Health insurance and reform: What you need to know
The healthcare overhaul continues to roll out, evolve and otherwise remain in play -- as does the insurance field itself. Whether you support the changes, are doing your best to alter their course or simply watching it all play out, we'll keep you informed about the current developments, the path that led us to this point and where we might be going next.
5:28 PM CDT, August 4, 2011
Health insurance paperwork costs doctors big money
Health insurance costs aren't just a patient concern. Dealing with health insurance paperwork costs American doctors an average of nearly $83,000 per year.
1:47 PM CDT, August 3, 2011
Medical tourism: A faraway health fix
When Stan Long's doctor told him he needed prostate surgery, the unpleasant procedure bothered him less than the part of the price tag he'd be on the hook for: $15,000 for the hospital stay his Medicare plan didn't cover.
4:28 PM CDT, August 3, 2011
Tea Party groups see Medicare overhaul chance
With Medicare at the top of lawmakers' fall agenda, Tea Party movement leaders hope to ignite support for Republican plans to transform the popular federal healthcare program for the elderly.
1:43 PM CDT, August 2, 2011
Health insurance exchanges chief to step down
The man charged with overseeing the creation of U.S. state-based health insurance exchanges is stepping down, according to a senior U.S. health official.
4:42 PM CDT, August 1, 2011
Are hospital-based doctors fueling health spending?
The growing number of hospital-based physicians in the U.S. could be taxing Medicare resources, government-funded researchers suggest in a new report.
July 12, 2011
Health officials ease requirements for states' insurance exchanges
The Obama administration moved Monday to ease some requirements on states to help them set up new insurance exchanges in 2014, a key feature of the healthcare law the president signed last year.
July 11, 2011
Health 411
Medicare guidance is here
I've had trouble finding a doctor who accepts Medicare. Is there a source that can help?
2:53 PM CDT, July 7, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Adults with Medicaid feel healthier than those with no insurance, a unique study finds
Adults with Medicaid use more medical services, have less financial stress related to health and, overall, feel healthier than those without insurance. So says a first-of-its-kind study on the effectiveness of the government insurance plan.
3:06 PM CDT, June 21, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Medicare beneficiaries are missing out on these screenings
Medicare beneficiaries aren’t taking advantage of new preventive services aimed at keeping them healthy. With a new campaign trying to change that, it’s worth taking a closer look at the services that millions of Americans could be getting under the new healthcare law.
5:43 PM CDT, June 20, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
McKinsey releases insurance-survey data; more controversy ensues
Perhaps you recall that McKinsey report a few weeks back saying that nearly a third of employers might drop healthcare benefits when the healthcare overhaul takes effect. The report itself was the subject of many headlines. Then came the reaction from the White House and other supporters of the overhaul. That garnered more headlines – and a demand for McKinsey to explain its methodology. Now it's McKinsey's turn again.
11:45 AM CDT, June 20, 2011
New ad campaign touts preventive care benefits of health reform law
The Obama administration is kicking off a nationwide ad campaign urging seniors to take advantage of free preventive services such as cancer screenings made possible in Medicare by the new healthcare law.
June 13, 2011
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
British fear 'American-style' healthcare system
Two years ago, Britons were outraged when U.S. politicians like Sarah Palin, in the debate over healthcare reform, turned this country's National Health Service into a public whipping boy, denouncing it as "evil," "Orwellian" and generally the enemy of everything good and true.
June 13, 2011
Health 411
When advance directives are not honored, and how to get data on medical prices
When I checked into a surgical center recently for a procedure that required general anesthesia, I presented my advance healthcare directive. But as I read over the consent form for the surgery, I noticed one of the provisions advised me that the surgical center had chosen "not to honor" these directives.
7:01 PM CDT, June 6, 2011
Insurer cuts premiums as industry prepares for new rules
It turns out that pigs do fly. Last month, insurer Aetna received approval from Connecticut regulators of its request to reduce premiums on individual policies by an average 10 percent, starting in September. Yes, you read that right: reduce the premium.
7:38 PM CDT, June 6, 2011
Emergency care, but not at a hospital
Emergency departments are struggling to keep up with demand, serving a growing number of people at the same time that their numbers are shrinking. One increasingly popular option to improve access to services is the freestanding emergency department, a facility that, as its name suggests, isn't physically located with a hospital.
6:15 PM CDT, May 15, 2011
Newt Gingrich slams Paul Ryan's plan to overhaul Medicare
Presidential contender Newt Gingrich took a potshot Sunday at Republican House Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan’s proposal to reform Medicare, becoming the most prominent Republican to distance himself from the plan.
2:33 PM CDT, May 12, 2011
Mitt Romney: No apologies for Massachusetts healthcare plan
Mitt Romney derided President Obama's national healthcare law as a federal "power grab" Thursday while defending the "more modest" state plan it was modeled after, beginning an effort to deal with his biggest vulnerability ahead of the Republican primary campaign.
