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April 26, 2013 OPBHow hard can it be to measure the health of a population? Oregon is finding out it's difficult to decide even what to track. But the state received almost $2 billion in federal funds to improve the health of its residents and to cut costs. The state faces substantial fines if it can't prove it has done the job.

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March 20, 2013 OPBHealth insurers are obligated to cover pumps to help moms breast-feed. But there is a variety of equipment. Some nursing mothers prefer faster, electric models that cost more. Insurers may say a less expensive manual pump would do just fine.

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February 25, 2013 Since the governors last met in July, some have shifted their views on the federal health care law. A few Republicans have even changed their minds about the potential benefits of the president's plan to expand Medicaid.

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February 20, 2013 A group of nurses is competing for $10,000 in a weight-loss contest. A New York man motivated himself by pledging to donate to a cause he hated. Both approaches use money to reach a target weight. But which is better — the carrot or the stick?

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February 1, 2013 Under the proposed rule, employees at nonprofit religious organizations would get access to no-cost contraception, but their employer wouldn't pay for the coverage. The move is another attempt to provide contraceptive coverage without violating the beliefs of religious nonprofits.

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January 30, 2013 KHNUnder the health care overhaul, many people who find their job-based health coverage too expensive can get help buying insurance through exchanges. But rules just finalized by the Internal Revenue Service will limit who is eligible for a subsidy and could leave some families shut out.

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January 22, 2013 CPRMillions of dollars have been spent to digitize medical records. But doctors are only slowly adopting the the new systems, and many systems won't talk to each other. Some now wonder when the promised benefits in care and cost savings will arrive.

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January 15, 2013 KHNChildren's health advocates are cheering provisions in the health care law that will increase dental coverage for children. But with dentists scarce in some parts of the country and others not taking Medicaid patients, parents may find it hard to get the care their kids need.

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January 11, 2013 Religious groups were among the first to object to a requirement that employers' health plans provide free birth control. But some companies have also objected, saying the mandate violates their religious freedom, too.

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January 1, 2013 In October 2013, open enrollment begins, when people can start signing up for their 2014 coverage through the new state-run health exchanges. But most of the changes in 2013 are tax increases and cuts in tax deductions to pay for the 2014 changes.

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December 4, 2012 CPRSome 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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October 26, 2012 Some critics are puzzled by Mitt Romney's opposition to the Affordable Care Act because the law is a close cousin of the measure he signed while governor of Massachusetts. But others counter that the private sector is best left to make the changes imposed by President Obama's signature achievement.

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October 23, 2012 KHNSince the health law was enacted, 22 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or regulations that encouraged insurers to begin selling child-only policies again, a study found. But in many states there are no restrictions on how much insurers can charge for them.

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July 27, 2012 In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are subtly turning the debate away from covering people who don't have health insurance toward the goal of reducing costs.

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