msnbc.com: Health care

7 items you didn’t know were in the Senate bill

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:31:49 GMT

Little-publicized provisions in the Senate health care bill include breast-pumping rooms and bone scans.

Health care - United States Senate - Health - United States - Senate

Will you pay more for insurance after reform?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:41:49 GMT

An analysis shows health insurance rates would generally hold steady or decline for most Americans — those covered by large employers — if the Senate health bill became law.

Health insurance - United States Senate - Insurance - Business - United States

When doctors give patients the power

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:03:34 GMT

When patients are given the responsibility for medical decisions, they may be less willing to try a potentially risky treatment, a study published Monday suggests.

Medicine - Health - Healthcare - Conditions and Diseases - Business

Divided Senate opens health care debate

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 00:03:16 GMT

The Senate begins over sweeping health care legislation that President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have vowed to approve and Republicans have sworn to block.

Barack Obama - Health care - United States Senate - Democratic - United States

Early treatment may help kids with autism

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:52 GMT

The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis.
Autism - Mental health - Health - Autism spectrum - Disorders

CDC: Swine flu cases may be declining

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:43:05 GMT

Swine flu infections seem to be dropping, but the number of children who died with the illness rose by about 30, according to a government report released Monday.
Swine influenza - Government - Health - Infectious Diseases - Conditions and Diseases

Reid: Senate to work weekends on health care

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:52:49 GMT

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says lawmakers will work weekends to complete a sweeping health care bill because "nothing can be more important than this."
Harry Reid - Majority leader - Health care - Health - Health Policy

Senate set for health care debate

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:55:36 GMT

With the Senate set to begin debate Monday on health care overhaul, the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already.

Health care - Democratic - United States Senate - Health - Senate

Records show White House health care talks

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:40:31 GMT

Visitor records obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press show that top aides to President Barack Obama have met often with lobbyists and Democratic political strategists.

Barack Obama - White House - Health care - United States - Politics

NYT: Medical debt spurs more bankruptcies

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:41:05 GMT

Lawyers and court officials say that medical debt is leading to more bankruptcies.
Bankruptcy - Debt - Business - Financial Services - Financial Planning

NYT: Health bill revives abortion groups

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:53:24 GMT

Lobbying over abortion was turning into a sleepy business. But the health care debate has brought a new boom, and both sides are exploiting it with fund-raising appeals.

Abortion - Health care - Health - Reproductive Health - Clinics and Services

Poll: Americans conflicted over health overhaul

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:08:54 GMT

Most Americans don't expect a health care overhaul to affect their lives directly, but those who worry about the fallout outnumber those expecting to come out ahead, a poll out Tuesday has found.
Health - United States - Health Policy - Medicine - Health Systems

For Reid, Dodd, clout cuts both ways

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:41:34 GMT

Two Senate leaders trying to steer a pair of President Barack Obama's high-stakes initiatives through Congress are being dogged by re-election worries, and it's not clear whether their legislative prominence will help or hurt them.

Barack Obama - United States Congress - United States Senate - United States - Society and Culture

Senate health bill targets ‘Cadillac’ plans

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:47:32 GMT

Schoolteacher Kinzi Blair makes only $46,000 a year, but she has what many would consider a "Cadillac" health plan, now targeted for a big tax increase by health reformers.

Health insurance - United States Senate - Insurance - Financial Services - Business

Schumer: Dems can go it alone on health care

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:24:37 GMT

A leading Senate Democrat said Monday his party is determined to push through a health care overhaul bill with or without Republican support because the "system is broken."

Democratic - United States Senate - Health - Health care - United States

Senate Democrats at odds over health care bill

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:56:07 GMT

The dispute among Democrats foretells of a rowdy floor debate next month on legislation that would extend health care coverage to roughly 31 million Americans.

Barack Obama - Health care - United States Senate - Senate - United States

Consumers’ guide to health reform

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:35:30 GMT

The health care overhaul debate in Congress now centers on two bills: the House measure and the Senate Democrats' version. Here are answers to questions you may have about the bills.
Health care - Democratic - United States Congress - Health - Congress

GOP blasts ‘bait and switch’ health bill

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:04:41 GMT

Republican senators and governors assail the Democrats' newly minted health care legislation as a collection of tax increases, Medicare cuts and new burdens for deficit-ridden states.
Republican - Democratic - Health care - Politics - Health

Senate girds for historic debate on health bill

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:37:29 GMT

Congressional budget crunchers Thursday said the Democrats' latest health care plan would hold down federal red ink for at least a 20-year stretch, an assessment that boosted the bill's advocates as the Senate moved gingerly toward a historic debate.

Health care - Democratic - United States Senate - Senate - Health

Botax ? Nip/tuck levy to help fund health plan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:05:39 GMT

The White House and Senate Democrats have turned to a proposal to tax breast implants, tummy tucks, wrinkle-smoothing injections and other procedures as they search for ways to pay for costly health care overhaul plans.

White House - Health care - Health - Breast implant - Medicine

Poll: Most support curbs on malpractice suits

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:52:53 GMT

Most Americans want Congress to deal with malpractice lawsuits driving up the cost of medical care, says an Associated Press poll.
Health care - United States Congress - Associated Press - United States - Congress

CBO: Senate health plan to cost $849 billion

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:37:18 GMT

The Congressional Budget Office estimates a health care plan by Senate Democrats would cover 94 percent of Americans and reduce the number of uninsured by 31 million.

