Kaiser Health News

According to a survey by the National Center for Health Statistics, a fifth of families say they still struggle with these costs.

The meeting covered a range of topics -- from the need for more training for mental health providers regarding the mental health parity law to the need for people to be more open about mental illness.

A study conducted by the American Hospital Association makes the case that the consolidation trend has potential to drive down costs.

The average charges for 30 hospital outpatient procedures show big hospital-to-hospital variation in terms of how much the facilities bill patients for the same service.

In other Capitol Hill action, the House approved a measure on Monday to set out how the government should track prescription drugs through the distribution chain.

The Medicare NewsGroup takes a long look at the issues surrounding end-of-life care within the American health care system with a series of stories.

A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.

Connecticut lawmakers approved a budget Monday that moves about $6 billion in federal Medicaid dollars out of the budget. The budget also cuts some hospital funding.

A selection of health policy stories from Oregon, California, New York, Virginia, Mississippi, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Massachusetts.

The Washington Post reports that D.C. officials have criticized the insurer for cutting the number of small business plans it will offer in the city's online insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports the city council is considering a measure that would require all individual and small business plans to be sold through that marketplace by 2015.

Politico reports on this trend.

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a report about what the Democrats' health law strategy might be as the 2014 mid-term elections approach.

Health insurance columnist answers questions about coverage subsidies for families in the health law, Medigap and rules for workers whose companies operate in more than one state.

The law is designed to identify older men who had sex with underage women.

Last week's report on Medicare projected that the program's hospital trust fund would be solvent until 2026 -- two years longer than the last prediction. That slowing of health care costs, combined with shrinking near-term federal deficits and partisan gridlock are making a congressional deficit deal unlikely, at least until after the 2014 elections.

News outlets explore a range of issues related to the health law's implementation.

A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.

The Atlanta Journal Consitution reports on this development.

The New York Times offers this explainer.

A federal judge has lifted the ban on Medicare releasing data on individual doctors to the public. The end on the 33-year ban -- after the publishers of The Wall Street Journal sued to end it -- could mean closer scrutiny of doctor practices in the program.