Policy and Legislation

The state attorneys general of 10 states and the District of Columbia have filed an amicus brief supporting the constitutionality of the individual mandate.

Recently, the IRS issued Notice 2012-9, called "Interim Guidance on Informational Reporting to Employees of the Cost of Their Group Health Insurance Coverage." Here are six things to note, among other apprises and information, about the updated healthcare reporting requirements from the IRS.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended Thursday that Congress reduce Medicare payment rates for nonemergent hospital visits to be the same as payments made for equivalent services delivered at doctor's offices.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that an independent review of proposed health insurance rate increases by Trustmark Life Insurance Company affecting members in five states are "unreasonable."

Seventy five thousand beneficiaries may be cut by Maine's Medicaid system this year. MaineCare supports Maine's elderly, children and indigent, and while Governor Paul LePage stands by his cuts, beneficiaries and healthcare providers deem them "unacceptable."

The number of new prescription drug shortages in 2011 shot up to 267 causing both concerns over patient care, and unwarranted cost increases.

The New Hampshire State Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case that alleges the state is making inadequate Medicaid reimbursements.

U.S. healthcare spending was up 3.9 percent in 2010, just slightly more than the 3.8 percent growth seen in 2009, according to numbers released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Social media pundit and Nashua, N.H.-based primary care physician Kevin Pho, MD, regularly shares his views on healthcare issues from the provider perspective. In this Q&A, he takes a look at how healthcare will factor into the presidential election.

The Justice Department filed its brief Friday on the question of the constitutionality of requiring Americans to attain minimum health insurance coverage. This is the first of four briefs to be filed as the Obama Administration explains its case supporting the health reform law before the Supreme Court hears arguments in March.