Marilyn Werber Serafini

House Debates Ryan Budget: Predictably Partisan

KFF Health News Original

The tone was immediately and undoubtedly partisan Wednesday when the House began considering the Republican-backed 2013 budget resolution that the House Budget Committee recently approved. The House was expected to debate the Budget Committee-approved resolution for four hours, and then turn to six complete substitutes, including one that would replace the resolution with President Obama’s […]

AARP Arming For Medicare Battle

KFF Health News Original

Against a backdrop of proposals to overhaul the popular social insurance program and a presidential campaign likely to address entitlement spending, the seniors group is mobilizing.

More Exchange Money Headed to States

KFF Health News Original

New federal money is headed to ten states to help them establish insurance exchanges through which individuals and small businesses can buy insurance beginning in 2014. The Department of Health and Human Services is sending a total of $229 million in exchange establishment grants to ten states, the agency announced Wednesday. Half are receiving this […]

Is HHS Medicare Advantage Celebration Premature?

KFF Health News Original

Updated at 2:00 p.m. Enrollment is up and prices are down in Medicare Advantage, which offers Medicare beneficiaries private health plan alternatives – mostly managed care – to the traditional fee-for-service program. The Department of Health and Human Services is hailing the numbers as proof that predictions that the 2010 health law would damage Medicare […]

Important New Understanding About Essential Benefits? Not Everyone Thinks So

KFF Health News Original

The Department of Health and Human Services today released a document intended to preview the kinds of benefits most health plans must offer starting in 2014. But one consumer advocate said it does not provide nearly enough information to be helpful. The federal government in December gave states significant leeway to decide what “essential benefits” must be […]

Wyden Joins Forces With Ryan On Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Updated at 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 15. A new Medicare overhaul plan touted as a serious bipartisan approach was unveiled today, but it leaves out key details about how it would avoid raising seniors’ premiums. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is teaming up with Republican Rep. Paul Ryan on a Medicare overhaul plan that would give […]