Latest Morning Briefing Stories
What You Can Expect This Year From The Health Law
Even as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the historic lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, consumers are already seeing some changes. Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews about insurance rebates, flexible spending accounts, preventive care (including contraceptives) and easy-to-read insurance labels.
Connecticut Weighs Its ‘Nurses Only’ Medication Policy For Homebound Seniors
Gov. Malloy has proposed letting supervised home health aides give medication to Medicaid patients.
Premium Rebates, Coverage Labels, Reduced Medicare Drug Costs Highlight 2012 Health Law Changes
Despite deep political division about the health overhaul, implementation marches on.
Off-Label Use Of Risky Antipsychotic Drugs Raises Concerns
The expensive medications, designed for people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, are being prescribed regularly for common problems such as anxiety and attention-deficit disorder and are being used on children and the elderly.
Farzad Mostashari: Man On A Digital Mission
An eBay merchant who sells funny barbecue aprons out of his living room is better equipped to send information electronically than many physicians. Farzad Mostashari is the guy trying to change that.
Oregon Emphasizes Choices At Life’s End
The state has been at the forefront of trying to make sure a person has as much control over the end of life as possible with a detailed directive that has been adopted by 14 other states.
Coming Soon To Massachusetts’ Dental Offices-Maybe
Could the mid-level dental care providers now at work in Minnesota solve the access problem in Massachusetts and other states?
Electronic Intensive Care Unit Expands In Alaska
A nurse, a doctor and six computer monitors help raise the standards of care for critically ill patients in Anchorage and in rural hospitals.
New Book Offers Checklists To Help Hospital Patients
Doctors and other care providers are increasing using checklists in their work, but one author has developed similar guides for consumers.
Atlanta’s Grady Hospital Chief Sees Major Threat In Medicaid Cuts
New CEO John Haupert says federal and state efforts to trim the health care program for low-income residents could harm his safety-net hospital.
State GOP Pushes For ‘Abortion-Free’ Mississippi
Emboldened by the first Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature since Reconstruction, anti-abortion advocates see a chance to limit abortion further and possibly ban it in Mississippi. Nearly two dozen anti-abortion bills have been introduced in the state legislature.
Medicare Spends Less Than Private Insurers On Knee Replacements
Study finds that’s mostly because the government pays far lower rates for hospital care
Insurers Open Stores To Peddle Health Plans
With more people buying insurance on their own, and even more slated to because of the health law, insurers are seeking a retail strategy.
Analysis: Is A New Federal Patient Safety Effort Doing Enough To Curb Medical Errors?
The Medicare program is betting on a new course of action to curb patient harm. The effort is pegged to the success of a little-known entity called a “hospital engagement network.”
Insurance Coverage Might Steer Women To Costlier – But More Effective – Birth Control
Long-acting methods such as the IUD and the hormonal implant are nearly 100 percent effective and require no effort after insertion. But birth control pills are about 92 percent effective.
Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront From ER Patients With Routine Problems
Proponents say the policy saves time and money, but critics fear people will be discouraged from seeking emergency room care when they need it.
Despite Doctors’ Concerns, Home Births Are Increasing
The numbers are still small but some women opt to have their babies at home because of the convenience and to save money.
Experts Question Medicare’s Effort To Rate Hospitals’ Patient Safety Records
The new data identify many major teaching institutions as having high rates of serious complications. But officials say the measures are faulty.
Video: President Obama On New Contraception Rules
The president was joined by HHS Secretary Sebelius as he announced a revision of the rule requiring that insurance plans offer free contraception, so that religious-affiliated groups don’t have to take responsibility for the coverage.
The White House Fact Sheet On The Contraception Compromise
This fact sheet was released by the White House in advance of President Barack Obama’s Feb. 10 comments about mandated health insurance coverage for contraception.