Barack Obama - Health care - Democratic - United States Senate - Senate

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:00:37 GMT

Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.
Health insurance - Hospital - Insurance - ER - Health

Newsweek: Would House health bill boost spending?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:04:47 GMT

The chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that the current House of Representatives health care bill would raise national health spending by about $289 billion from 2010 to 2019.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - Health care - Health - Health Policy - United States House of Representatives

NYT: Drug firms raise prices ahead of reform

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:23:54 GMT

Even as drug makers vow to support the health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation’s drug costs, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years.
Health care - New York Times - Health - Health Policy - Industry

Secretive front group battles health bill

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:34:04 GMT

A secretive group called Americans for Quality and Affordable Healthcare is working to to shape public and congressional opinion about health reform while keeping details about its sponsors under wraps.

United States - Healthcare reform - Insurance - Health - Health care

Medicare paid $47 billion in suspect claims

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:04:27 GMT

The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient's condition.
Medicare - Medicine - Health - Health Policy - Insurance

Tough choices on abortion coverage

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:15:31 GMT

Millions of American women will face tough choices about abortion coverage if restrictions in the House health care bill become law, both sides in the abortion debate agree.
United States - Abortion debate - Health care - Abortion - Health

Few Americans make end-of-life wishes known

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:37:26 GMT

The health overhaul bill that passed the House on Saturday includes a provision to nudge people to confront end-of-life choices: It would pay for such counseling for Medicare patients.

Medicare - Health - United States - House - Health Policy

Sources: Reid eyes payroll tax rise on high earners

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:44:02 GMT

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is considering a plan for higher payroll taxes on the upper-income earners to help finance health care legislation, officials said.

Harry Reid - Health care - Business - Democratic - Barack Obama

How would the House abortion limits work?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:36:23 GMT

The House-passed health bill bars insurers from selling policies that cover abortion to anyone who gets a federal subsidy. How would that play out?

Abortion - Health - Reproductive Health - Clinics and Services - Pro-life

Bill Clinton urges passage of health care bill

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:41:06 GMT

Former President Bill Clinton told Senate Democrats that passage of a bill is critical in a time of job losses and rising health care premiums.

GOP lawmaker feels effects of health vote

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:43:26 GMT

The only Republican in the House to vote for a Democrat-backed health care bill says he has had two fundraisers canceled and some campaign contributors have asked for their money back.

Republican - Democratic - House - United States - Politics

Abortion could roil Senate health care debate

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:36:46 GMT

Abortion opponents in the Senate are seeking restrictions in the health care overhaul bill, a move that could roil a Democratic effort to pass President Barack Obama's signature issue.

Advice for Obama: Knock heads on health care

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 19:13:09 GMT

"The president could take a few pages from Lyndon Johnson's book ... and start knocking heads together," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the most senior African-American in Congress, of Barack Obama's plight for a health care overhaul.

Rough road ahead for health care in Senate

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:04:29 GMT

The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate.

Ailing ‘uninsurables’ may face long wait for care

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:10:07 GMT

You're afraid your cancer is back, and a health insurance company just turned you down. Under the health care bills in Congress, you could apply for coverage through a new high-risk pool, but the fine print says you may have to be uninsured for six months to qualify.

Costs of defensive medicine spur heated debate

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:03:02 GMT

Dr. James Wang says he tries to tell his patients when extra medical procedures aren't necessary. If they insist, though, he will do it — not so much to protect their health as his own practice.

Ditch new drugs, take older meds to cut costs

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:14:17 GMT

If you want a prescription that won't empty your wallet, while still keeping you well, you might start asking your doctor about drugs you don't see on TV.

Newsweek: Will health bill cover prayer treatments?

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 18:26:12 GMT

A recently uncovered health care amendment would require insurers to consider covering "religious and spiritual health care." While it does not mention Christian Science by name, it's been widely interpreted as a protection of the church's prayer treatments, seen as an alternative to medical help.

Majority leader: House will pass health bill

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 19:26:12 GMT

Chanting "Kill the bill," thousands of conservatives rally at the Capitol against the Democrats' health care overhaul plan. The majority leader predicts the bill will pass on Saturday.

Going home: House calls to return with reform?

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:08:00 GMT

House call programs dotted across the U.S. are showing they can help save health care dollars, and enable seniors to stay at home. The idea is also winning support from both Republicans and Democrats alike.

Reid signals timetable for health care may slip

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 01:08:01 GMT

The Senate Democratic leader indicated Tuesday that lawmakers may not complete health care legislation this year. At the same time, House Republicans have produced a draft proposal of their own.

Video: Mom’s death is only relief from medical debt

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:32:56 GMT

After battling breast cancer and medical bills for years, a Texas mother dies, finally allowing her family to pay their debts and get insured (msnbc.com)

No guarantees: 3 tales of insurance disaster

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:23:16 GMT

Msnbc.com readers reveal that even good health insurance is no guarantee of covered care. Three families found that their coverage wasn’t enough, that it didn’t exist when they needed it most, or that it ended with the loss of a job.