U.S. healthcare cuts minimal, more pain looms

2011-11-22T07:30:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The breakdown of deficit talks in Congress will exact little pain on the U.S. healthcare industry, but it's a temporary reprieve from steeper cuts that could be put back on the table in 2013.

The failure of the congressional "super committee" to reach a deal triggers a two percent across-the-board cut to

More Americans than not want health law repeal: poll

2011-11-16T15:00:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the Supreme Court prepares to review President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, more Americans want to see it repealed than want to keep it, a poll released on Wednesday shows.

A Gallup survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults found that 47 percent favor the repeal of health...

Health cost of 6 U.S. climate disasters: $14 billion

2011-11-07T13:30:23Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deaths and health problems from floods, drought and other disasters related to climate change cost an estimated $14 billion over the last decade, researchers said on Monday.

"When extreme weather hits, we hear about the property damage and insurance costs," said Kim Knowlton, a senior scientist at Reuters) - Most elderly Americans covered by the government's Medicare insurance program will see a smaller-than-expected rise in their monthly premiums next year, health officials said on Thursday.

Standard premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers doctor visits, outpatient services and some home healthcare, will be $99.90. For mo...

Wal-Mart to cut some US health coverage

2011-10-21T20:30:14Z

American retail giant Wal-Mart said it will no longer provide health insurance to new part-time US employees working less than 24 hours a week and charge more for workers who smoke.

Wal-Mart, which has 1.4 million employees in the United States, will also increase coverage costs for all employees, as health costs rise. The changes, which wil...

Most in Massachusetts want state push on health costs

2011-10-21T15:30:11Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Most Massachusetts residents want their state government to take action to reduce high healthcare costs that they blame on drug and insurance companies charging too much, a survey showed on Friday.

Massachusetts has almost universal healthcare insurance coverage thanks to a 2006 law driven by current Republican pres...

Organizing care for special needs kids saves money

2011-10-20T12:30:42Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Families with special needs kids can save up to a third of their out-of pocket medical expenses by having a so-called "medical home" coordinate the care for their child, a news study suggests.

A medical home could be a primary care doctor's office that incorporates the family in medical decision-making and coordinates and follows up on visits to specialists.

Wells Fargo gives staff tough choices for healthcare

2011-10-12T14:00:23Z

(Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co, one of the largest U.S. employers, plans to cut costs by moving its workers into insurance plans that encourage them to spend less on healthcare.

The bank confirmed to Reuters that it's rolling out a new insurance plan next year that will give employees accounts to help cover medical expenses. Th...

U.S. health insurance premiums climb faster in 2011

2011-09-27T09:00:28Z

(Reuters) - The cost of health insurance continues to climb for U.S. companies and workers, with annual family premiums this year growing at a pace triple that of 2010 and outpacing wage increases, according to a survey.

As the United States continues to grapple with a stubbornly weak economy, family premiums in employer-sponsored hea...

States still unclear on health insurance exchanges

2011-09-20T18:30:10Z

CRYSTAL CITY, Virginia (Reuters) - State health officials weighing the 2014 arrival of insurance exchanges heard little about the federally run option in a two-day meeting with U.S. health regulators.

States are facing three options in building the exchanges, a key aspect of President Barack Obama'...

Analysis: Obama deficit plan unlikely to impress ratings firms

2011-09-20T13:30:22Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's plan to tame U.S. budget deficits probably relies too much on ending wars and too little on tackling health care spending to impress Wall Street credit rating agencies.

The Reuters) - A federal judge in Pennsylvania said the insurance-buying mandate in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is unconstitutional, the latest ruling over an issue likely to be taken up by the Supreme Court.

District Judge Christopher...

U.S. unveils ambitious plan to reduce heart attacks

2011-09-13T13:00:13Z

(Reuters) - U.S. health officials are teaming up with insurance companies, pharmacies, health providers and community groups in a campaign to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years.

The plan announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services<...

Health spending more complex than Medicare shows

2011-08-09T21:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Communities known for paying the most on healthcare may not be spending as much as once thought, according to new data released on Wednesday.

A Thomson Reuters study, touted as the first of its kind, examined private insurance claims for 23.5 million Americans across the U.S. in 2009. The findings identified "metropolitan statistical ar...

Top 11 Takeaways from the Debt Deal

2011-08-05T10:30:13Z

A real solution to federal debt and deficit woes remains elusive. More pain ahead? The deal could hurt the U.S. economy.

