Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Hospitals Divided Over Proposal For Medicare Payment Czar
Powerful hospital trade associations are opposing President Obama’s plan for an independent commission to determine how much Medicare pays doctors and hospitals. But certain “model” hospital systems – such as CHRISTUS Health – are breaking ranks and supporting the idea.
The House Bill Costs Far More Than $1 Trillion
House Democratic leaders have been selling the health care bill — now reported out by two of the three House committees to which it had been referred — as costing “only” $1 trillion over a decade. But that’s not really the whole story.
Local Hospitals and Doctors Join Forces to Improve Health Care, Restrain Costs
Even as an overhaul of the nation’s health care system gets bogged down in Congress, hospitals, doctors and administrators from around the country talk about how they have changed the way they operate to bolster health care in their home towns.
Blue Dogs’ Health Demands Get Boost From CBO
A leader of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative House Democrats says he and six others in the group would vote together to block the health overhaul bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee unless changes were made to slow the rate of growth of federal health care spending, a concern raised by CBO Director Elmendorf yesterday.
Administration Facing Tough Sell To Doctors On Health IT
This week, progress was made in developing the framework for the $33 billion health information technology initiative created by the stimulus bill. Dr. David Blumenthal, who heads the Office of the National Coordinator, is a key figure in the process. But he still faces one of the most difficult challenges — convincing doctors that it is in their interest to participate.
Federal Nursing Home Web Site Attracts Visitors — And Debate
The federal Nursing Home Compare Web site has drawn millions of visitors since it posted movie-review-style ratings of nursing homes last year. Both the industry and consumer advocates are seeking changes, including the way homes’ staffing levels are assessed.
While advocates say insurance exchanges would stimulate price competition and give consumers new choices, there’s also a risk these programs could undermine the employer-based health insurance system. Here are nine questions and answers about exchanges and their role in health reform.
Exchanges May Play Key Role In An Overhauled Health System
Insurance exchanges are a critical part of proposed health system overhaul legislation. They could transform how insurance is sold. But experts warn that without the right structure and rules, exchanges could undermine the employer-based insurance system.
Don’t Count on Congress to Control Health Costs
President Obama has outsourced the writing of health care reform to Congress. What does that mean for the legislation?
New Kind of Film Noir: Health Care
While lawmakers are targeting rising costs and growing numbers of uninsured, a new crop of health care-focused documentaries offer a darker, more conspiratorial view: Powerful vested interests lusting for profits are responsible for the country’s medical malaise.
Co-Op Option Offers Compromise In Health Debate
The idea of insurance co-ops is gaining ground as an alternative to a government-run plan.
Revolving-Door Patients Illustrate Health System Flaws
Patients who are readmitted to the hospital soon after they’re discharged cost the health care system billions of dollars a year in unnecessary spending. These “frequent fliers,” as doctors sometimes call them, illustrate the worst aspects of poorly coordinated care. Innovative programs may serve as models for fixing the problems.
Think Tank Releases New Health Care Framework
A new report proposes a fail-safe mechanism to ensure that any health care overhaul wouldn’t add to the federal deficit.
A Painless Way To Hold Down Health Costs?
Some experts think incentives will encourage doctors to deliver quality care with fewer resources.
The $64,000 Question: Can Health Care Be Paid For Without Breaking the Bank?
Democrats in Congress, surprised by the high cost estimates for their health care proposals, are looking at a wide range of options for raising money and reducing costs. Some of the revenue raisers have been rejected in previous years, but now all ideas are on the table because of the big amounts needed to pay for a health care overhaul.
Boosting Home Care: An Uphill Battle
Once a senior begins receiving long-term care services, she and her family often are in for two shocks. The first is that Medicare won’t pay beyond perhaps a few months after a hospitalization. The second is that while Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, may help, chances are it will only do so for nursing home residents.
Doctors Say Electronic Data-Sharing Is Saving Lives, Money
Memphis, Tenn., is one of a growing number of areas with a successful high-tech health information exchange, which proponents say saves lives and money. But the system now faces a crucial test: what happens when the initial funding runs out?
Former Senators Unveil Bipartisan Health Proposal, Would Tax Benefits, Mandate Coverage
Three former Senate leaders unveiled a bipartisan health care reform package Wednesday that includes individual and employer mandates, as well as a tax on health benefits.
Bartering For Health Care Rises
When people in Floyd County, Va., visit Dr. Susan Osborne, they can pay for their medicals exam with vegetables, lessons, carpentry services as well as cash. Bartering is a way of life in the rural area, Dr. Osborne says: “It just gives people another avenue to have health care.”
Recession Drives More People to Barter For Health Care
With many people strapped for cash, barter “exchanges” for health care is providing a temporary safety net of sorts for some workers who have lost their jobs and health coverage. And in some cases, people who have inadequate insurance are using barter to get critical services, such as dental and vision benefits.
