Joanne Silberner, NPR News

Health Bill Would Affect Food, Drug Industries

KFF Health News Original

The Senate and House health care overhaul bills are each about 2,000 pages long. While the bills are mostly aimed at revamping the health insurance system, tucked in the pages are provisions that would spell big changes for the food, drug and medical device industries, too.

Are Insurers’ Profits As Low As They Claim?

KFF Health News Original

A trade group says insurers only make 1 cent off every dollar spent on health care. But that figure measures insurer profits against all the money pumped into the U.S. system. Economists say profits are traditionally calculated by how much insurers spend versus how much money they take in.

Health Effects Of Comparing Care: No Easy Answers

KFF Health News Original

The Obama administration and Congress are moving forward with plans to evaluate various medical treatments for common health conditions. But how the government uses this comparative effectiveness research and how it might benefit – or complicate – medical decision-making are matters of some debate.