12:07 PM CDT, May 10, 2011
Study: 44 million could lose Medicaid coverage under GOP plan
House Republican plans to repeal the new healthcare law and to convert the Medicaid insurance program into a block grant to states could force as many 44 million poor and disabled Americans out of the program over the next decade, according to a new analysis by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
9:06 AM CDT, May 4, 2011
Graduates without health coverage should consider their parents' plan
In past years, a student's graduation could mean leaving behind not only the classroom but also health insurance coverage, since family plans often stopped covering dependent children once they left school.
4:11 PM CDT, May 3, 2011
Insurance should pay for exercise programs to cut health costs, UF expert says
Health insurance companies should pay for exercise classes, which would in turn reduce health-care costs, especially among high-risk groups, such as diabetics, says a University of Florida researcher.
7:10 PM CDT, May 2, 2011
At least 600,000 young adults join parents' health plans under new law
Hundreds of thousands of young adults are taking advantage of the healthcare law provision that allows people under 26 to remain on their parents' health plans, some of the nation's largest insurers are reporting. That pace appears to be faster than the government expected.
April 23, 2011
Finding a path through the health insurance 'gobbledygook'
My ZIP code is a black hole for individual health insurance.
1:46 PM CDT, April 21, 2011
U.S. Republicans seek to reassure elderly on Medicare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans pushing deep cuts to U.S. government spending are seeking to reassure older Americans that their health insurance will remain intact even if Medicare is privatized.
3:08 PM CDT, April 8, 2011
Medicaid to offer rewards for healthy behavior
A federal grant program authorized in the health overhaul law is offering states $100 million to reward Medicaid recipients who make an effort to quit smoking or keep their weight, blood pressure or cholesterol levels in check.
2:48 PM CDT, April 4, 2011
A guide to GOP proposals on Medicare
Amid the buzz about a possible government shutdown over this year's budget looms a more difficult question: What to do about entitlement programs, especially Medicare?
April 7, 2011
Op-Ed
Doyle McManus: Doyle McManus: The choice between low taxes vs. Medicare benefits
Opinion: Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal makes it clear that you have to make a choice: low taxes or guaranteed Medicare coverage.
11:00 AM CDT, March 31, 2011
Live Health Chat
Live chat: The results of healthcare reform one year later
Join us Thursday, March 31 at noon EDT (11 a.m. CDT/9 a.m. PDT) to discuss live the expected and unexpected results of healthcare reform legislation with Congressman Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, Eric George of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association and Frances Padilla of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
Obama administration appeals healthcare ruling
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Tuesday appealed a judge's ruling in Florida that struck down its landmark healthcare overhaul law as unconstitutional because it required Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a penalty.
5:09 PM CST, March 1, 2011
Online coalition of doctors, nurses and pharmacists answers questions about health-care law
At a time when many Americans are confused about the healthcare overhaul law, a coalition of groups representing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and consumers has launched a website to answer questions about the Affordable Care Act.
February 11, 2011
Some seniors are in for sticker shock on drug premiums
The Obama administration often touts the health-law provision that over the next decade will close the unpopular "doughnut hole" -- a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage.
February 10, 2011
Answering critics, Sebelius vows to ensure long-term care program is financially viable
The Obama administration is working aggressively to fend off critics of the CLASS Act, a voluntary insurance program created by the new health law to help individuals who require long-term care remain in the community. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius promised to pursue changes to ensure the program is financially self-sustaining into the future.
February 2, 2011
Lobbyists challenging limits on health flexible spending accounts
When Arthur Massei learned that the new health law would cut his tax break for buying medicine, he enlisted in a broad, well-financed corporate lobbying campaign to repeal the provision.
11:27 PM CST, February 1, 2011
Senate to vote on healthcare repeal
The Senate plans to vote Wednesday on legislation to repeal President Obama's healthcare overhaul, following a deal between Democrats and Republicans to schedule the largely symbolic roll call.
February 2, 2011
Insurer, hospital association roll out plan to cut readmissions
Reducing costly readmissions to hospitals is the goal of an initiative being rolled out this year by Illinois' largest health insurer and the state's hospital lobby.
January 31, 2011
Buying health insurance for children
If in the past you tried to buy health insurance for a child with a preexisting health condition and were turned down, it's time to give it another shot.
January 24, 2011
Possible changes to five health law provisions could have big effects
The Republican effort to repeal the health care law is sure to founder in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but that doesn't mean that the GOP is ending its assault on the law. House Republicans are already beginning work in committees to lop off and possibly replace some of the law's individual provisions.
January 24, 2011
Fertility treatment coverage varies dramatically
Is health insurance coverage of infertility treatments an essential benefit to help people manage a medical disorder? Or is it a life-enhancing benefit, nice to have perhaps but not essential because it doesn't sustain a person's life?
