The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
The upper chamber’s recent consideration of legislation to repeal a small revenue-raising provision within the health overhaul offers insights into why a more sweeping repeal effort would be a very difficult task.
New documents reveal that the drug industry’s chief lobbyists, PhRMA, raised and spent at least $101.2 million in 2009 during the contentious health care debate.
Controlling Medicare costs is key to conquering the deficit, experts say, but there are few cost-containment measures that are politically viable.
For years, the state paid private providers who care for people with disabilities to handle their clients’ case management. But an 11th-hour change inserted into the budget last session stripped them of that responsibility, giving it instead to quasi-governmental Mental Retardation Authorities – and potentially creating a conflict of interest.
As Congress resumed its lame duck session, the House passed a one-month extension of a Medicare physician payment “fix” that would stop scheduled cuts for another month. Meanwhile, the Senate rejected a repeal of the so-called “1099” tax reporting provision in the health law that requires that businesses file a form for any purchase of goods or services worth more than $600.
As Congress resumed its lame duck session, the House passed a one-month extension of a Medicare physician payment “fix” that would stop scheduled cuts for another month. Meanwhile, the Senate rejected a repeal of the so-called “1099” tax reporting provision in the health law that requires that businesses file a form for any purchase of goods or services worth more than $600.
More employers are moving toward coverage in which consumers’ out-of-pocket medical costs are based on the value of a medical service to their health, rather than its price.
Spurred by growing concerns about the federal deficit, plans to curb Medicare spending are proliferating – setting the stage for potentially bruising battles between seniors’ advocates and budget cutters.
A new study shows that the emergency department use of computerized tomography scans has increased nearly six-fold since 1995 and shows no sign of tapering off.
Health economist Uwe Reinhardt critiques the new health care law, talks about cost containment and gives his reasons why a single-payer system health system couldn’t work in America.
Medicaid, the state-federal health program that also pays for nearly half of all long-term care services for the frail elderly and younger people with disabilities, is in big trouble.
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.
What would happen if the rank and file of America’s employers, financially overwhelmed by the burden associated with sponsoring health coverage, suddenly opted not to? It’s an idea that is not so far-fetched.
Florida Republican lawmakers are reviving a proposed constitutional amendment that takes aim at a major part of the federal health overhaul. The proposal, if ultimately approved by voters during the 2012 elections, is aimed at allowing Floridians to opt out of a federal requirement that they buy health insurance or face financial penalties.
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.
One day after unveiling new minimum medical spending rules for health plans, Obama administration officials took insurers to task for claiming premium increases result from the new law.
Health-sector PACs – ranging from doctors to hospitals to drug companies – generally favored incumbent Democrats, according to a KHN analysis. Two doctor groups backed more Republicans.
KHN analyzed 20 health-sector political action committees’ direct contributions to individual candidates in the 94 most competitive congressional races to determine the PACs’ win-loss records.
Medicare doesn’t cover dependents, and many private retiree health plans are not affected by the new health law so they can kick young adults out after school ends.
More bad news on the prostate cancer front: A widely used test that’s supposed to help doctors and patients predict the outcome of most prostate cancers is basically worthless.
