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Medicaid pays for nearly 50% of 3.8 million births in US

Medicaid paid for nearly half of the 3.8 million births in the United States in 2010—an amount that has been rising over time, according to a report out today.

4 Sep 2013

Colorado continues preparing for exchange 'snafus'; abortion coverage questions persist for Washington's marketplace

Meanwhile, researchers say that if Connecticut's streamlined enrollment process works well, it could mean a significant jump in the number of people who gain insurance for the first time.

30 Aug 2013

Small businesses passing health cost increases on to workers; employers blame health law for shrinking benefits

Businesses are still trying to sort out many of the issues that come with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

30 Aug 2013

Poll: Americans divided on health law, but oppose defunding it

A majority of Americans don't want to defund Obamacare, even as they remain divided on liking the law. The poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation also found that 51 percent of Americans don't understand how the law will affect them. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the Foundation.)

30 Aug 2013

Bill Clinton enlisted to promote health law

The former president will speak about the overhaul Sept. 4 at his presidential library in Little Rock, Ark. Media outlets also explore the activities of two nongovernment groups reaching out to people who will be able to shop for insurance in new online marketplaces opening Oct. 1.

30 Aug 2013

As deficit talks resume, health law funding fight escalates

News outlets report little optimism that talks between a group of Republican senators and the White House will resolve the impasse. Meanwhile, House Republicans are expected to use the battle over raising the debt limit as leverage to block the health law -- either by stripping away its funds, or delaying implementation.

30 Aug 2013

Deadline reportedly delayed for finalizing details with insurance plans on federal exchanges

Reuters reports these agreements are not likely to be signed until mid-September. Also in the news, the race is on to train navigators while, in Washington state, Group Health makes a decision about abortion coverage in exchange plans. And Republicans on Capitol Hill offer a new plan for insuring government officials.

29 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Upton says GOP health ideas overlooked; tying insurance to jobs is a bad idea

In a troubling denial of reality, President Obama now claims that Republicans have no ideas when it comes to health care, saying "they don't have an agenda to provide health insurance to people at affordable rates." But Republicans do have answers – a lot of them (Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., 8/27).

29 Aug 2013

Polls offer insights about how the health law is playing out

One poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that the public is increasingly aware of the health law and its online insurance marketplaces, but what they are hearing is not necessarily from sources they trust the most. Another survey by Deft Research found that older people are more likely to duck the individual mandate due to cost concerns

29 Aug 2013

State Highlights: N.H. pushes back at health care costs ahead of Obamacare

Health care spending has increased faster and reached higher levels in New Hampshire than in most other states, but hospitals, insurers and others have been trying to tackle the problem long before the Affordable Care Act. The New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative, which promotes affordable, effective and accessible health care, has overseen several of the largest efforts, including a medical home pilot project in 2011 and an accountable care organization model (8/26).

28 Aug 2013

Obama administration ties health law to civil rights

When President Barack Obama met with African-American religious leaders just before the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, he asked for their help in the final push to carry out the health law. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also noted the connection between access to health care and other opportunities.

28 Aug 2013

Conservatives increase pressure on McConnell over health law funding

Groups launch radio ads and a tour aimed at key Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in an effort to stop funding for the overhaul. Also, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will speak at an anti-Obamacare Capitol Hill rally when Congress returns.

28 Aug 2013

Michigan lawmakers set to vote on Medicaid expansion

The Michigan Senate is weighing whether to expand Medicaid eligibility to allow 470,000 residents to qualify for the program in a closely-watched vote that has divided conservative Republicans and centrist Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Lawmakers are slated to vote on three separate proposals Tuesday.

28 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Health law guarantees and UPS; 'delay coalition' offers GOP new playbook; Mayor Bloomberg urges Obama not to 'cave' on tobacco

It's not entirely clear why United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) is blaming the Affordable Care Act for its decision to drop 15,000 of its workers' spouses from the company's health-insurance plan. ... It's possible, of course, that UPS is using the health-care law as a smokescreen for cutting costs it wanted to cut anyway. And at one point its internal memo takes an abnormal interest in other people's business.

26 Aug 2013

Political hijinx surround government shutdown threat, push to defund health law

News outlets report on the possible mid-term election impact of the GOP push to shut down the government if the health law receives funding.

23 Aug 2013

State highlights: Mental health contract raised costs in La., audit says

A selection of health policy stories from California, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.

21 Aug 2013

More states release prices for Obamacare plans

The Associated Press reports that Montana released monthly premiums for health insurance plans that will be sold on that state's exchange while the Connecticut Mirror reports on rates in that state and how the exchange will enable consumers to comparison shop.

21 Aug 2013

Nearly 8M young adults enrolled in parent's health plan gain coverage under Affordable Care Act

An estimated 7.8 million of the 15 million young adults who were enrolled in a parent's health plan last year likely would not have been eligible for this coverage without the health reform law's dependent coverage provision, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey.

21 Aug 2013

Kronick named to AHRQ top spot

Health reform researcher Richard Kronick, PhD, will become the new director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) after longtime director Carolyn Clancy, MD, leaves the post later this month. The announcement was made public in the agency's daily afternoon electronic newsletter.

21 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: GOP trapped between angry base and reality of health law; small businesses 'scrambling;' competing views of Medicaid expansion in Va.

Recent political reporting suggests that Republican leaders are in a state of high anxiety, trapped between an angry base that still views Obamacare as the moral equivalent of slavery and the reality that health reform is the law of the land and is going to happen (Paul Krugman, 8/18).

20 Aug 2013

Health Reform News and Research

Medicaid pays for nearly 50% of 3.8 million births in US

Colorado continues preparing for exchange 'snafus'; abortion coverage questions persist for Washington's marketplace

Small businesses passing health cost increases on to workers; employers blame health law for shrinking benefits

Poll: Americans divided on health law, but oppose defunding it

Bill Clinton enlisted to promote health law

As deficit talks resume, health law funding fight escalates

Deadline reportedly delayed for finalizing details with insurance plans on federal exchanges

Viewpoints: Upton says GOP health ideas overlooked; tying insurance to jobs is a bad idea

Polls offer insights about how the health law is playing out

State Highlights: N.H. pushes back at health care costs ahead of Obamacare

Obama administration ties health law to civil rights

Conservatives increase pressure on McConnell over health law funding

Michigan lawmakers set to vote on Medicaid expansion

Viewpoints: Health law guarantees and UPS; 'delay coalition' offers GOP new playbook; Mayor Bloomberg urges Obama not to 'cave' on tobacco

Political hijinx surround government shutdown threat, push to defund health law

State highlights: Mental health contract raised costs in La., audit says

More states release prices for Obamacare plans

Nearly 8M young adults enrolled in parent's health plan gain coverage under Affordable Care Act

Kronick named to AHRQ top spot

Viewpoints: GOP trapped between angry base and reality of health law; small businesses 'scrambling;' competing views of Medicaid expansion in Va.

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