Currently 26 states and the District of Columbia have the authority to veto health insurance rates deemed excessive for at least some types of insurance, generally policies sold to individuals and small businesses.
Women who have private insurance plans can now get any contraceptive, including sterilization procedures, with the insurance plan picking up the entire cost.
Anti-abortion groups oppose the decision, arguing that contraception is against the religious beliefs of some Americans, and that some forms of emergency contraception, including Plan B, are akin to early abortion.
“As the nation struggles to address the larger systemic issues of access to health care, we need to ensure that oral health is recognized as a basic component of overall health,” says UW Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Frederick Rivara.
New rules limiting the shifts first-year medical residents can work in hospitals take effect today, but they won’t end the debate over the pros and cons of 24-hour workdays.
ACOs have been compared to the elusive unicorn: everyone seems to know what it looks like, but nobody’s actually seen one. Exactly how ACOs would work in practice remains to be seen, though that hasn’t stopped the health care industry from embarking on a frenzied quest to create them as quickly as possible.
Is private practice dying? Last year, half of new doctors were hired by hospitals.
University of Washington ranked 6th in the U.S. News & World Report survey but still managed to rank in the top 20 for producing primary care doctors.
Ellen Warner and her husband Mark run a small online store and offer insurance to employees, but the cost is high and they fear a tax on high-cost plans could make it unaffordable.
Proponents say repeal of the exemption would spur competition and bring down costs.
What effect would the Cadillac provisions in the health overhaul proposals have?
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
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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