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NEWS ABOUT: health care costs

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Dead Skier's Fans Donate $300K to Cover Bill

Sarah Burke's case puts spotlight on US system

(Newser) - Fans of iconic freestyle skier Sarah Burke were shocked by her death in Utah earlier this month —and horrified by the huge bill she racked up during her nine days in a coma . The Canadian star's insurance did not cover the event where she was fatally injured and... More »

Hospitals Stuck With 'Permanent Patients'

Illegal immigrants, those without insurance, cost millions to care for

(Newser) - Look long enough in most hospitals, and you’ll probably find some decidedly unwelcome guests. Hospitals, particularly those in urban centers like New York, are faced with a growing burden from so-called “permanent patients,” who hospitals are stuck caring for even though they are well enough to be... More »

We Should All Die the Way Doctors Do

Many 'go gently' rather than opting for extreme measures: Dr. Ken Murray

(Newser) - You'd think a doctor with, say, a terminal illness or a weak heart would have an inside edge over the rest of us and opt for the most whiz-bang, no-holds-barred treatment available. Just the opposite, writes Ken Murray, MD, in the Zocalo Public Square (as spotted by Andrew Sullivan'... More »

On Way Out, Medicare Boss Bashes 'Extreme' Waste

Donald Berwick says 20-30% of health care spending helps no one

(Newser) - Between 20% and 30% of all US health care spending is pure “waste,” according to departing Medicare and Medicaid chief Donald Berwick. “Much is done that does not help patients at all, and many physicians know it,” Berwick said in an interview with the New York ... More »

Health Insurance Costs Spike This Year

Average family premium paid by employers rises 9% to $15,073

(Newser) - New numbers on health insurance costs probably won't have employers tripping over themselves to make new hires: The average annual cost of a family premium paid by employers spiked 9% this year to $15,073, reports the New York Times . For single workers, the figure rose 8% to $5,... More »

NFL Players Stuck Paying for Health Care, Training

League withholds benefits, makes life tough

(Newser) - NFL players are starting to feel the lockout squeeze. Earlier this month, the league stopped covering their health insurance—a step it never took during the 1982 and 1987 strikes, the Washington Post reports. That’s left players paying not just $2,000 to $3,000 a month in health... More »

States Want OK to Cut Medicaid—Without Penalty

Governors battle Washington over measure in health reform law

(Newser) - America's 29 states led by Republican governors are asking Washington to give them the green light to cut thousands from Medicaid—without being penalized. The health care reform law says that states that reduce eligibility for the program will lose federal funding, and these cash-strapped states (along with, quietly, some... More »

1B Can't Afford Health Care: WHO

Health costs push 100M into poverty yearly

(Newser) - A billion people worldwide can’t afford health care, and paying for it drives 100 million people into poverty annually, a World Health Organization report says. The global report says all countries should seek creative ways to boost health-care efficiency and funding, Reuters reports. “For many, health services just... More »

Canada Considers Universal Coverage for Drug Costs

Government urged to adopt 'pharmacare' plan

(Newser) - Americans who think that Canadian universal health care is a socialist conspiracy will surely cringe at the news: Canada could soon adopt universal pharmacare—publicly funded drug coverage for all its citizens. More and more national organizations are applying pressure on the government, the latest being the Canadian Health Coalition,... More »

Companies Shift Health Costs to Employees

Even as insurance premium growth slows

(Newser) - Employers foisted a lot more health insurance costs onto their employees this year than last, even though premiums only inched upwards, according to an annual survey. Though premiums for businesses rose just 3% this year—their lowest increase in a decade—the cost the average employee was paying jumped 14%,... More »

Health Reform Bill Won't Stop Premium Hikes

Action on curbs didn't make final cut, leaving 'very big loophole'

(Newser) - Turns out the big health care reform bill doesn't actually rein in those out-of-control premium rate hikes. The Democrats used outrage over whopping increases to corral support for the overhaul, but the bill doesn't deliver, finds the Los Angeles Times , because it doesn't give the government the regulatory authority. "... More »

3 Big Myths About Health Care Reform

Don't be taken in by misinformation, warns Paul Krugman

(Newser) - Health care reform has made a miraculous comeback but its opponents are going to try to hoodwink the public with misinformation and lies down the home stretch, writes Paul Krugman. He outlines "three big myths" about reform in the New York Times .
  • "The government is grabbing control of
... More »

Get Ready to Pay More for Health Coverage

Employers plan to hike premiums, copays, penalties for obese

(Newser) - Large companies have big plans for their employees' health plans next year: sizable premium hikes, higher deductibles and co-payments, higher charges for covering spouses, penalties for results of certain lab tests, and tighter eligibility standards that may even exclude overweight people from the most desirable health plans. That's what 507... More »

House Scrutinizes Health Insurer's 39% Rate Hike

Anthem Blue Cross jacks some premiums in California

(Newser) - As Congress opened a probe into a health insurer's impending premium hikes of up to 39%, President Obama yesterday cited Anthem Blue Cross's rate increases as evidence of the need for health care reform. "If we don't act, this is just a preview of coming attractions," Obama said.... More »

Health Care Costs Hit All-Time High

And the government will soon be paying 50% of them

(Newser) - Health care spending hit a record 17.3% of GDP last year, up from 16.2% in 2008, according to new figures from the government’s nonpartisan Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Today’s report also predicts that by next year, the government may be paying 50% or more... More »

White House, Unions Reach Deal on 'Cadillac Tax'

Agreement clears one of the biggest obstacles to final bill

(Newser) - The White House has struck a deal with unions on how to tax generous health insurance policies, one of the last major sticking points in crafting a final bill. Few details are available on the agreement over the so-called "Cadillac tax," but President Obama is expected to visit... More »

US Life Expectancy, Health Costs Not a Pretty Picture

Viral graph shows better stats for numerous developed countries

(Newser) - A graphic that's gaining wide currency on the Internet paints a grim picture of the American health care system, which costs more than any other country's but results in an average life expectancy that's solidly middle-of-the-pack. The graph, originally posted on a National Geographic blog, wasn't clear enough for the... More »

Liberal 'Kill Bill' Case Is Naive, Deceptive

Hey, Jane Hamsher: A better bill is not coming along, and this ain't bad

(Newser) - Ezra Klein isn’t “sure there's much in the way of productive dialogue to be had” with liberal firebrand Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake concerning her call yesterday to kill the Senate health care reform bill, but he’ll try anyway. Hamsher’s list is “misleading,” her “... More »

10 Ways Senate Health Reform Hurts You

Measure that should have saved money will cost an arm and a leg

(Newser) - The Senate health reform bill is all fire and brimstone for the folks over at Firedoglake . The “con job” legislation “isn’t a ‘starter home,’ it’s a sink hole,” Jane Hamsher writes, and “it needs to die so something else can take its... More »

Health Bill Fiendishly Hard to Call

Lack of fundamental reform makes it a narrow no for Brooks

(Newser) - David Brooks would vote no if he were a senator deciding on the health care bill today. But he admits that the pros and cons are so finely balanced that he flip-flops from week to week. The bill should be supported because it takes the deficit seriously, will provide insurance... More »

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