Health Reform News and Research

RSS

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the readiness of the health law's online marketplaces and other key provisions the day before their Oct. 1 launch date even as the looming government shutdown becomes more of a reality.

30 Sep 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States; however, patients dying with this disease may not receive optimal end-of-life care. ... many of these [nursing home] residents commonly experience burdensome and costly interventions, such as hospital transfers, tube-feeding, and intravenous antibiotics. ... Nursing home reimbursement policies are among the factors that incentivize more aggressive care. ... This study linked unique prospective clinical data with Medicare claims to describe and compare patterns of care between nursing home residents with advanced dementia enrolled in a Medicare managed-care insurance plan and those with fee-for-service Medicare.

30 Sep 2013

Technical glitches delay online signups for small business and Spanish speakers

The Obama administration acknowledged glitches Thursday that will delay online enrollment for small businesses and Spanish-language speakers in the 34 states that elected to not set up their own insurance marketplaces. The postponements amount to a few weeks in the six-month open enrollment period and will not affect the Jan. 1 start date for coverage.

30 Sep 2013

In state politics, anti-Obamacare attacks continue as outreach ramps up

Some state officials tout their anti-Obamacare credentials as enrollment efforts pick up on the eve of the Oct. 1 opening of new online marketplaces.

30 Sep 2013

Notices about Medicare advantage changes coming

Medicare Advantage plans are informing seniors of changes to their plans by mail this week. Meanwhile, KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks about what Obamacare changes older Americans can expect.

29 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 27, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest updates on the congressional brinksmanship related to current budget battles and efforts to defund the health law, as well as reports about President Barack Obama's campaign-style speech about the law and details on another implementation delay.

27 Sep 2013

Consumer Reports launches web-based tool that offers personalized guidance on health insurance

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit consumer service organization empowering consumers for more than 75 years, today announced the launch of HealthLawHelper.org, an innovative web-based tool that offers personalized guidance to help consumers better understand how they may be affected by the Affordable Care Act.

26 Sep 2013

Michigan's Medicaid expansion could act as model for bipartisan health care reform in other states

Michigan's newly expanded Medicaid program could act as a model for other states to achieve bipartisan health care reform even in a heated national political climate, says the head of the University of Michigan's health policy institute in an article published online today by the New England Journal of Medicine.

26 Sep 2013

As opening day approaches, confusion continues about health exchanges

With the Oct. 1 launch of the health law's online insurance marketplaces just days away, news outlets examine questions such as who will use them, what will make them a success, how long will it take to judge whether they are working, and other key issues.

25 Sep 2013

Battles have reduced health law's impact for consumers

Politico looks at the how the law squares with what it promised and talks to consumers in Kentucky about their expectations. Also, the Wall Street Journal examines one of the tactics health insurers are using to keep healthy customers.

24 Sep 2013

Kan. Medicaid debate may resume next year as feds emphasize flexibility

Kansas lawmakers may return to the question next year of whether to expand Medicaid. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the federal government welcomes state experimentation with how health coverage to the poor is provided.

24 Sep 2013

The health law: Asking questions and getting answers

News outlets detail some frequently asked health law questions and also note some of the places people will turn to find out how the overhaul will work.

24 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: Florida's 'sabotage' of health law; the irony of conservatives' 'nightmare' ads; Obamacare 'crushes' American families

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, has been visiting the state to encourage private groups to help residents understand what insurance policies and federal subsidies will be available to them when the enrollment period opens Oct. 1.

21 Sep 2013

State highlights: 850K Texas kids lack health coverage; Calif. counties brace for health department cuts; autism coverage change hailed in Calif.

Texas continued to have the highest rate of people without health insurance in 2012 at 24.6 percent, or more than 6 million residents, according to the Current Population Survey estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week.

21 Sep 2013

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to launch dual-degree program

A dual-degree program combining a doctorate in pharmacy with a medical degree has been developed by Rutgers University's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.

21 Sep 2013

HHS warns Texas gov. against adding 'cumbersome requirements' for navigators

The federal letter comes in response to an effort by Gov. Perry to tighten rules to protect consumers' confidential information. Also in news about the efforts to get the online marketplaces running, federal and some state officials again pledge that exchanges will be ready for operation on Oct. 1, but the Wall Street Journal reports on some new glitches.

21 Sep 2013

Who's leading the charge? Politicians jockey for position in battle to undo health law

With a House vote set for Friday on a bill to strip the health law of funding and to avert a government shutdown, House and Senate lawmakers, state officials and other politicans angle for advantage.

20 Sep 2013

Viewpoints: WSJ says GOP 'kamikaze' defunding mission will not go well; taxing Medicare benefits; problems with Penn. State's wellness program

These critics [like Heritage Action and the Club for Growth] portrayed the Boehner plan as a sellout because of a campaign that captured the imagination of some conservatives this summer: Republicans must threaten to crash their Zeros into the aircraft carrier of ObamaCare.

18 Sep 2013

GOP lawmakers contemplate daunting budgetary choices -- Defund health law? Avoid gov't shutdown? Raise debt ceiling?

The fiscal choices set up intra-party fissure for Republicans and draw more tough talk from President Barack Obama.

18 Sep 2013

Health insurance exchange news: Investors say 4 million Americans will initially enroll

This number is well below the Congressional Budget Office's prediction of seven million. Meanwhile, USA Today reports that many Americans will pay less than $100 a month in premiums, based on an HHS report to be released today.

18 Sep 2013

Health Reform News and Research

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Technical glitches delay online signups for small business and Spanish speakers

In state politics, anti-Obamacare attacks continue as outreach ramps up

Notices about Medicare advantage changes coming

First Edition: September 27, 2013

Consumer Reports launches web-based tool that offers personalized guidance on health insurance

Michigan's Medicaid expansion could act as model for bipartisan health care reform in other states

As opening day approaches, confusion continues about health exchanges

Battles have reduced health law's impact for consumers

Kan. Medicaid debate may resume next year as feds emphasize flexibility

The health law: Asking questions and getting answers

Viewpoints: Florida's 'sabotage' of health law; the irony of conservatives' 'nightmare' ads; Obamacare 'crushes' American families

State highlights: 850K Texas kids lack health coverage; Calif. counties brace for health department cuts; autism coverage change hailed in Calif.

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to launch dual-degree program

HHS warns Texas gov. against adding 'cumbersome requirements' for navigators

Who's leading the charge? Politicians jockey for position in battle to undo health law

Viewpoints: WSJ says GOP 'kamikaze' defunding mission will not go well; taxing Medicare benefits; problems with Penn. State's wellness program

GOP lawmakers contemplate daunting budgetary choices -- Defund health law? Avoid gov't shutdown? Raise debt ceiling?

Health insurance exchange news: Investors say 4 million Americans will initially enroll

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Applications Engineer

Latest News