Health Care

Congress Really Wants to Get Something Done on Drug Prices. It May Fail Anyway

By Yuval Rosenberg

Lawmakers are eager to show they can deliver on the issues the American public cares most about, so even as House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump on Tuesday,...
Surprise Deal to Protect Patients From Surprise Medical Bills

By Michael Rainey

After struggling for months to reach consensus, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers announced Sunday evening they had come to an agreement on legislation that would protect patients from...
Obamacare Back at the Supreme Court — With Billions for Insurers on the Line

By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

More than $12 billion is at stake for the nation’s health insurers Tuesday when the Supreme Court hears another Affordable Care Act case. For the federal government, the potential damages could be...
The Rising Tide of Health Care Costs

By The Fiscal Times Staff

We told you yesterday about new data from the Medicare actuaries showing health care spending in the U.S. hitting a record high last year, totaling $3.65 trillion overall, or more than $11,000 per...
The Healthiest — and Unhealthiest — US States

By Yuval Rosenberg

Vermont is the healthiest state in the U.S., according to the latest annual ranking by the United Health Foundation. Vermont climbed three spots, thanks in part to “a low incidence of chlamydia, a...

Health Spending Hits Record High, Even With 1 Million Fewer Insured

By Yuval Rosenberg

U.S. spending on health care grew to $3.65 trillion last year, climbing above $11,000 per person for the first time, according to a new report from Medicare actuaries. Spending rose 4.6% in 2018,...
A White House Report Slams Pelosi’s Drug Plan. Experts Call Its Claims ‘Nonsense’

By Yuval Rosenberg

The White House Council of Economic Advisers issued a report Tuesday warning that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill to lower prescription drug prices would have devastating health and economic costs...
How a Public Option Would Affect the Insurance Market

By Michael Rainey

Several Democratic presidential candidates say a public option for health insurance would provide a more moderate, less disruptive alternative to the Medicare for All plan backed by Senators Bernie...
Joe Biden Says Pete Buttigieg ‘Stole’ His Health Care Plan

By Yuval Rosenberg

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that Pete Buttigieg, a surging rival for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, “stole” his health care proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act...
63% Say U.S. Health Care Has Huge Problems — and That’s an Improvement

By Yuval Rosenberg

Here’s a nugget of good news: Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed by Gallup say that the U.S. health care system is in a state of crisis or has major problems. Yes, that’s good news because...

5 Ways Elizabeth Warren Could Pay for Medicare for All

By Michael Rainey

Elizabeth Warren has promised to provide details in the next few weeks about how she intends to pay for Medicare for All, and multiple economists and policy experts are rushing to help the...
Trump and Pelosi Still Working on Drug Prices: Report

By Yuval Rosenberg

Despite the drama unfolding daily in the House impeachment inquiry — and the rising animosity between President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — the two sides are still trying to reach a deal...
Seema Verma Won’t Say What the Plan Is if Obamacare Gets Struck Down

By Michael Rainey

Seema Verma, who leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, tried to assure a House panel Wednesday that the Trump administration’s effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act in court...
Obamacare Premiums Are Going Down for 2020 — and the Trump Administration Is Claiming Credit

By Michael Rainey

Affordable Care Act insurance markets are looking stable for 2020, with premiums for benchmark plans set to fall for a second straight year — and some Trump administration officials are touting those...
Buttigieg Would Hike Corporate Taxes to Pay for His Health Plan

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Pete Buttigieg has proposed a “Medicare for all who want it” plan, which would allow Americans to buy into the Medicare system while leaving the private insurance system in place. This past weekend...