Insurers believe they can reshape the practice of medicine — and protect their profits — by buying up doctors’ practices.
“If you’re a health plan, you either become a care delivery system or an information services compan . . . . The traditional business is dead.”
In one corner: Medicare and other healthcare entitlement programs; in the other, the drive to tame the deficit, weighing as the political talking point du jour.
Conclusions conflict with Republicans claims the law would unleash a steep climb in spending but also draw into question President Obama’s contention that people who like their plans can keep them.
More than 30 states and Congress have passed laws requiring hospitals to publish their prices, but the information often is of little use to consumers.
A $5 billion program will help companies to offer coverage to early retirees, for whom it can be difficult to get insurance until they’re eligible for Medicare.
The new health care law could shift billions from cash-strapped states to the federal government by changing the way Medicaid drug rebates are treated,
Advocates say adopting health information technology could improve care and save money. But putting a realistic number on those savings is a challenge.
New law may allow state to seek a federal subsidy worth $52 to $60 million a year to help finance the state’s cash-strapped Basic Health Plan.
Next year, 10s of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds will flow to doctors and hospitals to help them buy electronic medical record systems as part of the stimulus package.
To help pay for health reform, President Obama wants to raise the Medicare tax rate on wealthy Americans and tax their investment income as well as their wages.
About 46 million Americans, about 15 percent of the population, do not have insurance, a number some believe is now larger because of the recession.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.
Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
Add to Google
Recent Comments