health care

Health Care Costs Grew More Slowly Than The Economy In 2012

4:55pm January 07, 2014

by Julie Rovner

Health care costs grew at 3.7 percent in 2012, the fourth year of a trend of smaller annual increases. The Obama administration says that the Affordable Care Act is a factor. But the actuaries who wrote the report beg to differ, saying the recession is a more likely cause.

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Ground zero for a new approach to prescription drug disposal.

California County Pushes Drugmakers To Pay For Pill Waste

8:43pm January 03, 2014

by Pauline Bartolone

An Alameda County ordinance puts the responsibility for drug disposal squarely on the companies that made the medicines. States and the federal government have considered similar measures, but none has passed.

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Health & Safety

New Year Brings New Insurance Rules, Health Coverage

4:02pm January 01, 2014

by Sarah Varney

New rules from the Affordable Care Act go into effect Wednesday, and coverage starts for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance on state and federal exchanges.

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Administration Extends Health Insurance Deadline Again

7:24am December 25, 2013

A midnight deadline to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act that starts Jan. 1 has been extended by a day. The White House describes the extension as an effort to accommodate people in different time zones.

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Oregon is still using paper applications to enroll people in coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Health & Safety

How An Obscure Government Code — 834 — Became Big In 2013

10:28pm December 21, 2013

by Elise Hu

The fate of insurance coverage for millions rests on a form called the 834, the government code for electronic files. It's a number that would never have become a big deal had HealthCare.gov rolled out smoothly in the fall.

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Dr. Tim Ihrig, a palliative care physician, treats Augie Avelleyra, 93, at his home in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Doctor Helps Iowa Couple Face Illness On Their Own Terms

10:49am December 17, 2013

by Jenny Gold

Dr. Tim Ihrig has almost become a member of the Avelleyra family. He's helping Augie and Phyllis, who've been married 60 years, lead the best lives they can under trying health circumstances. When Phyllis was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, Ihrig asked what she wanted from the rest of her life.

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Rheanna Kathleen Morris hugs her mom, Peggy Sinclair-Morris.

Promises To Fix Mental Health System Still Unfulfilled

10:23am December 16, 2013

by Jenny Gold

Even for those with the will and drive to pursue treatment, the process remains difficult, frightening and full of holes. Mental health advocates say little has come, on the federal level, from the task forces and promises that followed the Newtown shootings.

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Early December brought a foot of fresh powder to the resorts of Vail, Colo., but some residents are still steaming.

High Insurance Rates Anger Some Ski-Country Coloradans

2:36pm December 13, 2013

by Eric Whitney

Gas, groceries and rents are all pricier in Summit and Eagle counties than in Denver, just a hundred miles away. Health insurance costs a lot more in these mountain communities, too, and some folks are crying foul. Their congressman — a Democrat — is asking the feds for relief.

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Affordable Care Act navigator Nini Hadwen helps Floridians shop for health insurance in October.

A Rush To Reconcile Health Enrollment Data, By Hand

6:44pm December 12, 2013

by Elise Hu

Problems persist on the back end of HealthCare.gov, which must process accurate enrollment information so insurers can receive premium payments and start coverage for consumers. Reconciliation of the data just started this week, as time to fix problems is running out.

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Obama Concedes Botched Insurance Website Rollout Cost Time

12:51pm December 12, 2013

by Scott Horsley

The Obama administration is asking for people who've been turned off by the government's problem-plagued insurance website to come back. Officials say the website is working better now, though it's still far from fixed.

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