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The Idaho case is being closely watched by states that want to stop such lawsuits, as well as by patient advocates and providers who say patients’ access to care depends on fair rates.
The new Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee says the GOP will chip away at Obamacare “piece by piece.” Still, he says he will work with Democrats to continue funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and overhauling Medicare pay for doctors.
Hospitals in the state are among the leaders in developing new medical liability initiatives and a recently enacted law helps consumers who want to challenge hospitals and doctors.
With same sex marriage legal in 35 states, some employers say they will no longer provide benefits to unmarried partners.
Supporters say the proposed changes would lead to clear and thorough explanations of the dangers studies involve, but some advocacy groups warn they could have a chilling effect on innovation.
Get Covered Illinois, the state’s enrollment arm, is spending about $150,000 this winter to help 13 insurance brokerages pay for co-branded marketing materials.
Only about a third of an estimated 150,000 people who applied for the program so far have been enrolled, say officials.
The majority of people choosing the private plans for Medicare coverage were switching out of the traditional program, research in the journal Health Affairs finds.
California is seen as an Obamacare success story, but about 30,000 people there are stuck with only one choice of insurer on the exchange.
The chief of the Department of Health and Human Services says Democrats and Republicans can reach accord on many issues beyond the health law.
A look at the 10 least and 10 most expensive places for health insurance shows a wide gap in prices for the same type of coverage.
Obamacare provided billions in seed money to help establish insurance companies called co-ops. One of the biggest has now gone under, and its state overseer is telling clients to switch carriers.
The ratings are part of a national effort to cut down on the most common infections patients contract in hospitals.
Results so far show community agencies haven’t made a big difference in keeping seniors from making return hospital trips. But administration officials say the program has plenty of potential.
The health law requires people to report their coverage situation. Those who get insurance through their jobs will only have to check a box on the usual return, but those without insurance or those who received subsidies will have to fill out new forms.
High deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs related to health insurance have become a rising concern among consumers and health-care providers.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina says it decided to reveal how much it pays hospitals for particular procedures to help consumers hold down costs.
States say government should be able to set rates without courts stepping in. Patient advocates and providers say intervention is needed to improve access.
Supporters of the change say it would strengthen both funds but critics fear impact on poor and disabled.
Analysis of federal data finds they still lag behind birth-control pills and condoms.
