The January defeat of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's more than $14 billion health care overhaul in the California Senate may have been a setback for the Republican governor, but the plan could serve as the basis for a national debate on health care that is growing stronger in the days leading up to the presidential election. Read more »
House Energy and Commerce Chairman John D. Dingell is seeking to block new Medicaid regulations by the Bush administration that have been criticized by many lawmakers and governors. Read more »
A group of hospital associations filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to stop the Bush administration from implementing a proposed Medicaid rule that could cut billions of dollars in funding to safety net hospitals. Read more »
As Democrats contemplate reducing payments to private insurers in Medicare, the chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission told a House panel that paying the plans more than traditional fee-for-service providers increases the threat to Medicare's long term viability. Read more »
A study released by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) finds that Medigap coverage may have a much smaller impact on Medicare spending than previously thought. Read more »
Amendments to the fiscal 2009 spending blueprint may not mean much given President Bush's threat to veto spending bills that exceed amounts he wants to spend on federal health programs. In fact, the lawmakers themselves who develop the spending bills aren't beholden to budget resolutions. But the amendments--ranging from a $2.1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health to provisions that would give $375 million more to the Food and Drug Administration--point to possible congressional priorities. Read more »