Latest California Healthline Stories
Paul Ryan’s Radical Plan To Reform Medicare not so Radical
While Republicans’ plan to transform Medicare into a voucher program is being hailed as groundbreaking, the model has been floated for decades. Here’s a look back at the history of Medicare vouchers — and what makes Ryan’s plan different.
Suzanne Delbanco of Catalyst for Payment Reform Discusses Ideas on Paying for Care
Suzanne Delbanco, executive director of Catalyst for Payment Reform, spoke with California Healthline about a growing movement to improve the delivery of care by transforming health care payment structures across the U.S.
Altered States: Paths to Reform Increasingly Diverge
Governors in Wisconsin, Alaska and Massachusetts are forging unique paths to custom fit health reform around their budget pressures and existing overhauls. The three states may serve as templates — or outliers — as the rubber starts to hit the road to reform.
What Does Obama’s Budget Hold for Health Reform?
President Obama’s proposed budget would ramp up federal spending on the health reform law in an effort to help carry out its provisions. The proposal has renewed GOP criticism that the White House is overextending the government’s role in health care and is pushing off hard choices on health costs.
Hope Raised by Patient-Centered Medical Home
Robert Reid thinks he has seen the future, and it comes from Washington.
Not D.C. — the state of Washington.
That’s where Reid of Seattle’s Group Health Research Institute has seen the patient-centered medical home in action, and that’s what he was preaching to medical leaders in Sacramento yesterday.
What You Missed While on Holiday Break
Washington, D.C., often goes quiet during the winter holiday season, but officials continued to pave the road to reform even as Congress was on break. Several agencies issued key guidance on implementing the federal health overhaul, and a number of new patient protections took effect last week.
End-of-Life Expert Susan Tolle on Rolling Out Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
Susan Tolle of the Oregon Health & Science University spoke with California Healthline about how California could learn from Oregon’s experience implementing Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.
What’s on Tap for Reform Before Next Congress Takes Over
As Congress enters a lame-duck session, lawmakers face several pieces of health reform-related legislation. Some Democrats may also weigh using the final days of their House majority to enact their own fixes to health reform.
How the Midterm Elections Could Shape Reform
The debate over health reform was heavily framed by the midterm elections. While Democrats had hoped the law’s passage would boost their prospects, Republicans appear likely to make significant gains and could further shape the overhaul’s implementation.
Has Reform Improved Health Care Yet?
The bulk of the federal health reform law’s provisions are slated to launch in 2014, but several incremental changes have already taken effect. An early look at those provisions shows mixed results for insurance access, services utilization and system improvements.