Institute of Medicine Stresses "Affordability" in Essential Health Benefits Design

The "essential health benefits" that every insurer will have to provide beginning in 2014 should be tied to a typical small-employer plan, the Institute of Medicine recommended in a long-awaited report that will be closely scrutinized by patient advocates and the health care industry. Read more »

MedPAC Approves Physician Payment Plan, Overlooking Concerns About Offsets

Despite overwhelming provider opposition, the Medicare Payment Advisory (MedPAC) Commission voted 15-2 to recommend a draft proposal to junk the physician payment formula that has caused problems for a decade and offset the costs to fix it with other Medicare cuts. Read more »

Study: 'Worst' Hospitals Serve More Elderly, Black, Hispanic, and Medicaid Patients

The nation's worst hospitals care for double the share of elderly black patients as the best ones, as well as a larger proportion of elderly Hispanic and Medicaid patients, a recent report said. Read more »

Study: Families Hit Much Harder by Health Costs Than Many Realize

Rising health care costs hit families much harder than many people realize. And the pocketbook impact, when fully understood, underscores how critical it is to control those expenses, according to a new study by Rand Corp. Read more »

Proposed Rule Would Give CMS Power to Drop Poor-Quality Plans

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule that would give the agency the power to drop Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare prescription drug coverage plans that get low marks for quality. Read more »

Medicare Needs to Take the Lead on Dual Eligibles, Report Asserts

A new Urban Institute report says that Medicare should assume the primary responsibility for improving care and reducing costs for dual eligibles rather than relying on state Medicaid programs to come up with solutions. Read more »