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Birth control mandate remains divisive health coverage issue

The head of the Catholic Hospital Association explains her group's split with the Obama administration on the question of contraception coverage. Meanwhile, another Catholic organization is launching a nationwide ad campaign against this policy.

21 Jun 2012

HHS reports 3.1 million young adults gained coverage under health law

The law's provision requiring that insurers allow many adults under the age of 26 to stay on their parents' plans is popular.

21 Jun 2012

What's at stake in the much-anticipated high court health law decision?

News outlets report on how the ruling will impact seniors, women and states, among other stakeholders. Reports also examine what might happen if the individual mandate is overturned but other elements of the law are left intact.

21 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Health law can be intensely personal; Insurers' promises miss the mark

Whenever I read or hear objections to "Obamacare," I think about my friend's son. The son had cancer when he was a teenager. Thankfully, his dad had health insurance -- through his job. A job that he lost. He has a new job now, but like so many new jobs, it doesn't pay as much -- and it doesn't come with benefits. Fortunately, his son seems to have beaten the cancer. And the family now has health insurance from the mom's job. So the son, thanks to "Obamacare," can be insured through his parents.

21 Jun 2012

States brace for SCOTUS ruling: Calif. exchange marches on, Texas considers its next steps

In California, the state health insurance exchange is starting its work no matter the outcome of the Supreme Court decision while Texas officials consider their post-decision steps.

20 Jun 2012

State roundup: Retiree health costs soaring; Calif.'s duplicate surgical payments; Georgia's AIDS drug waiting list shrinks

Recession-plagued states diverted scarce money away from pensions to pay for more immediate concerns, leaving a $757 billion hole in the retirement funds covering millions of public employees, according to a study released Monday. … States also faced a $627 billion shortfall in health care services for retirees. Essentially, for every $1 they'll eventually have to pay out in health care, states had set aside only 5 cents.

20 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: For Fla. small business owner, loss of health law would be 'real blow;' Effort to silence Mich. legislators backfires

Running a small business with four employees, I've got a lot hanging in the balance as the Supreme Court deliberates on the healthcare law. The legal challenge to the law was launched here in Florida with a small business lobby group as a plaintiff in the case. But if you're thinking that means small business people like me want to see the law rolled back, think again. The simple fact is, the healthcare law is saving our business serious money and saving our healthcare benefits.

20 Jun 2012

In Calif. and Mass., reforms proceeding even as court causes uncertainty

News reports offer updates on California's health exchange as well as the important signal sent by Massachusetts' major health insurers.

19 Jun 2012

Upcoming Supreme Court ruling: GOP as 'dog that caught the car'; Growing concerns about mandate

[T]he GOP may be positioning itself to become the dog that caught the car. Political and policy uncertainty is perhaps inevitable given the range of what the Court could do. But the Republicans need a more coherent strategy. ... An orderly unwinding of ObamaCare was always going to be difficult. But based on its disarray and confusion so far, the GOP may be making it harder.

19 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Catholic group dismisses compromise on contraceptives; Funding entitlements

President Obama's support for his signature health care act took a fresh hit Friday. The Catholic Health Association, the nation's largest private health care provider, has rebuffed the latest White House moves to make its contraception coverage mandate more acceptable to Catholics and conservative evangelicals, according to Religion News Service.

19 Jun 2012

State roundup: Calif. budget cuts; Texas hospitals cry foul over funding plan

Spending on welfare, child care and home care for the elderly and disabled would be reduced but not by as much as Brown wanted. CalWORKs, the state welfare program, is facing the biggest hit at $428 million. … In-Home Supportive Services, which allow some elderly residents to avoid being moved into nursing homes, would be reduced by about $90 million. The cut means 3.6 percent fewer hours of care for beneficiaries.

