US Political News and Commentary | Government Coverage
March 9th, 2010
Health and Human Services | 
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Abortion rights groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America say the House and Senate versions of the bill represent the biggest expansion of abortion restrictions in years, yet theyre not trying to defeat the measures. Instead, a bitter dispute among abortion opponents over which version is stricter could derail Obamas quest to remake [...]
March 9th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
Obama told an audience outside Philadelphia yesterday that insurers have calculated that higher premiums can more than make up for the loss of customers who cant afford coverage. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted her call to insurers to post information justifying their rates.
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March 5th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan said Senate-passed language on abortion isnt acceptable to him and the other lawmakers in the bloc, and that if the issue isnt resolved they will vote against the broader health legislation.
“Were prepared to take responsibility” for [...]
February 28th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
In his weekly address, Obama said the nation cant afford to miss this chance to enact health-care legislation that would expand coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans.
“I am eager and willing to move forward with members of both parties on health [...]
February 26th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
That was one lesson from the White House health policy conference Thursday as lawmakers in both parties cherry-picked survey results, ignored contrary findings and presented public opinion, which is highly nuanced on these questions, as a slam-dunk.
Claims, counterclaims and statistics flew through the room in the daylong talkfest by President Barack Obama and lawmakers from [...]
February 14th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
Its anybodys guess whether President Barack Obamas health remake will survive in Congress.
But theres no doubting the consequences if lawmakers fail to address the problems of costs, coverage and quality: surging insurance premiums, more working families without coverage, bigger out-of-pocket bills, a Medicare prescription gap that grows wider and deeper, and government programs that pay [...]
February 12th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
The grant money being announced Friday comes from the economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress last year and is part of the administrations push to get doctors, hospitals and others to move from paper to computerized record-keeping. Administration officials say the grants are designed to provide savings down the road by eliminating duplicative tests and [...]
February 2nd, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
The budget released Monday contains lots of respectable ideas to squeeze savings, expand coverage and improve quality, but no ambitious change that launches the nation on a path to health care for all.
“It doesnt change dramatically the cost trajectory or fill the coverage gap,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
With costs widely acknowledged [...]
January 12th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
Will it work?
It may take 10 years or more to find out. Costs are expected first to go up, as tens of millions of previously uninsured Americans get coverage and start going for checkups, mammograms and MRIs. Over time, if the plan works, health care inflation would slow. With the magic of compounding, shaving even [...]
January 12th, 2010
Health and Human Services | Be the First to Comment
The White House has indicated the tax may change so it hits fewer workers - but its not going away.
A Monday evening meeting at the White House between Obama and about a dozen heads of the countrys biggest labor unions capped a day when two union leaders fired broadsides at Obama and Senate Democrats over [...]