Policy and Legislation
While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is federal law, much of its implementation is in the hands of the states. Near the top of the list on the state's to-do list is the creation, design and operation of the health insurance exchanges.
The need to drive down the cost of healthcare will be one of several factors leading to a $2.3 billion worldwide market for in vitro diagnostic company sales to physician office labs this year, according to healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information.
Amid tepid enrollment, the Department of Health and Human Services has renewed efforts to increase awareness of the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), the government's temporary insurance plan for those denied private insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
During the healthcare reform debates of 2009, there were angry confrontations that nothing in the legislation would address rising healthcare costs.
A new report issued by the Government Accountability Office has found that one-out-of-three Medicare Advantage beneficiaries is in a plan spending more than 15 percent of its projected Medicare payments on overhead and profit.
At a time when several newly-elected governors are railing against health reform's governmental intrusion, new Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is taking a different path - a proposal released this week to create a single-payer health plan for his state.
The U.S. healthcare sector continued its expansion in early 2011, with employment increasing in January by approximately 10,600 jobs.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced a $750 million investment in disease prevention and public health initiatives.
A couple of my colleagues called to ask why I was so negative in my view of ACOs. I pointed out I don't question the principles on which ACOs are to be established; that is the application of managed care incentives into a fee-for-service environment. What I can't accept is the hope that the impact will be soon enough or large enough to avoid the impending healthcare meltdown.
A new poll shows 48 percent of employers aren't waiting for a repeal of healthcare reform - but they are looking for guidance on specific provisions of the law before making decisions on benefit plans.