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State highlights: N.Y. insurer will reinstate young adult coverage

A selection of health policy stories from New York, California, Virginia, South Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Georgia and Colorado.

31 Jan 2014

Many questions linger about who are the 9 million people Obama said are getting insurance through the health law

In his State of the Union address, the president touted successes in signing people up for private insurance or Medicaid. But critics suggest that the number is lower than expected, and no one yet knows how many of those people were previously uninsured.

31 Jan 2014

Study finds health law may reduce income inequality

New research suggests the health law will boost the economic fortunes of people on the bottom one-fifth of the income ladder while slightly reducing average incomes for those above. Other stories look at a health plan cost calculator designed for the chronically ill, the debate over insurance risk corridors and union displeasure with the law.

31 Jan 2014

More antipsychotic medications prescribed to children and adolescents in Germany

Increasing numbers of children and adolescents are being given antipsychotic drugs in Germany, as Christian Bachmann and colleagues found out in a study published in the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2014; 111(3): 25 - 40). The authors used routine insurance data of the Barmer GEK statutory health insurance company to analyze antipsychotic prescriptions for this age group from 2005 to 2012.

31 Jan 2014

Poll: Health law support declining among the uninsured

The Kaiser Family Foundation's monthly tracking poll found that 47 percent of the uninsured said they have unfavorable views of the law -- an increase since December. Most were also unaware of many of the law's benefits.

30 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 30, 2014

Today's headlines include stories about a new poll examining how uninsured people -- one of the groups the health law was designed to help -- view the overhaul.

30 Jan 2014

State highlights: Will doc cuts like those in Conn. become more common?; Calif. health plans criticized over chronic condition treatment; Vt. drug addiction

A selection of health policy stories from Connecticut, California, Vermont, Minnesota, Virginia and Georgia.

30 Jan 2014

Va.'s proposed Medicaid expansion gets lower cost estimate; Ark. 'private option' expansion plan faces new challenges

The new numbers are expected to get a skeptical reception from Virginia's House Appropriations Committee. Virginia health officials will face a skeptical House Appropriations Committee today over a new analysis that shows $1 billion in savings to the state over nine years from expanding its Medicaid program.

30 Jan 2014

House passes bill to ban health law subsidies for abortion coverage

But the restriction, which would apply to private plans bought with the help of health law subsidies, stands no chance of passage by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

30 Jan 2014

Delbene takes on challenge of correcting healthcare.gov's flaws

Kaiser Health News profiles the Obama administration's new website fix-it guy. And, in other news, The Associated Press reports that some workers at a federal health care call center for the health exchanges are now suing the government because they allegedly were forced to work unpaid overtime.

30 Jan 2014

Sen. Coburn pays out-of-pocket to see cancer doctor

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, says the new insurance plan he purchased under the health law doesn't include his longstanding oncologist. He says he is paying out of pocket to see that doctor and is "doing well from a health standpoint."

30 Jan 2014

Obama urges Americans to sign up for coverage in State of the Union

The president extolled the health law during his State of the Union address, describing those who are benefiting and challenging Republicans for their ideas. Utah Sen. Mike Lee hit back, calling the law "an inequality Godzilla that has robbed working families of their insurance, their doctors, their wages and their jobs," while Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers cited its troubled rollout.

29 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 29, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about how the health law played in last night's State-of-the-Union address by President Barack Obama.

29 Jan 2014

Study finds health law offers income boost to poorest people; insurers' experiences are mixed

The Affordable Care Act will "significantly" increase the incomes of Americans who fall in the bottom one-fifth of the income levels, while slightly decreasing - by .8% - the incomes of senior citizens, a new study finds.

29 Jan 2014

CDC survey: One in four American families struggles with health care bills, lack of insurance adds to medical debt burden

The survey, released by the National Center for Health Statistics, also found that one in 10 families face medical costs they can't pay at all. Meanwhile, in another development related to the cost of coverage, SunTrust cancels its health plan for Medicare-eligible retirees and is offering them an alternative.

29 Jan 2014

Contractor got extra $8.7M days before healthcare.gov launch

Politico reports that federal officials made the emergency payment to Verizon Terremark after discovering the federal website was unable to handle sufficient traffic. Also in the news, the Maryland House is scheduled to vote on legislation to provide insurance to people who tried unsuccessfully to buy coverage through the state website.

29 Jan 2014

Three GOP Senators offer alternative plan to replace Obamacare

The measure, dubbed the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility and Empowerment Act, is being advanced by Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. It may provide a window into how Republicans plan to handle health reform issues in the upcoming election cycle and beyond.

28 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 28, 2014

Today's headlines include the findings of a new poll, which sets the scene for tonight's State of the Union Address by President Barack Obama.

28 Jan 2014

For health law, poll finds some negatives have eased, but most Americans still say things aren't going well

A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds that 71 percent of Americans who have tried to sign up for health coverage, or live with someone who tried, had difficulties with the insurance marketplaces. Meanwhile, some GOP leaders are seeking a policy alternative to replace the overhaul.

28 Jan 2014

Businesses consider best strategies to cover part-time workers, spouses

Decisions by Target, Home Depot and Trader Joe's on workers' insurance have implications for the success of the law.

28 Jan 2014

Health Insurance News and Research

State highlights: N.Y. insurer will reinstate young adult coverage

Many questions linger about who are the 9 million people Obama said are getting insurance through the health law

Study finds health law may reduce income inequality

More antipsychotic medications prescribed to children and adolescents in Germany

Poll: Health law support declining among the uninsured

First Edition: January 30, 2014

State highlights: Will doc cuts like those in Conn. become more common?; Calif. health plans criticized over chronic condition treatment; Vt. drug addiction

Va.'s proposed Medicaid expansion gets lower cost estimate; Ark. 'private option' expansion plan faces new challenges

House passes bill to ban health law subsidies for abortion coverage

Delbene takes on challenge of correcting healthcare.gov's flaws

Sen. Coburn pays out-of-pocket to see cancer doctor

Obama urges Americans to sign up for coverage in State of the Union

First Edition: January 29, 2014

Study finds health law offers income boost to poorest people; insurers' experiences are mixed

CDC survey: One in four American families struggles with health care bills, lack of insurance adds to medical debt burden

Contractor got extra $8.7M days before healthcare.gov launch

Three GOP Senators offer alternative plan to replace Obamacare

First Edition: January 28, 2014

For health law, poll finds some negatives have eased, but most Americans still say things aren't going well

Businesses consider best strategies to cover part-time workers, spouses

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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