Health reform profiles: People working in the health industry and those struggling with coverage

News reports today include profiles of people who work in the health care industry and people struggling with their insurance coverage.

USA Today profiles a few of the "men and women at the front lines of the national health care debate — who run hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and private practices" - and asks what they think about the possible changes that Congress could enact as part of a health care overhaul. "Some of the CEOs and administrators say they look forward to legislation that could provide health insurance for up to 96% of legal residents under the age of 65, compared with the 83% who have it now. But they're also skeptical that the government will be able to cut skyrocketing costs and help provide coverage to as many as now need help. Others say they worry that lower government reimbursement rates for the care they provide will hurt their bottom line, forcing them to cut staff or scale back services that they say their patients desperately need" (Hall, 12/11).

NPR: "As the nation debates the need for health care overhaul, a locksmith, a farmer, a young couple and a former supervisor each tell a story about what it's like to live with — or without — health insurance" (Krulwich and Hoffman, 12/10).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.