At a summit highlighting innovative programs for chronically ill patients, a mix of labor unions and health care providers said health care change cannot be addressed without reshaping the current approach to chronic care. Read more »
Although many agree that the current model of employer-based tax subsidies for health insurance should be changed, there is little agreement on the best solution, said panelists at a Kaiser Family Foundation webcast. Read more »
The ideas advanced by the Mayo Clinic for overhauling health care may not be novel in many respects, but they are the Mayo Clinic's, after all--its sterling reputation means they'll get a look from policy analysts. A key tenet of the Mayo approach: there is no "system" now per se of U.S. health care, and the mere act of admitting that is liberating, because it frees policymakers to focus on designing one. Read more »
Community health centers could save taxpayers as much as $40 billion per year in health care costs if the federal government is willing to invest $10.5 billion over the next eight years, according to a report released recently by the National Association of Community Health Centers. Read more »
A proposal governing states' ability to impose cost-sharing and premiums on Medicaid beneficiaries may make those payments higher than Congress intended, according to Senate Finance Committee leaders. Read more »
Well-insured patients are more likely to be referred to a physician-owned, ambulatory surgical center rather than hospital outpatient departments, limiting access to the best care and possibly undermining hospitals' ability to cover uninsured patients, according to a study in the journal Health Affairs. Read more »