Now that Congress has defused the debt limit time bomb, it’s tempting to forget the enormity of the federal government’s fiscal problems. But, althoug...

Medicare in CD2 spotlight

2011-07-19T02:30:22Z

After flipping New York's 26th District in a special election two months ago, national Democrats were sure they would come up with a surefire formula to win back the House next year: Medicare.

Democrats thought they won that heavily Republican district because they painted themselves as protectors of the social safety net against a Republican onslaught in the form of Rep...

Perry signs bill allowing Texas healthcare "compact"

2011-07-18T17:00:18Z

AUSTIN (Reuters) - Governor Rick Perry signed into law on Monday a Republican-backed measure that would eventually allow Texas to enter into a "health care compact" with other states to seek flexibility in operating

Ad hoc efforts help cut U.S. healthcare costs

2011-07-15T09:02:01Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare, comparative research made physicians realize that inducing early childbirth in healthy women created unnecessary and costly risks for newborns.

Artificially induced deliveries had become an accepted way to make childbirth fit busy personal schedules. The practice has health ris...

Medicaid improves health and budgets of poor

2011-07-07T14:00:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medicaid, a government health insurance program designed to help the poorest of the poor, is giving people unprecedented access to doctors and also improving their finances, a study co-authored by the Harvard School of Public Health<...

Medicare will keep covering Roche's Avastin

2011-06-30T10:30:18Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medicare will continue coverage of Roche Holdings' drug Avastin for breast cancer regardless of what U.S. health regulators decide about...

Death rates higher for patients in U.S. territories

2011-06-28T13:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hospitals in the U.S. territories see more deaths after heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia than the states, according to a study out Tuesday.

Researchers said the healthcare gap is not explained by patients being sicker or hospitals lacking medical facilities, but could be due to a lack of federal f...

Medicare preventive care use still spotty

2011-06-20T15:00:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than five million Medicare recipients have used preventive healthcare services to date in 2011, and U.S. health officials are trying to accelerate that trend to combat crippling healthcare costs.

The Reuters) - Humana Inc said on Friday that it would be willing to continue insurance coverage for Illinois state employees and retirees another 90 days, even though the state has announced plans to remove it as an option for workers after the end of the month.

The insur...

Healthcare battle unfolds in Atlanta court

2011-06-08T14:31:02Z

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lawyers for President Barack Obama sought on Wednesday to stave off the biggest legal challenge yet to healthcare reform, his signature domestic policy achievement.

The administration presented oral arguments as it appealed a ruling by a Florida judge who dec...

Deficit talks look at spending-cut compromises

2011-05-25T12:00:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deficit-reduction negotiators have identified broad areas for saving hundreds of billions of dollars but still disagree on changing the costly but popular Medicare program, a source familiar with the talks said on Wednesday.

Vice...

Hospitals to get cash boost for better care

2011-04-29T10:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hospitals that improve medical care for elderly patients, and reduce deadly errors, will get millions of dollars under an incentive program launched on Friday that aims to cut overall Medicare costs.

The government healthcare program for seniors spent about $4.4 billion in 2009 to...

Stents: How new technology drives health costs

2011-04-25T15:30:08Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heart devices known as drug-eluting stents have added as much as $1.57 billion to U.S. health costs since their introduction in 2003, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The study offers an illustration of how new technology can drive health costs, the researc...

US drug spending slows; hits $307 bln in 2010: report

2011-04-19T09:00:32Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. spending growth on prescription drugs slowed to 2.3 percent in 2010 - the second lowest level in 55 years, according to a report by consulting firm IMS Health.

Even with the slowing growth rate, spending on prescription medicines reach...

Obama lays out vision for curing U.S. fiscal woes

2011-04-13T13:30:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday laid out his long-term strategy to reduce the U.S. budget deficit by $4 trillion over 12 years.

He proposed four steps: savings on the defense budget, elimination of waste in healthcare spending, control of d...

Obama targets $4 trillion cut in deficit

2011-04-13T10:30:37Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama proposed cutting ballooning U.S. budget deficits by $4 trillion over 12 years on Wednesday and called for talks with Democratic and Republican lawmakers to address the worsening fiscal woes.

Obama, who has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for taking...

Illinois agency OKs program to pay Medicaid bills

2011-04-12T14:30:16Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - With Illinois facing a growing pile of bills from Medicaid providers that is adding to its fiscal woes, the state's finance authority board on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a program to speed up payments.

Under the program, t...

