Healthcare Reform

Obamacare technology testing slated for September: official

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WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is preparing to subject the information technology backbone of the new state and federal healthcare exchanges to final "dress rehearsal" testing that could continue until just before the online marketplaces are slated to begin enrollment on October 1.

House Republicans leery of 'Obamacare' defunding idea

WASHINGTON - A Tea Party-inspired plan to kill President Barack Obama's healthcare law by forcing a government shutdown unless funds to implement the law are denied has not gained traction among senior Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Politics, Health 31 Jul 2013

'Obamacare' mandate delay will cost $12 billion, affect 1 million workers

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's decision to delay implementation of part of his healthcare reform law will cost $12 billion and leave a million fewer Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance in 2014, congressional researchers said Tuesday.

Health, U.S., Politics 30 Jul 2013

White House takes aim at Obamacare opposition's economic claims

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday shot back at critics who claim Obamacare is leading to higher healthcare costs, slower job growth and rising numbers of part-time workers, saying the latest economic statistics show none of those effects.

Health, Politics 29 Jul 2013

U.S. court rejects firm's challenge to Obamacare contraception mandate

- A divided federal appeals court on Friday rejected a Pennsylvania cabinet maker's religion-based challenge to the 2010 healthcare law's requirement that larger companies provide workers with health insurance covering birth control.

Politics, U.S., Health 26 Jul 2013

Why China pays too much for medicines

- China has a drug problem. While most Western countries spend 10-12 percent of their healthcare budget on medicines, in China it is well over 40 percent, a disparity that goes to the heart of Beijing's crackdown on the industry.

Health, China 26 Jul 2013

Republicans prepare for 'Obamacare' showdown, with eye to 2014 elections

WASHINGTON - With the Obama administration poised for a huge public education campaign on healthcare reform, Republicans and their allies are mobilizing a counter-offensive including town hall meetings, protests and media promotions to dissuade uninsured Americans from obtaining health coverage.

25 Jul 2013

Insurer WellPoint sees $20 billion Obamacare opportunity

- WellPoint Inc , the nation's second largest health insurer, sees President Barack Obama's healthcare reform giving a $20 billion boost to its revenue by 2016, led by an expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor and the introduction of subsidized coverage for the uninsured.

24 Jul 2013

British watchdog rejects GSK's lupus drug again

LONDON - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog has rejected GlaxoSmithKline's lupus drug Benlysta a second time after the company offered an undisclosed discount, saying it still failed to offer good value for money.

24 Jul 2013

Better healthcare for less money, if you can find it

NEW YORK - Consumers intrigued by the new model of accountable healthcare - which promises better-coordinated care that could save lots of money - are going to have to actively seek out participating providers.

Health, Money 23 Jul 2013
  Banner Gateway Hospital, Gilbert, Arizona, is seen in this undated photo. The hospital’s parent, Phoenix-based Banner Health, is one of the top 10 health systems in a new study conducted by Thomson Reuters.  Credit: Reuters/Banner Gateway Hospital

Top systems take centralized approach

An electronic system called an e-ICU lets critical-care physicians monitor patients from a central command center. Data shows it's saving lives.   Full Article 

    A huge poster with a red ribbon symbolizing the fight against AIDS is displayed on the facade of the Palace of Culture ahead of World AIDS Day in Warsaw November 27, 2009. REUTERS/Kacper Pempe

    HIV case exposes insurer policy

    When Jerome Mitchell successfully sued his insurance company after it revoked his policy, he exposed a wrongdoing that could have repercussions for the entire health insurance industry.  Full Article