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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Shots - Health News

As Big Employers Pinch Pennies, Health Savings Accounts Take Off

As employers look to cut spending on health, more workers are being steered to health plans with high deductibles.

May 30, 2012 KHNEnrollment in health savings accounts grew 18 percent last year as employers continued to steer workers into high-deductible medical plans.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Employers Less Likely To Drop Coverage Than You Might Think

Employers are bruised by health costs, but most aren't thinking about dropping coverage just yet.

May 30, 2012 Only 8 percent of U.S. employers surveyed have plans to drop health coverage altogether. But half of the companies questioned by consulting firm Oliver Wyman do plan on make big changes to the coverage they offer.

Summary

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Shots - Health News

Health Insurance Cutbacks Squeeze The Insured

Amber Cooper lives in Modesto, Calif., with her 5-year-old son, Jaden, and her husband, Kevin. She had a liver transplant when she was 10 years old and has to take anti-rejection medication.

May 23, 2012 Health insurance has been changing dramatically. Even people with insurance are paying thousands of dollars out of pocket before their insurance kicks in. And when that happens, insurance picks up less than it used to — often a lot less.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Monday, May 21, 2012

Shots - Health News

Health Think Tank Crunches Health Prices For The Masses

Ben Franklin wears a surgical mask on a $100 bill.

May 21, 2012 In 2010, health spending rose fastest among people 18 and under, according to an analysis of data from private insurers. It's just one finding made possible by a new database.

Summary

Monday, May 14, 2012

Shots - Health News

In Talent Hunt, Some Businesses Offer Health Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

Reaction to President Obama's bombshell that he now supports gay marriage ran the gamut from profound to lighthearted.

May 14, 2012 KHNLast year, a little more than half of employers offered health benefits for domestic partner according to a nationally representative sample of about 3,000 employers surveyed by benefit consultant Mercer. That's up from a little less than one-third in 2010.

Summary

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Shots - Health News

These Health Law Bets Are No Figure Of Speech

How much would you wager on the constitutionality of the sweeping federal health law?

May 8, 2012 KHNWill the administration's health law survive the Supreme Court? A majority of bettors think not. Over at Intrade, a "prediction market" for current events, the betting gave chances of about 58 percent that the court will disallow the mandate.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Why Your Drug Copay Could Change

How much a medicine costs you could vary depending on the value your insurer assigns to treatment.

May 8, 2012 KHNInsurers and employers are looking to stem the rising costs of expensive specialty drugs. One approach is to vary the copayment depending on the health value they calculate the drugs provide.

Summary

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Shots - Health News

Alcohol And Health Insurance Don't Always Mix

A bottle of beer, seen on the the roof of a car at a DUI checkpoint in Miami, can create snags for health insurance coverage of accident care in some states.

May 1, 2012 KHNUnder some state laws, a patient's positive test for alcohol can mean that insurers won't pay hospitals and doctors for care after an accident. To sidestep the potential problem, hospitals often don't screen patients for alcohol use.

Summary

Friday, April 27, 2012

Shots - Health News

Choose Health Coverage Like An Economist

Picking an insurance plan can be a little like this.

April 27, 2012 If you're wondering how to deal with a health problem, ask your doctor what she'd do for her mom. And if you're puzzling over which insurance plan to pick, take a look at how some health economists size them up.

Summary

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Shots - Health News

Health Insurers Set To Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates

Come summer, mailboxes of 1 in 3 buyers of individual health insurance buyers could get rebate checks.

April 26, 2012 Health insurers that haven't spent the required share of premiums on health care will be sending rebate checks to employers and consumers. All told, an estimated $1.3 billion is expected to be returned to customers this summer.

Summary

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Shots - Health News

Smart Shopping Can Relieve Pain From Dentists' Charges

A database of fees charged by  out-of-network dentists could help  lower your bill.

April 17, 2012 KHNDental coverage often maxes out at a just few thousand dollars a year or less and typically covers only half of the cost of major procedures like crowns and root canals. So knowing what out-of-network dentists charge for their services may help save you a bundle.

Summary

Monday, April 02, 2012

Shots - Health News

Health Insurers Move Ahead, With Or Without Individual Mandate

April 2, 2012 KHNWith all the attention focused on the Supreme Court hearings on the fate of the Affordable Care Act, it might seem that the future of all reforms to the health care system is in the balance. But some in the insurance industry say many changes are already in motion.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Shots - Health News

Thinking The Unthinkable: What If The Whole Affordable Care Act Goes Down?

March 29, 2012 Health lawyers aren't sure, but their opinions range from "God only knows" to "bedlam" to "chaos."

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Shots - Health News

Supreme Court Cheat Sheet Day 3: Scalia Unplugged

Activists gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the court hears a third day of arguments on President Obama's health care law.

March 28, 2012 If the justices find the insurance mandate unconstitutional, will they strike down the entire health care law? The top five moments from Justice Antonin Scalia could offer clues about the thinking of the court's conservative majority.

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Shots - Health News

Supreme Court Mulls Whether Health Law Can Survive Without Mandate

People wait for tickets to attend the last day of arguments over the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court.

March 28, 2012 Questioning earlier this week suggested the health care law's mandate might be in peril. Today, the Supreme Court considered whether other parts of the law could still stand if the mandate falls. "It looked today that if there are five votes to strike down the mandate, there might be five votes to strike down the whole law," said NPR's Nina Totenberg.

Summary

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