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Have questions about new health coverage? Here are some answers

News outlets offer tips and answers for consumers who are trying to understand the health insurance they now have as a result of the health law.

19 Feb 2014

In Virginia, finance panel advances alternate approach to expanding Medicaid

The state's Senate Finance Committee proposed using funding set aside to pursue an expansion of the traditional Medicaid program to help as many as 400,000 state residents buy private insurance.

19 Feb 2014

Some older Americans get relief from health law

The Associated Press reports that people in their 50s and 60s who lost jobs during the recession are signing up for new coverage in large numbers.

19 Feb 2014

Automated Obamacare payment system months from completion

Meanwhile, California, Texas and Arizona exchanges do poorly at enrolling Latinos, while in Oregon, insurance agents and other consumer guides hope to get their first look today at an overhauled website. In Texas, a campaign targets neighborhoods with high rates of uninsured residents.

19 Feb 2014

Report: Best practices saving lives, hospitals money

In the meantime, patients sharing their appointments with other patients -- group doctor visits -- gains popularity.

19 Feb 2014

Long-term care insurance costs up after insurer miscalculations

Prices to buy long-term care insurance have risen during the last few years after insurance company mistakes came to light.

19 Feb 2014

Democratic Party strategists formulate health law plan for campaign season

The party is seeking to neutralize GOP candidates' ability to use the health overhaul to their advantage.

18 Feb 2014

Pathway Genomics announces launch of Hereditary Colorectal Cancer DNA Insight genetic test

Pathway Genomics Corporation, a San Diego-based CLIA and CAP accredited clinical laboratory that offers genetic testing services worldwide, today announced the launch of Hereditary Colorectal Cancer DNA Insight, the company's premier hereditary cancer genetic test. Based on a simple saliva sample, the test uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify gene alterations or mutations that increase a patient's risk of developing certain types of cancer.

18 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 18, 2014

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jay Hancock, working in collaboration with USA Today, reports: "Congratulations. You bought insurance through one of the online Affordable Care Act exchanges, possibly after days or weeks of trying to get the site to work. Don't relax. Joining the plan is only the first challenge. Now you have to understand it. Policies sold through the online portals -- to more than 3 million people so far -- cover essential benefits and put a cap on your out-of-pocket medical costs. But you need to follow the rules" (Hancock, 2/17).

18 Feb 2014

Samoa Island harbors a global health mystery that could predict obesity crisis

The South Pacific archipelago of Samoa and American Samoa harbors a global health mystery that may seem both remote and extreme but could foretell trends in obesity and related conditions across much of the developing world.

18 Feb 2014

UT Southwestern receives grant to establish Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

UT Southwestern Medical Center has been funded to establish a Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research that supports and conducts high-quality research comparing the outcomes and effectiveness of different strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions to improve patient care.

18 Feb 2014

Sanford Health opens new clinic in Dickinson, ND

The new Sanford Health Dickinson Clinic, which is replacing the existing Sanford Health Dickinson Clinic, is now open. The new clinic, located at 2615 Fairway St., is more than six times the size of the current clinic at 938 Second Ave. W. and can house more than 20 physicians, providing better patient access than ever before.

18 Feb 2014

Democrats' campaign plan: Confront health law issues, challenge GOP's stance

Democratic Party strategists urge candidates to talk about their ideas on how to fix the law and to assert that the Republicans' plans would make problems worse.

18 Feb 2014

Study points to unique therapeutic approach for managing muscle-wasting conditions

New findings on why skeletal muscle stem cells stop dividing and renewing muscle mass during aging points up a unique therapeutic opportunity for managing muscle-wasting conditions in humans, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study.

17 Feb 2014

DaVita signs major tender to treat dialysis patients in Saudi Arabia

DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced it has signed a major tender from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health to treat half of the approximately 10,000 dialysis patients currently under the Ministry's care.

17 Feb 2014

More doctors move to salaried jobs

American physicians, worried about changes in the health care market, are streaming into salaried jobs with hospitals. Though the shift from private practice has been most pronounced in primary care, specialists are following.

17 Feb 2014

'Copper' plans? Health law backers push for new, lower premium coverage

Some health law proponents are urging officials to create "copper" plans that offer lower deductibles, but higher out-of-pocket costs than the health law's gold, silver and bronze plans.

17 Feb 2014

The obese, people with AIDS encounter coverage gaps

Many plans sold through the health law's marketplaces don't cover weight loss surgery, and none in Louisiana are accepting payments from a federal program intended to help people with HIV/AIDS. The New York Times explores who benefits from the latest employer mandate extension, and Kaiser Health News answers a question about the health law's impact on a person covered by COBRA.

17 Feb 2014

Highlights: N.D. hospital and abortion docs; Calif. sugary beverage bill; aging home care workers in Texas

A Democratic candidate who has explicitly defended Obamacare holds a slight lead in a special congressional election in Florida that both parties are eyeing as a test of the political impact of the healthcare law. A poll released Thursday by the Tampa Bay Times shows Democrat Alex Sink leading her Republican opponent, David Jolly, 42% to 35% among people considered likely to vote in the March 11 special election.

17 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Parsing Obamacare numbers; experts on long-term care insurance; French cancer care

The monthly announcement of Obamacare's enrollment figures has become an exercise in confirmation bias, starting with the administration itself. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted the "encouraging trends" in yesterday's release, while House Speaker John Boehner opted to highlight its "embarrassing failures." ... The only debate worth having is how to improve enrollment. ... enrollment numbers for Obamacare aren't some referendum on the president's popularity or lack thereof. They're the best way to tell whether the law is working as planned -- and how to adjust if it isn't (2/13).

17 Feb 2014