Health cuts loom in new U.S. budget fights

2011-04-11T13:30:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a narrow escape from a potentially damaging government shutdown, even bigger budget fights lie ahead for President Barack Obama and leaders from both parties in the U.S. Congress.

Senior

As boomers age, a soul-searching budget battle

2011-04-06T22:30:04Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In 1983, a civil servant named Robert Ball worked a political miracle: he convinced Republican Ronald Reagan to raise taxes and Democrat Tip O'Neill to accept trims to

US Republicans push deep long-term spending cuts

2011-04-05T18:30:44Z

President Barack Obama's Republican foes, warning the debt-heavy US economy is hurtling towards collapse, called Tuesday for trillions of dollars of spending cuts in a politically risky budget plan.

Republican Paul Ryan, chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee<...

Republican budget plan would cut $5.8 trillion in 10 years

2011-04-04T18:30:46Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican budget plan due to be unveiled on Tuesday would cut $5.8 trillion from U.S. spending over the next 10 years, a congressional aide familiar with the proposal said on Monday.

The plan, which would take effect when the next fiscal year starts on October 1, is expected to propose sweeping changes to the

Republicans eye bigger cuts amid U.S. budget fight

2011-04-01T14:30:52Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the biggest spending cut in U.S. history takes shape in Congress, Republicans are preparing a more ambitious proposal that could scale back the benefit programs that account for the majority of government spending.

Republicans in the Reuters) - As the biggest spending cut in U.S. history takes shape in Congress, Republicans are preparing a more ambitious proposal that could scale back the benefit programs that account for the majority of government spending.

Republicans in the House of Represe...

Alzheimer's in U.S. claims $202 billion in unpaid care

2011-03-14T21:30:07Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nearly 15 million people in the United States take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, amounting to 17 billion hours or more than $202 billion in unpaid care, Alzheimer's experts said on Tuesday.

If these caregivers all...

Government sends home healthcare money to states

2011-02-22T13:00:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - States stand to gain billions of dollars as provisions in the U.S. healthcare plan to move Medicaid patients out of institutions come on-line, with 13 states awarded $45 million in grants on Tuesday, the Health and Human Services Agency said.

"Our country...

Taxes When Mom or Dad Depends on You

2011-02-14T11:30:28Z

Even modest retirement income can thwart your attempt to claim a parent as a dependent.

Although you may spend a lot of time and money supporting an aging parent, claiming your mom or dad as a dependent for tax purposes can be difficult. But it’s not impossible.

First, your parent must be a U.S. citizen or live in the

2011-02-06T12:00:12Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any fiscal plan that fails to tackle military spending, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is "a sparrow's belch in the midst of a typhoon," a chairman of a presidential deficit-reduction commi...

Affluent women worry about outliving money

2011-01-31T06:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Affluent women expect to be more active than their male counterparts in retirement, but they are also more worried about outliving their money, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Obama says will not refight battle over healthcare law

2011-01-28T10:00:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday his healthcare overhaul is an important part of efforts to cut the budget deficit and insisted he will not "refight" the battle to pass the law.

With emboldened Republicans vowing to repeal or replace the healthcare law he signed last March, Obama rei...

U.S. sues Boston Scientific over heart devices

2011-01-27T15:00:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday that it sued Boston Scientific Corp and Guidant, which it acquired in 2006, for selling defective heart devices implanted in

South Carolina scrambles to deal with budget shortfall

2011-01-05T15:01:19Z

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan 5 - South Carolina Governor-elect Nikki Haley and state budget writers are scrambling for solutions as South Carolina faces a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall in its $5 billion budget.

The state has three agencies -- Health and Human Se...

Government liabilities rose $2 trillion in FY 2010: Treasury

2010-12-21T16:00:37Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government fell deeper into the red in fiscal 2010 with net liabilities swelling more than $2 trillion as commitments on government debt and federal benefits rose, a U.S. Treasury report showed on Tuesday.

The Financial Report of the Fallout from Medicaid cuts: Teeth are pulled, transplants are denied, a pharmacy closes

In Illinois, a pharmacist closes his business because of late Medicaid payments. In Arizona, a young father's liver transplant is canceled because Medicaid suddenly won't pay for it. In 20 rural hospitals in South Dakota getting technology grants through federal Medicare program

Twenty rural South Dakota hospitals are getting a total of nearly $236,000 in grants for technology projects, from medication dispensing systems to digital fetal monitors.

Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth announced the grants Friday. The money...

