Policy and Legislation

While healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, medical malpractice payments fell to a new low, undermining the argument that malpractice litigation costs contribute significantly to healthcare costs.

Author Rosemary Gibson talks about her book, "Medicare Meltdown," which looks at the business of Medicare.

Accountable care organizations have the potential to slow health spending growth and improve quality of care but regulating them poses challenges related to competition.

As the population ages, the need for people to provide long-term care services is sharply increasing, even as the affordability and availability of LTC insurance is diminishing. The state of Connecticut is taking action.

The apparent slowdown of the growth of healthcare spending has been noted by many in the healthcare industry, the policy world and economists. But what is causing it and how long it will last is unknown.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that hospitals will see a slight increase in Medicare payments in 2014.

Medicare will levy $227 million in fines against hospitals for failing to reduce readmissions.

A recent Consumer Reports analysis rating U.S. hospitals on surgical care has found that the biggest and most renowned hospitals aren't necessarily the best.

A small but increasing number of doctors have stopped taking Medicare patients, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Reasons cited include low reimbursement rates, high paperwork burden, and pressure to adopt electronic medical records. And a few doctors are scrapping private insurance, too, for some of the same reasons.

House Energy and Commerce Committee has unanimously approved legislation to repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate formula, moving another step closer to a more stable physician payment system.