health care

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks Tuesday as Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., listen during a news conference on Capitol Hill calling for no reduction in the Medicare and Med

Democrats Draw Line On Medicaid Cuts

8:15am December 12, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Democrats are worried that cuts to the program will go beyond the impact on the people it serves. It will also affect the Affordable Care Act, which calls for expanding Medicaid to as many as 16 million more people. The states are watching closely because the federal government has promised it will pay most of those additional costs.

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Feds Say 'No' To Partial Medicaid Expansion

10:55am December 11, 2012

by Julie Rovner

In the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act ruling this summer, it decided that states' plans for expansion of the Medicaid program should be optional. That led governors to ask if they could expand the program in part but still receive federal funding. The administration has said no.

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'Escape Fire' Exposes Flaws Of American Healthcare

1:03pm December 07, 2012

In Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare", director Matthew Heineman exposes what he sees as flaws in the U.S. healthcare system, such as a doctor who can spend just minutes with her patients to a soldier addicted to painkillers. Colonel Chester 'Trip' Buckenmaier III, of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, describes the military's efforts to swap pain pills for alternative therapies, like acupuncture and yoga.

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Alan Krueger, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, warns that consumer spending will drop if Congress and the White House fail to reach a deal on spending cuts and tax increases.

Looming Spending Cuts Would Hit Hard All Over

6:09pm December 05, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

If Congress fails to reach an agreement on tax increases and spending cuts this year, it will mean sharp reductions in a broad swath of federal spending, from defense and Medicare to education and unemployment benefits. Economists say the cuts would be a serious setback for the economy as a whole.

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The largest tax break in the federal code doesn't appear on the forms the average person fills out each year.

The Huge (And Rarely Discussed) Health Insurance Tax Break

9:56am December 05, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Most people don't realize that they don't pay taxes on the value of health benefits from their job. If employer-provided health insurance was taxed in the same way as wages, the federal government could gain $250 billion a year. But it would mean higher taxes for many people.

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Electronic medical records can have drawbacks, too.

Computerized Health Records Breed Digital Discontent For Some Doctors

6:50pm December 04, 2012

by Eric Whitney

Some doctors are unhappy about switching from paper records to electronic ones. While the government is creating incentives for doctors to switch, some say the hassles and expense exceed the rewards.

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For Tea Party Activists In Florida, The Health Care Battle Goes On

6:50pm December 04, 2012

by Greg Allen

Even in a state where top Republicans led the legal battle against Obamacare, there's recognition now that Florida has to act fast to comply with the new law. But many Tea Party members are still calling on state lawmakers to reject the health care law.

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MIT health economist Jonathan Gruber, who explained the ins and outs of health overhaul in a comic book, says that excluding the value of health insurance from federal taxes is a terrible idea, at least from an economist's point of view.

The Perilous Politics Of The Health Insurance Tax Break

6:50pm December 04, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Economists say that excluding the value of employer-sponsored health insurance from federal taxes makes no sense. But many worry that changing the tax code could mean higher taxes or that employers would push down the value of the health insurance they provide.

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Health & Safety

Communities of Color and Health Issues

10:06am December 16, 2004

Why do communities of color suffer a disproportionate incidence of asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure and infant mortality? NPR's Tavis Smiley gets some answers from PolicyLink CEO and founder Angela Glover Blackwell.