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Health bills create tension over abortion coverage

The Associated Press reports: "Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

6 Aug 2009

Checking in with health insurers' chief lobbyist Karen Ignagni

This has become an especially rough-and-tumble time for Karen Ignagni, the health industry’s chief lobbyist. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has denounced insurers as “villains,” and President Obama has criticized the industry for its “windfall profits.” Earlier this year, Ignagni pledged to work with Obama and Congress to pass major health care legislation this year, but relations have cooled as the White House and congressional Democrats have begun citing the industry’s practices as a top reason to pass an overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

6 Aug 2009

Obama administration takes on opposition attacks, rallies Senate Democrats

President Obama and his Administration launched "a coordinated effort Tuesday to combat what it calls a 'viral whisper campaign' against health reform, Politico reports.

5 Aug 2009

Interest groups crowd airwaves, pursue lawmakers

"The increasingly heated fight over health-care legislation is saturating the summer airwaves, with groups on all sides of the debate pouring tens of millions of dollars into advertising campaigns designed to push the cause of reform forward, slow it down or stop it in its tracks," the Washington Post reports.

5 Aug 2009

States confront budget pressure, anticipate reform

States are grappling with budget cuts, trying to anticipate the effects of Washington's health system overhaul and rejiggering Medicaid programs.

5 Aug 2009

Plans to control doctors' pay big in Massachusetts, not so much in Washington

Massachusetts officials are proud of their low rate of uninsured people, but the state also hosts the highest health care costs in the country, a problem that jeopardizes their achievement in expanding coverage, NPR's Morning Edition reports.

5 Aug 2009

Insurance agents look into the future and see uncertainty and "opportunity"

For the tens of thousands of individual insurance agents nationwide, the idea of a health system overhaul hits close to home – and work. The changes currently under consideration could radically alter how they do business. For example, there could be requirements that all individuals have coverage, that employers provide insurance for their workers and that insurers cover anyone - regardless of preexisting conditions. In addition, there could be a government-run public plan that might compete with insurance companies.

5 Aug 2009

Are insurers' profits as low as they Claim?

As the health care overhaul battle moves out of Washington and onto the airwaves and Main Streets during the August recess, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the trade association for the nation's health insurers, is fighting a familiar battle.

5 Aug 2009

President Obama to Senate Democrats: let's do lunch

"With Congressional recess protests against his health-care agenda ramping up and other pressing business to attend to, President Barack Obama summoned the Senate's Democrats to the White House today for a high-stakes working lunch," according to Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire.

4 Aug 2009

Mexico steps up efforts to attract medical tourists

Efforts to standardize quality measures for medical tourism are underway as Mexico tries to attract medical tourists. Such efforts come after the swine flu outbreak significantly hurt Mexico's tourism industry, which ranks third as the country's source of foreign income.

4 Aug 2009

No recess rest in health reform ad wars

Major groups are promising that the August recess will be filled with advertising wars trying to manage the message of the health care reform debate, Politico reports.

4 Aug 2009

Health insurance chief lobbyist says "villain" comments hurt process

On a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said the "Washington politics of 'find an enemy and go to war' is a major step backward," damaging the possibility of building consensus on health reform.

4 Aug 2009

Many Americans find themselves flummoxed by health care reform

As legislators seek to sell what has so far been a largely Washington insider effort, many Americans are confused about what health care reform actually entails.

4 Aug 2009

Health reform: Good for small business, according to President's economic advisors

A report from President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers finds that "health care reform would be good for small businesses because it would enable them to obtain better insurance coverage for less money," The Denver Business Journal writes.

4 Aug 2009

Battles over insurance reform afflict House Democrats

"House liberals are offended that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) mocked their threats to oppose a Democratic healthcare bill, saying leaders are underestimating their frustration over a deal cut with centrist Blue Dogs," The Hill reports.

4 Aug 2009

Protesters disrupt Democrats' best-laid plans for health reform 'conversations'

Over the weekend, a series of protests at Democratic events meant to promote health reform "organized by loose-knit coalition of conservative voters and advocacy groups, were a raucous start to what is expected to be weeks of political and ideological clashes over the health care overhaul," the New York Times reports.

4 Aug 2009