Home monitoring devices may ease world health burden

2010-12-07T11:01:03Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Many people believe devices that allow doctors to monitor patients' vital signs in their homes offer a potential way to save health costs and allow older people to stay out of nursing homes.

The trick is proving it, according to a RAND Corp survey com...

Medical costs for U.S. retirees fell in 2010: EBRI

2010-11-30T14:00:57Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some medical costs have fallen this year thanks to new health care reform laws, but U.S. retirees will still need hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings to cover their lifetime medical expenses.

According to a report released on Tuesday by the Las Vegas Sun investigation paints a bleak portrait of hospital care in Southern Nevada.

But according to a federal government study released Tuesday, the situation may be much worse.

A nationwide study of the medical records of 780 randomly sampled Medicare patients found that 1 in 7 of ...

Audit: Indiana owes feds $39 million for Medicaid

2010-11-10T14:30:35Z

Audit says Indiana owes feds $39 million because of Medicaid overpayments over 9 years

A federal audit recommends that Indiana's human services agency refund the federal government nearly $39 million it overpaid to Medicaid providers during a nine-year period.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is preparing a response and doesn't anticipate having...

Medicaid Rules for South Carolina

2010-11-29T14:36:01Z

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Disappointment in direction of US: Where did we go wrong?

2010-11-29T15:42:57Z

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What Bush's health plan means to you

2010-11-29T16:03:54Z

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Single payer health system: Pros and cons

2010-11-29T15:43:10Z

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Is a health care reform compromise imminent?

2010-11-29T15:43:09Z

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President Obama's proposal for health care reform

2010-11-29T15:43:09Z

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Sue Lowden and the Nevada Senate race

2010-11-29T16:03:57Z

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Is universal health care a real possibility?

2010-11-29T15:43:08Z

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How To Apply for Medicaid in New Jersey

2010-11-30T13:13:07Z

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How To Apply for Medicaid in Ohio

2010-11-30T13:13:08Z

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Debunking universal healthcare myths

2010-11-29T15:18:36Z

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Comparing health care in the US with health care elsewhere

2010-11-29T15:18:36Z

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How information technology can reduce the cost of health care

2010-11-29T15:18:37Z

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The real costs of medicine without insurance

2010-11-29T15:21:20Z

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Book reviews: Sick, by Johnathan Cohn

2010-11-29T15:18:41Z

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Health Care Prices

2010-11-30T13:10:10Z

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Medical supplies for the elderly patient

2010-11-29T15:18:43Z

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Medical billing companies amd the paperwork involved

2010-11-29T15:18:42Z

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Why its so hard to find affordable medical insurance in the US

2010-11-29T15:35:43Z

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How adequate is insurance cover for stroke victims

2010-11-29T15:18:43Z

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Hospital Collaboration May Boost Surgical Patient Safety

2010-11-05T06:44:00Z

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More drugs do not always mean better care: studies

2010-11-04T06:33:28Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Spending more on drugs does not always translate into healthier patients, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.

And in a second study, researchers found that when government insurers crack down on payments for certain drugs, doctors are less likely to prescribe them unnecessarily.

The two studies, published in the

Alabama Medicaid drug formula could be model for other states

2010-11-03T17:51:46Z

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FOR THE PARENT LIVING IN A CHILD' HOME

2010-11-29T15:03:43Z

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Managing Care: Cost Control Strategies...

2010-11-29T15:03:36Z

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CORRECTION

2010-11-04T08:01:49Z

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Resources for Pet Owners in a Struggling Economy

2010-11-04T07:54:50Z

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Why health care is in crisis in the US

2010-11-04T14:32:57Z

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How to get money fast if you have medical expenses

2010-11-04T14:25:21Z

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Reflections: The true cost of "Hillary Care"

2010-11-04T14:02:29Z

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Why the US faces a $100 trillion debt

2010-11-04T14:33:24Z

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South Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-05T01:31:08Z

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, right, shakes hands with U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth before their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Jung Yeon-je, Pool)

Hawks Kings Basketball

2011-01-04T22:01:19Z

Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry, center, goes to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford, right, as Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, left, of Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger (18) scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov, of Russia, during the second period of an Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, left, shoots over Iowa forward Andrew Brommer during the first half of an NCAA college basketb...

Archdiocese Bankruptcy

2011-01-04T16:30:52Z

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki answers questions at a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in St. Francis, Wis. Listecki said the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is directing its attorneys to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying that pending sexual-abuse lawsuits have left it w...

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