Policy and Legislation

A new nationwide initiative is promoting e-ordering as a means to cut the billions of dollars in waste a year resulting from unnecessary or duplicative diagnostic image tests.

The Medicare trust fund will be exhausted by 2017, two years earlier than originally projected, according to the annual report by Medicare Trustees.

In this video from the US Health Reform YouTube channel, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks at the AFCSME's 12 National Nurses Congress about the need for healthcare reform.

Between 2003 and 2008, Medicaid physician fees rose 15.1 percent, closing a portion of the gap with Medicare physician payment rates, according to a study by researchers from the Urban Institute.

In this short video posted in Rep. Pete Stark's (D-Calif.) YouTube channel, Uwe Reinhardt, a well-known healthcare economist at Princeton University, testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on the impact of a public health insurance plan.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) questions CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf on healthcare reform in this video, posted in Wyden's YouTube channel.

Peter Harbage of the Center for American Progress discusses the need for health reform, who will benefit from it, and what's at stake if Congress drops the ball.

In this video, Glenn Hackbarth, chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, testifies at the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee's annual MedPAC hearing.

Legislation was introduced Wednesday that would end insurance discrimination against those with pre-existing or chronic illnesses.

In this video posted in Rep. Pete Stark's (D-Calif.) YouTube channel, Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis testifies on the need for competition in the health insurance market.