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: Medicare cutsOctober 6th, 2009 Health care issues: Medicare cutsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Will seniors' Medicare benefits be slashed to pay for health care overhaul?
THE POLITICS: Democrats are proposing to reduce the ballooning costs of Medicare to keep the program solvent. They want to root out waste to find the savings, and to reduce payments to some providers.
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.
Senate health care bill could lead to higher Medicare prescription drug costs for seniorsOctober 2nd, 2009 Health care overhaul could raise Medicare Rx costsWASHINGTON — Medicare recipients could see higher premiums for prescription drug coverage as a result of changes to complex provisions in a Senate health care bill, a senior Republican said Friday. At issue are marching orders for a powerful new commission that would recommend annual Medicare savings to Congress.
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.
Attempt to redo White House agreement with drug makers is rebuffed by Finance panelSeptember 24th, 2009 Senators rebuff attempt to squeeze drug makersWASHINGTON — Senators writing a sweeping health care overhaul have rebuffed an attempt to squeeze more money from the drug industry for medicines used by low-income seniors. By a 13-10 vote, the Democratic-dominated Senate Finance Committee defeated an amendment requiring rebates of $106 billion over 10 years from the industry.
Health care issues: Bundling paymentsSeptember 22nd, 2009 Health care issues: Bundling paymentsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: What can the government do to get doctors and hospitals to deliver cheaper medical services?
THE POLITICS: Medicare's fee-for-service structure means that doctors, hospitals and other providers have a greater financial incentive to provide large quantities of medical services than to provide high-quality medical services. Democrats and the Obama administration want to change that, and use the savings to help pay for their health overhaul legislation and bring down medical costs over the long term.
SPIN METER: Ballyhooed in May, health industry pledge to save $2 trillion seems forgottenSeptember 21st, 2009 SPIN METER: $2 trillion in health savings? Where?WASHINGTON — It was a watershed moment in the health care struggle: Leaders of the insurance, hospital and other medical industries stood with President Barack Obama at the White House and promised steps to save $2 trillion over the next decade. Whatever happened to those savings, announced with much fanfare well before Congress had written any of the costly health overhaul bills now in play? Industry groups say they're a work in progress.
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.
A breakdown of the $1.5 trillion cost of the House Democrats' health overhaul billJuly 16th, 2009 A breakdown of the cost of the House health billA trio of House committees began work Thursday on $1.5 trillion, 10-year legislation from the Democrats that would fundamentally reshape the nation's health care system. It would require everyone to have health insurance and make employers provide it or pay a penalty; subsidize the poor to help them buy care; and create a new public insurance plan modeled after Medicare to compete with private insurance companies.
Health care industry groups offer up cuts now to gain leverage on gov't plan; other issuesJuly 9th, 2009 Health care groups ante up to stay in the gameWASHINGTON — First came the drug companies, offering to give up $80 billion. Then hospital chiefs stood at the White House and promised to do their part for President Barack Obama's health overhaul by taking a $155-billion hit.
Obama wants new cuts in health care spending, but details are sparse, opposition loomingJune 13th, 2009 Obama wants new cuts in federal health spendingWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is seeking to help pay for his health care plan by sharply reducing the government's medical spending, mainly by trimming payments to prescription drugmakers, hospitals and other care providers. His ambitions are thick but the details thin; the president and his aides said specific ways for achieving the cuts will be decided later.
Health care industry delivers savings plan to White HouseJune 1st, 2009 Health industry delivers plan to White HouseWASHINGTON — Health industry officials delivered a plan to the White House Monday documenting how they'll attempt to save $2 trillion over a decade through measures like reducing hospitalizations and cutting down on paperwork. They identified three big areas for savings: $150 billion to $180 billion from more efficient use of health care services, $350 billion to $850 billion from better managing chronic diseases, and $500 billion to $700 billion through administrative improvements such as standardizing claim forms.
Obama praises health industry figures for offering to slow growth in spending by $2TMay 11th, 2009 Obama lauds industry offer to contain health costsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has praised health industry groups for coming forward with an offer to reduce the growth of spending by $2 trillion a year to overhaul the system. Obama appeared at the White House with an array of industry figures, including union representatives, and called it the occasion "historic."
Industry figures pledged that they would voluntarily slow their rate increases over the next 10 years.
AP source: Medical providers offer Obama administration $2 trillion in health care savingsMay 10th, 2009 AP source: $2 trillion offered in health savingsWASHINGTON — Top representatives of the health care industry plan to offer $2 trillion in cost reductions over 10 years in a bid to help pass President Barack Obama's health overhaul, a source familiar with the negotiations said Sunday. Industry officials representing health insurers, hospitals, doctors, drug makers and a major labor union plan to be at White House on Monday to present the offer.
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