Health care reform

April 2, 2010

It's been a rollercoaster year for health care reform; stories of hot congressional debates and angry protests swept the media in the months leading up to President Obama's historic signing of the approved health care bill. With the reform becoming law comes a host of questions: How can we better understand our new health care plan? How will we be affected by changes to our health insurance? What are the most important things to know about the health care law? Marketplace continues to follow the story.

The public perception of health care reform
Kaiser Family Foundation president Drew Altman speaks about the state of public sentiment regarding the health care law, one year after it was passed.March 23, 2011
Obama says states must implement health care law
But Obama told governors today they can design alternative health care programs as long as they meet the law's goals.February 28, 2011
New health reforms kick in for young
A number of new health care provisions are taking effect and young people will see some of the biggest changes. Health reporter Gregory Warner talks with Steve Chiotakis about what kind of changes are happening and who will pay for all of this.September 23, 2010
Insurance companies respond to health care reform
Insurance policies change as new provisions from health care reform go into effect Thursday.September 21, 2010
Lawsuit: Health law unconstitutional
The most closely-watched legal challenge to the health care reform law goes before a federal judge in Florida. Twenty states filed the lawsuit, which contends that the health reform law is unconstitutional. Reporter Nancy Marshall Genzer talks the details with Bill Radke.September 14, 2010
Study: Health plan won't up costs much
A new government study says -- at least initially -- the health care overhaul won't cost much more than we're spending now. That's the conclusion of the first federal health care spending report since reform was passed. Nancy Marshall Genzer has more.September 9, 2010
Health reform's impact on small biz
A new report takes a look at how small businesses are affected by the new health care reform law. The law includes a tax credit to help small businesses afford health insurance. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.September 2, 2010
Calif. moves on health insurance market
California has passed legislation to set up a new market for health insurance. The online exchange could be a model for other states as they implement the health care overhaul passed earlier this year. Reporter Amy Scott talks the details with Steve Chiotakis.August 26, 2010
Should the colonoscopy be the 'gold standard'?
The new health care reform law requires that certain preventive screenings be paid by insurance companies, including the colonoscopy. But a partial colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy, proves to be just as effective as a colonscopy.August 18, 2010
Health care reform makes booming business of screening tests
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has published a complete list of all the screening tests that insurers will have to cover in full. And more tests could be added to the list in 2014.August 18, 2010
"I understand your frustration..."
Health plan customer service is getting a makeover. Insurance companies are hiring empathy trainers for their call agents and brushing up on their phone manners. It's an attempt to keep customers loyal as health care reform starts to give individuals more options to quit their insurance company and shop for a new one. Gregory Warner reports.July 6, 2010
Healthcare.gov already eyeing upgrade
Healthcare.gov has just launched and companies are already jockeying to create a new version of the site that will bring comparison shopping to health insurance.July 2, 2010
Why can't I get health insurance?!
New high-risk insurance pools will mean people who were denied health-care insurance because of preexisting conditions will now have access to coverage. And that means fewer calls like these. From the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, comedy sketch group "Nice Kitchen" performs.July 1, 2010
High-risk pools may not help everyone
One of the first pieces of the health-care reform law went into effect. The law establishes temporary, high-risk insurance pools for people who can't get insured because of preexisting conditions. Some of those pools started taking applications. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.July 1, 2010
States must decide on high-risk pools
States are on deadline to decide whether to take federal money to run a new insurance pool for people with serious medical problems or tell the feds to run it themselves. Gregory Warner reports.April 30, 2010
UnitedHealth partners for diabetes fight
Health insurers will have to cover start covering everyone in a few years. That means they should want their customers to be as healthy as possible. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports on one insurer's focus on helping folks stay out of the doctor's office.April 14, 2010
A history lesson in health care reform
President Obama signed legislation to put the finishing touches on overhauling U.S. health care. The health reform effort is almost exactly 100 years old. Gregory Warner takes a look back.March 30, 2010
Prevention's place in health care now
The new health care law is changing the way we approach the subject. L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus tells Bill Radke that one untold story is how our approach to disease prevention might be changing.March 31, 2010
I'm going to Canada for my health care
Commentator David Sax says despite President Obama's ambitious efforts, he's still heading to his home country for health care -- Canada.April 2, 2010
Firms incur big charges for health law
Boeing has announced a $150 million charge to its earnings because of the new health care law. It's the latest in a string of big companies to make similar announcements. Nancy Marshall Gezner reports.March 31, 2010
IRS will enforce new health care law
Now that Congress has signed the historic health care bill into law, it'll have to make sure to enforce the bill. That job will fall to the IRS, and residents as well as insurance companies will have to comply. Gregory Warner reports.March 29, 2010
The future of insurance exchanges
Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, fills Tess Vigeland in on the health insurance exchanges that will be available in four years.March 26, 2010
Health reform supporting school clinics
Health problems are increasingly affecting students' ability to learn, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. The new health reform law helps tackle the problem by providing more money for in-school clinics. Gregory Warner reports.April 8, 2010
Obama's health care law faces a Republican House
The new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will vote next week on a repeal of the health care reform law. Scott Tong explains.January 4, 2011