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Report: U.S. health spending grew at record slow pace for third consecutive year

The country's health care bill tallied $2.7 trillion, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Some indicators, though, suggest the slowed growth may not last.

9 Jan 2013

State roundup: Medicaid costs could affect state surpluses; Calif. gets 'C' for dental care

In Tennessee, Republican governor Bill Haslam has said that much of the state's $580 million surplus is already spent. Obamacare is expected to increase enrollment in TennCare, the state's Medicaid program, by more than 60,000 Tennesseans. ... At the same time, Texas has a $8.8 billion surplus and more than $8 billion in its rainy day fund, but faces a staggering $4.3 billion hole in its Medicaid budget.

9 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: Health care and the 'crushing federal debt;' Optimism about 'grand bargain;' Iowa's premium increase request

The largest issue America will face in 2013 is health care. And it will only get larger. As the national conversation changes, we'll find that by year-end we're talking about it all the time, whether the ostensible topic is politics, government, the economy, our jobs, or our families. Health care will be the unavoidable topic. Medicare and Medicaid are the biggest element of our most serious national problem: crushing federal debt.

9 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: Fla. Gov. fears Medicaid expansion as Idaho, Missouri and Colorado wrestle with issue ; Few acceptable options for improving Medicare

Twenty-three states, most led by Republican officials, have declared that they will not set up their own health insurance exchanges to help individuals and small businesses find affordable coverage. ... Residents of states where political leaders seem bent on frustrating or sabotaging the health care reforms might well be better off with a federally run exchange.

8 Jan 2013

State roundup: Mo. lawmakers look to cap malpractice awards

A selection of health policy stories from California, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Texas, Illinois and North Carolina.

8 Jan 2013

Medicaid expansion, health exchanges continue to draw headlines

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is coming to Washington to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to discuss related health law implementation issues and concerns.

8 Jan 2013

New study finds that adults with diabetes in Ontario get fewer government-funded eye exams

A new study has found that adults with diabetes in Ontario are getting significantly fewer government-funded eye exams than they were a decade ago, a key component of high-quality diabetes care essential to preventing diabetes-related eye complications.

8 Jan 2013

Clear battle lines emerge on budget issues

After last week's agreement to avert the "fiscal cliff," President Barack Obama and congressional GOP leaders are making clear their positions on tax increases and entitlement spending reductions -- including those to Medicare.

8 Jan 2013

Exercise and the exam room: Kaiser Permanente, other providers record new vital sign

Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurance plans, made a big push a few years ago to get its southern California doctors to ask patients about exercise.

8 Jan 2013

In some states, health insurers are raising rates despite health law's efforts to restrain increases

The New York Times details differences in states' ability to regulate rates as well as in premium costs. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports on the savings that New Yorkers could experience.

8 Jan 2013

States confront myriad of health law implementation issues

States face fallout from decisions on whether to implement key parts of the health law, including exchanges in California and Washington -- where dental insurance will be mandated in plans offered in the marketplaces -- and Florida, which missed out on co-ops and faces a decision on expanding Medicaid in 2013.

7 Jan 2013

HHS gives 7 states the go-ahead to create health exchanges

So far, the Obama administration has approved the health exchange blueprints submitted by 17 states and the District of Columbia. And, the most recent set includes both red states, including Utah, and blue states.

7 Jan 2013

Health care and the shakeout from the fiscal cliff

News outlets parse the particulars of how the fiscal deal will impact the health care system, and how the health industry is bracing for the next rounds in the budget battles.

7 Jan 2013

Some health law funding becomes 'fiscal cliff' casualty

The agreement approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama would kill new funding for health insurance co-operatives. The fiscal deal also officially repealed the health law's CLASS Act, but establishes a new bipartisan commission to develop a plan for long-term care services for elderly and disabled people.

4 Jan 2013

Hobby Lobby won't offer contraception coverage, defying health law and rulings; States face implementation battles

After losing a last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court, craft stores chain Hobby Lobby said it would defy a federal health care mandate requiring employers to provide their workers with insurance that covers emergency contraceptives.

4 Jan 2013

Capsules: Fiscal deal kills future funding for health law's co-ops; Consumers may draw wrong conclusions from medical prices

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Phil Galewitz reports on a 'fiscal cliff' development that will impact health insurance co-ops: "The fiscal cliff deal, approved by Congress on New Year's Day, eliminates most of the more than $1.4 billion in remaining funding from the federal health law for new nonprofit, customer-owned health plans designed to compete against the major for-profit insurers."

4 Jan 2013

Roundup: Ill. to scrutinize Medicaid eligibility; 20% of Fla. nursing homes on 'watch' list; Conn.'s 'inadequate' mental health care system

Fort Pierce resident Cathi Odom recently learned that her mother's nursing home is one of 140 on the state's "Watch List." Families for Better Care, a citizen advocacy organization, found that one in five facilities in Florida are on that list for not meeting state standards, or for not making corrections quickly enough. Twelve of the homes have been on the watch list for more than 100 days. Brian Lee, executive director for Families for Better Care, says that is unacceptable.

4 Jan 2013

Health Insurance News and Research

Report: U.S. health spending grew at record slow pace for third consecutive year

State roundup: Medicaid costs could affect state surpluses; Calif. gets 'C' for dental care

Viewpoints: Health care and the 'crushing federal debt;' Optimism about 'grand bargain;' Iowa's premium increase request

Viewpoints: Fla. Gov. fears Medicaid expansion as Idaho, Missouri and Colorado wrestle with issue ; Few acceptable options for improving Medicare

State roundup: Mo. lawmakers look to cap malpractice awards

Medicaid expansion, health exchanges continue to draw headlines

New study finds that adults with diabetes in Ontario get fewer government-funded eye exams

Clear battle lines emerge on budget issues

Exercise and the exam room: Kaiser Permanente, other providers record new vital sign

In some states, health insurers are raising rates despite health law's efforts to restrain increases

States confront myriad of health law implementation issues

HHS gives 7 states the go-ahead to create health exchanges

Health care and the shakeout from the fiscal cliff

Some health law funding becomes 'fiscal cliff' casualty

Hobby Lobby won't offer contraception coverage, defying health law and rulings; States face implementation battles

Capsules: Fiscal deal kills future funding for health law's co-ops; Consumers may draw wrong conclusions from medical prices

Roundup: Ill. to scrutinize Medicaid eligibility; 20% of Fla. nursing homes on 'watch' list; Conn.'s 'inadequate' mental health care system

2013 brings health law deadlines, challenges to states

Cost/quality relationship in health care still poorly understood: Study

Businesses and individuals grapple with decisions about coverage, penalties

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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