a committee of doctors has submitted more than 7,000 recommendations to CMS on the value of physician work. The group is unknown to much of the medical profession. Yet the committee has had a powerful influence on Medicare payment rates.
When a program subsidizing health insurance for people who lose their jobs ended this year, it created a costly problem as the recession continues to throw workers off the payroll. COBRA coverage, which employees of many businesses can obtain after being laid off, typically is very expensive.
Among the new provisions of the health law that take effect later this month is a ban on something most people don't even know they have - a lifetime limit on benefits covered by their health insurance.
As mid-term elections approach, the public is split over the law. Federal subsidies to help people buy insurance are popular, while a requirement that most Americans buy coverage isn't.
The health law calls for a demonstration program to test covering hospice treatments for patients still seeking to fight their illness.
House leaders are taking the unusual step this week of interrupting the August recess to call members back to consider state aid legislation that includes $16 billion in federal Medicaid assistance. The Senate approved this funding package last week.
As the Obama administration continues to implement the health care overhaul law, some myths
As of today, insurers can't deny coverage to children with medical problems. But an important question is: How much will the coverage cost?
The whole point of the nation's conversation about health reform has been to find ways to spend differently so that the result is a higher quality, more humane health care system.
In a reflection of the battered economy, the rate of uninsured Americans rose to 16.7 percent last year from 15.4 percent in 2008, according to a new Census Bureau report.
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