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With the Supreme Court preparing to hear oral arguments about challenges to the Affordable Care Act health law in March, the Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a new brief providing an overview of the pending case, the key constitutional questions to be decided, and the legal arguments made by the parties involved. A Guide to the Supreme Court's Review of the 2010 Health Care Reform Law also outlines how the Court could decide each of the issues and the potential implications of the Court’s decisions.
Medicare remains a hot topic in Washington and around the country as political leaders and other policy makers weigh potential changes to the program. To encourage people to learn more about the Medicare program, who it serves, and how it is financed, the Foundation created a Medicare Quiz. The ten questions test users' knowledge on Medicare premiums, benefits and solvency.
A new Foundation fact sheet summarizes key provisions in the Affordable Care Act that may affect small businesses and their employees. The fact sheet explains the law's small business tax credits and the Small Business Health Options Program exchanges to be established in each state by 2014, both of which are designed to make it easier for small businesses to purchase insurance for their workers. The fact sheet also describes the penalties employers who employ more than 50 full-time workers would face if they do not offer affordable coverage starting in 2014; smaller employers are exempt from that requirement and would not face any penalties.
The Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has updated its Medicaid Benefits Online Database to include 2010 state-level data about which benefits are covered by Medicaid programs in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and United States territories. The online tool contains Medicaid benefits data for adults covered under fee-for-service, with information about benefits covered, limits, co-payments and reimbursement methodologies. Other years for which data are available include 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008. The tool allows users to pull up detailed profiles of which benefits are covered in a given state's Medicaid program, and also to see how a particular benefit is covered across all states. Categories of acute care benefits tracked in the database include institutional and clinic services, practitioner services, prescription drugs, physical therapy and other services, and transportation services. In long-term care, the database tracks community-based care and institutional care.
This month's report includes summaries of news coverage in Maryland to promote better health care among residents, low-income programs in Los Angeles and Chicago areas that address the needs of diabetes patients and efforts in Wisconsin to address the disparities of mental illness.
At the Barbara Jordan Conference Center
In addition to Kaiser Family Foundation events listed above, a number of external organizations conduct activities at the Foundation's Barbara Jordan Conference Center in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, January 31, Children's National Medical Center held their DC Pediatric Oral Health New Year's Coalition Retreat. On Friday, February 3, Children's School Services (CSS) held their Bi-Annual Meeting.
>> Learn More about the Conference Center
Feb. 15 Kaiser Event: Screening New PBS Doc on Regional Successes in U.S. Health Care
Wednesday, February 15th | 12 p.m.
On Wednesday, February 15 at 12 p.m., Kaiser will host an event featuring an upcoming PBS documentary with former Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid - U.S. Health Care: The Good News - which looks at variations in health spending across the country and showcases efficient health care delivery systems, like Grand Junction in Colorado and Group Health in Seattle, suggesting that these communities demonstrate that it is feasible to provide Americans with first-rate care while still controlling the cost. The event will feature a panel discussion, moderated by Kaiser's Jackie Judd, to examine the issues raised in the documentary and the challenges, constraints and potential solutions for achieving affordable, effective health care in the U.S. Panelists will include T.R. Reid; Dr. Elliott Fisher, Professor of Medicine and Director for Population Health & Policy, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice; and Carol Beasley, Director of Strategic Projects at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Please register online to attend this event.
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Latest News Summaries from the Kaiser Daily Reports
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