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The annual scramble to prevent next year’s scheduled pay cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients kicked off Thursday with physician leaders calling for a five-year program of guaranteed annual raises and a high-ranking House Republican calling for another short-term fix.
The first Republican debate among some of the presidential contenders included some questions about the health law, the role of the federal government, medical malpractice and Medicare. These excerpts of the debate include answers from Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich did not attend the Greenville, S.C. debate.
The first Republican debate among some of the presidential contenders included some questions about the health law, the role of the federal government, medical malpractice and Medicare. These excerpts of the debate include answers from Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich did not attend the Greenville, S.C. debate.
The new health law requires that health insurance providers make “coverage facts labels” available so that, beginning in March of 2012, consumers have pricing information to compare health insurance policies. A working group of state insurance regulators, industry representatives and consumer advocates drafted four proposal for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is now seeking public comment. Two of the proposed labels are displayed below.
Extra funding will be awarded to facilities that do better than average on quality of care and patient satisfaction.
The finishing touches are being made on “coverage fact labels” that will list costs that insurers will cover for some conditions.
Columnists Harold Pollack and Michael F. Cannon contribute very different opinions on the Republican proposal to fundamentally change Medicaid.
The president and the Republicans agree that balancing the federal budget is impossible without restraining Medicaid spending. That will be much easier if we could stop pretending that every single Medicaid enrollee needs to be there.
The recent policy debate surrounding the health care safety net seems predicated on the philosophy that we must sharply shrink government despite the accompanying human costs. That vision is most congenial to those who feel comfortable and safe without public help.
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Rep. Dave Camp’s comments Thursday that signaled flexibility on Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to change Medicare.
In today’s Health On The Hill, KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Rep. Dave Camp’s comments Thursday that signaled flexibility on Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to change Medicare. Camp said he’s open to pursuing other approaches to reduce federal Medicare spending to lower the debt, and he called on Democrats to present specifics on how they would cut federal spending.
In the continuing Democratic assault on the House GOP’s 2012 budget bill, a group of senators today warned of dire consequences on the plan to transform Medicaid into a block grant program.
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother whose daughter is uninsured and needs some inexpensive care. Andrews says going to a community health center may be a good option for her.
Dan Hawkins, senior vice president of the centers’ national association, says influx of federal funding is helping them to reach out to more people.
Lawmakers disagree, fundamentally, on how to save costs in the Medicare program and if recent proposals — like the GOP one passed recently in the House — will save money or just shift costs to Medicare patients.
Some private plans serving people in Medicare and Medicaid have set up health care centers to help make sure patients get needed treatments and avoid hospitalizations.
Michelle Andrews answers a question from a mother whose daughter lost her insurance and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. What are her options to get coverage?
One of the most popular provisions of the overhaul shows early success, but employers note that it also will usher in higher costs.
The health law guarantees that until the age of 26, children can stay on a family plan. There are exceptions, however, including when the young adult is offered insurance at work – even if that insurance is not as good as Mom and Dad’s.
Last week, the president said the country has serious issues to address. He’s right. One of the biggest is the budget challenge. Unfortunately, the president’s carefully orchestrated attack on the Ryan plan has made it much less likely that real progress will be made before 2013 to address the problem.