19 Jun 2012

Dems, Republicans ramp up health reform rhetoric as SCOTUS speculation abounds

In an interview aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," the presumptive GOP presidential nominee reiterated his pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, though he allowed that a similar health care reform he signed as Massachusetts governor was legal. ... "if I'm president, we're going to stop Obamacare in its tracks and return to the 10th Amendment that allows states to care for these issues on the way they think best."

18 Jun 2012

Larsen leaving CCIIO, agency responsible for implementing major parts of health reform law

Steve Larsen, the government administrator directing enactment of U.S. insurance regulations created by the 2010 health-care overhaul, is leaving to return to the private sector, according to e-mails to staff.

16 Jun 2012

CDC: About half of adults in U.S. get preventive care

This finding, which is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, is designed to serve as a baseline as prevention-related health law provisions are implemented.

16 Jun 2012

What's at stake in health law ruling?

News outlets offer perspectives regarding how the much-anticipated Supreme Court decision could impact people without insurance, small businesses and nearly every corner of the health care industry.

16 Jun 2012

Senate Appropriations boosts HHS funding on party-line vote as GOP attacks health reform provisions

Partisan wrangling over the health law, as well as funding of HHS, is continuing on Capitol Hill.

16 Jun 2012

Roundup: Iowa redesign of mental health services raises concerns; Mich. lawmakers opposed to abortion restrictions are 'silenced'

State leaders hope their mental health redesign will bring better services to (rural areas of Iowa), but many front-line administrators doubt they'll see significant improvements soon. In fact, some worry that services could erode over the next year as money and some financial responsibilities are shifted from the counties to the state. Some long-term improvements are possible, they say, but cash likely will run short in the next few months.

15 Jun 2012

Iowa Gov. wants state workers to pay for part of health care

This pair of stories from the Des Moines Register, based on a meeting with Gov. Terry Branstad, details Branstad's plans for state employees' health benefits and efforts to develop a state alternative to the health law.

14 Jun 2012

Senate panel includes funding for implementing health law in spending bill

A Senate Appropriations panel on Tuesday approved a fiscal 2013 spending bill for labor, health and education programs that includes funding to implement provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul, despite Republican objections. The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee approved the draft measure along party lines, 10-7.

14 Jun 2012

R.I. lawmakers pass federal health care law compliance bill

Rhode Island and Connecticut moved forward on implementing the health law: Lawmakers in Providence approved legislation to bring state health insurance laws in line with the federal health care law. In Connecticut, the health insurance exchange board added a member.

14 Jun 2012

Health Reform News and Research

Birth control mandate remains divisive health coverage issue

HHS reports 3.1 million young adults gained coverage under health law

What's at stake in the much-anticipated high court health law decision?

Viewpoints: Health law can be intensely personal; Insurers' promises miss the mark

States brace for SCOTUS ruling: Calif. exchange marches on, Texas considers its next steps

State roundup: Retiree health costs soaring; Calif.'s duplicate surgical payments; Georgia's AIDS drug waiting list shrinks

Viewpoints: For Fla. small business owner, loss of health law would be 'real blow;' Effort to silence Mich. legislators backfires

In Calif. and Mass., reforms proceeding even as court causes uncertainty

Upcoming Supreme Court ruling: GOP as 'dog that caught the car'; Growing concerns about mandate

Viewpoints: Catholic group dismisses compromise on contraceptives; Funding entitlements

State roundup: Calif. budget cuts; Texas hospitals cry foul over funding plan

Dems, Republicans ramp up health reform rhetoric as SCOTUS speculation abounds

Larsen leaving CCIIO, agency responsible for implementing major parts of health reform law

CDC: About half of adults in U.S. get preventive care

What's at stake in health law ruling?

Senate Appropriations boosts HHS funding on party-line vote as GOP attacks health reform provisions

Roundup: Iowa redesign of mental health services raises concerns; Mich. lawmakers opposed to abortion restrictions are 'silenced'

Iowa Gov. wants state workers to pay for part of health care

Senate panel includes funding for implementing health law in spending bill

R.I. lawmakers pass federal health care law compliance bill

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