The Obama administration has unveiled final regulations detailing the new summaries that the 2010 federal health law requires health insurance plans to give to consumers to help them make informed coverage choices. » read more

The 2010 health law's biggest changes don't take effect until 2014, when states and insurers must be ready to begin signing up an estimated 32 million people in Medicaid and private insurance. But a successful rollout in two years hinges on crucial decisions that states must make — and take quick action on — this year. » read more

Under the health care overhaul, the federal government will start taxing itself and the states beginning in 2014. And that's giving state Medicaid directors heartburn. » read more

Catholic Healthcare West, one of the nation’s largest hospital systems, is ending its governing board’s affiliation with the Catholic Church and changing its name, two steps intended to help the system expand throughout the states in which it operates _ California, Arizona and Nevada _ and beyond. » read more

More than two years ago, studies found that injecting medical cement into compression fractures of the spine produced no better pain relief than "sham" injections. Yet doctors continue to perform the $5,000-plus procedure and most insurers, including Medicare, still cover it. » read more

national hospice company improperly cycled patients through nursing homes and hospices with a goal of making as much profit as possible from Medicare, according to a whistleblower lawsuit announced this week. » read more

An estimated 2.5 million young adults have gained health insurance coverage since the 2010 health care law took effect, according to a new government survey — a finding the Obama administration is embracing as it continues efforts to communicate the health's law's benefits, even as the public's opinion about the law remains mixed. » read more