5:38 PM CST, January 19, 2011
No COBRA relief; explore other options
Shopping for own policy can offer a better deal.
6:21 PM CST, January 18, 2011
Medicare's policy on therapy comes under attack
The federal government is illegally denying thousands of chronically ill Americans needed therapies and medical services, five national organizations charged Tuesday in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Vermont.
5:06 PM CST, January 16, 2011
State expands options for uninsured residents with pre-existing conditions
Illinois has expanded insurance options for people with pre-existing medical conditions, advancing the state's efforts to implement national health reforms passed last year.
January 11, 2011
Obama administration's balancing act: Health insurance benefits vs. costs
Even as House Republicans press to repeal the health care law, government advisers this week are preparing to wade into one of the most contentious questions raised by the legislation: What benefits must insurers cover?
January 11, 2011
Some states have options to help consumers find health coverage
A reader asks: Are there other health insurance options besides high-risk pools for people who can't get coverage in the individual market because of a preexisting condition?
January 4, 2011
Insurers sometimes reject neonatal intensive care costs
Many expectant parents are pretty savvy these days about making sure that their obstetrician and the hospital where they plan to have their baby are in their health insurance network. Using an out-of-network provider would almost certainly mean higher out-of-pocket costs: The plan might pay just 60 percent of charges, for example, instead of 80 percent or more.
December 21, 2010
Health insurance restrictions still exist for some consumers
Despite eliminating most lifetime and annual dollar limits, loopholes allow for numerical limits on some services.
December 16, 2010
Experts ponder 'Plan B' options for the health insurance mandate
With Republicans vowing to dismantle the health law and courts wrestling with its constitutionality, some health policy experts are pondering a possible "Plan B" in case the individual mandate -- the requirement that everyone get health insurance starting in 2014 -- is weakened or struck down.
December 16, 2010
State insurance officials to vote on rules for descriptions of health policies
Choosing a health insurance policy should be easier if consumers use the simple chart and other information that state insurance commissioners are expected to approve today.
December 14, 2010
Few seniors have long-term care insurance
People don't like to think about what will happen if they become too ill or infirm to manage on their own. Experts say that partly explains why sales of long-term-care insurance policies are so anemic; only about 10 percent of seniors have such coverage.
December 9, 2010
New rules spell out protections for consumers with 'limited benefit' insurance policies
At least 1.5 million people will soon receive notices from employers or insurers that their health plans fall short of meeting a key standard in the new health overhaul law -- and by how much.
December 7, 2010
Health law's aim: Multiple vaccines for more people
It's flu season: Time to get your flu shot.
November 30, 2010
In new insurance model, costs are based on value of the treatment
What if, instead of making a $10 insurance copayment for your cholesterol lowering drug, your employer provided it and other drugs to manage chronic conditions for free? What if your company also paid for weight management and smoking cessation classes? You'd probably give your employer high marks for looking out for your health.
November 30, 2010
Deficit reduction plans would squeeze Medicare
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.
November 22, 2010
New law's health insurance regulations could mean rebates for consumers
Insurance plans covering more than 50 people must eventually spend at least 85 cents of every dollar on care.
November 17, 2010
Administration unexpectedly expands bonus payments for Medicare Advantage plans
Payments meant to reward top-performing Medicare Advantage insurers.
November 16, 2010
Many individual health policies do not cover pregnancy
Individual health insurance policies generally don't cover maternity care, as a recent investigation by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce reported.
November 15, 2010
Employers ready to raise health incentive stakes
Employee rewards for hitting health targets will likely increase over the next few years.
November 9, 2010
Buy that antacid now: Over-the-counter medicines to be cut from FSAs
The health-care overhaul has taken some of the flex out of flexible spending accounts, which let workers pay medical expenses with pretax dollars. Starting in January, you'll no longer be able to use your FSA for over-the-counter drugs and medicines unless you have a doctor's prescription.
November 8, 2010
Practical Matters
Help is on the way for those who can't get medical insurance
Last month, California joined the ranks of states that have created a federally funded health plan for people who are medically uninsurable. All states either have a plan or will have one soon.
6:59 AM CDT, November 2, 2010
Medical bill-sharing: An alternative to health insurance
Amanda Rooker doesn't pay for health insurance. Instead, she pays a monthly share to cover other people's health bills.
YOUR TURN: Mixed reactions
Patients and providers share their health care reform opinions.
9:28 PM CDT, October 31, 2010
10 tips for health insurance open enrollment
Wedged in between Halloween and Thanksgiving is health insurance open enrollment season for many employees. That means it's time to review health benefits and pick what plan to enroll in for next year.
October 26, 2010
Co-pays becoming a thing of the past for preventive services
If you've been holding off getting screened for high cholesterol, diabetes or hypertension because of a co-payment, you soon won't have a reason to put it off.
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