Health care issues: Which industries would win or lose if health care system is changedOctober 22nd, 2009 Health care issues: Who stands to gain, loseA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Which industries stand to gain or lose most from a health care overhaul?
THE POLITICS: The final tally on winners and losers won't be in until a final bill emerges, which is why lobbying is intense. Any measure that creates millions of additional insured people will mean more paying customers for health insurers, hospitals, doctors and drugmakers.
Health care issues: How the US system evolvedOctober 20th, 2009 Health care issues: How the US system evolvedA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Why is the United States the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not have universal health coverage?
THE POLITICS: Health insurance in the United States is provided primarily by employers. The government picks up coverage for retirees and the disabled through Medicare, for the poor through Medicaid, and for military veterans and members of Indian tribes.
Health care issues: A 'trigger' or 'fallback' plan as a compromise to public optionOctober 14th, 2009 Health care issues: The 'trigger' public planA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Would a so-called "trigger" or "fallback" public plan win enough votes to get some sort of government-run insurance option in any health care legislation Congress may pass?
THE POLITICS: The trigger option is seen as a possible compromise that would replace the idea of allowing the government to sell insurance in competition with private insurance. Many Democrats want the so-called public option but Republicans oppose it.
Health care issues: What about a government-run single payer national health system?October 13th, 2009 Health care issues: A single-payer system?A look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Should there be a government-run, single-payer national health care system?
THE POLITICS: A government-run health care system is attractive to many Democrats, who want access to health insurance for all, including about 45 million uninsured Americans. One proposal in Congress would establish a program to provide all people in the United States with free health care through a publicly financed but privately delivered system.
Health care issues: Paying for abortionsOctober 9th, 2009 Health care issues: Paying for abortionsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Would new health care legislation allow abortions to be funded with tax money?
THE POLITICS: Abortion opponents say proposed government-sponsored health insurance plans would change federal policy by paying for abortions in many cases. For years, a restriction in the law that governs Medicaid — health insurance for the poor — has barred federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the mother's life.
Health care issues: Are insurance market changes enough to fix the health care system?October 5th, 2009 Health care issues: Insurance market overhaulA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Are changes in the insurance industry enough to fix problems in the nation's health care system?
THE POLITICS: To help expand health coverage, President Barack Obama is seeking changes to underwriting practices that can prevent Americans from obtaining affordable insurance. His proposals would ban higher premiums, caps or denial of coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition or when a person gets sick.
Health care issues: Preventive measuresSeptember 30th, 2009 Health care issues: Preventive measuresA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Can preventive health measures not only improve the well-being of Americans, but also reduce the cost of health care?
THE POLITICS: President Barack Obama wants insurance companies to cover routine checkups and screening tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies. "That makes sense, it saves lives, and it will also save money over the long run," he often says.
Health care issues: Overutilization of careSeptember 25th, 2009 Health care issues: Overutilization of careA look at key issues in the nation's health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Health care costs in the United States are far higher than in other countries without better outcomes, and most experts agree that's partly because of the excessive and often unnecessary use of expensive tests, surgeries and procedures. Will health overhaul legislation address this?
THE POLITICS: Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist, White House adviser and brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has written that there's a "perfect storm of overutilization" of health care in the United States that's the greatest contributor to high medical costs.
Health care issues: Using parliamentary maneuversSeptember 23rd, 2009 Health care issues: Using parliamentary maneuversA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: If Senate Republicans continue to oppose Democratic plans to overhaul the nation's health care system, should majority Democrats employ a process called "reconciliation" to pass parts of it without Republican support?
THE POLITICS: Reconciliation is a procedure used to protect bills from being filibustered to death. It effectively lowers the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a simple majority of 51.
Health care issues: Calculating the price tagSeptember 17th, 2009 Health care issues: Calculating the price tagA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Is the Congressional Budget Office doing an accurate job of calculating how much the health care overhaul will cost?
THE POLITICS: Democrats pushing for overhaul of the nation's health care system face a dilemma — they want to cover as many people as generously as possible, while limiting the cost to deflect Republican accusations that they are addicted to spending and tax increases. That makes every dollar count.
Democratic senator says splitting health care bill into separate measures unlikely to workAugust 23rd, 2009 Senator: Single health care bill a better approachWASHINGTON — A key Democrat in the health care debate says separating out the various issues and putting them in different bills isn't likely to work. Some lawmakers have suggested that a separate bill with changes that are supported by Republicans and Democrats would be one route toward progress on the health care overhaul.
Obama acknowledges unease over gov't spending on banks, recovery and likely health careJuly 23rd, 2009 Obama acknowledges unease over gov't spendingWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is acknowledging that Americans are "understandably queasy" about the rising federal deficit and the government spending trillions of dollars. Yet he says revamping health care is crucial to helping the economy.
AMA, Eli Lilly and Co. lead health sector in lobbying spending in year's second quarterJuly 20th, 2009 Doctors, Eli Lilly and Co. lead in health lobbyingWASHINGTON — The country's largest doctors' group and one of the nation's biggest pharmaceutical companies reported spending more money than other health care organizations on lobbying in the second quarter of this year.
President Obama says he won't push health care plan on Congress, ready to hear other proposalsJune 11th, 2009 Obama: Cooperation with Hill needed on health careGREEN BAY, Wis. — President Barack Obama is vowing that he won't run roughshod over Congress in putting together legislation overhauling the country's health care system.
Obama's Day: Obama speaks on health care and welcomes Tar Heels to White HouseMay 11th, 2009 Obama's Day: Health care, basketballWASHINGTON — Reforming the health care system to make it affordable for all Americans is one of President Barack Obama's top priorities. Obama plans to talk Monday about a health care industry offer of $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years to help pay for the program.
Loading ...