A saavy consumer knows that “expensive” doesn’t necessarily equal “better". And a new Consumer Reports review confirms that goes for health care as well. As WebMD reports, “Independent investigators compared quality and… more »

WebMD reports on a new test that measures blood flow through clogged arteries. Called fractional flow reserve (FFR), the technique could potentially help physicians determine if heart patients need angioplasty and stenting to open clogged heart… more »

With other issues grabbing the headlines in the days leading up to the Republican National Convention, health care reform got lost in the shuffle. But vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) put it back in the spotlight during his RNC speech.… more »

Michelle Andrews looks at the gender benefit gap in the Affordable Care Act. Why does the law greatly expand women’s access to free preventive services – particularly, for sexual and reproductive health – while giving men little by… more »

Employers and brokers filled the Morrow Conference Center for MedBen’s Health Care Reform Seminar on August 23. Entitled “Upward and Onward", the event focused on what businesses can expect from Affordable Care Act provisions already started… more »

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Republican Vice Presidential candidate, has a plan to restructure Medicare – and it’s come under criticism from Democrats. The scenario mirrors President Obama’s changes to Medicare under the Affordable Care… more »

Sobering numbers for anyone currently saving for their golden years: Health care consulting firm HVS Financials estimates that a healthy moderate-income couple of 45-year-olds can expect to spend $1.7 million on health care over their retirement years.… more »

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that nine additional states have been given grants to develop health insurance exchanges, The Hill’s Healthwatch blog reports. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland,… more »

Regular checkups from your family doctor are a key to maintaining good health. But a new study reveals that many patients are bypassing general practitioners for specialty care. According to Reuters Health, researchers found 41% of adults in the U.S.… more »

Need another reason to practice good oral hygiene? Okay, here’s one – a new study suggests that people with healthy teeth and gums have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life. According to Reuters Health (via the Chicago… more »

Adding Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan to the Republican presidential ticket did more for Mitt Romney than bolster his support in a political swing state – it also provides him with a ready-made proposal that would shake up the health care… more »

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force will likely recommend the addition of HIV screening to a routine patient checkup, Reuters reports. Currently, the government health panel leaves the decision to test for the presence of the virus up to doctors.… more »

Last week on this blog, we highlighted a New York Times story that discusses an unavoidable downside of the health care reform law: a shortage of doctors, resulting in longer wait times. Taking this inevitability one step further, John C. Goodman,… more »

An Internal Revenue Service interpretation of the Affordable Care Act could make health care coverage subsidies unavailable to millions of lower-income Americans, The New York Times reports: “Under the law, most Americans will be required to have… more »

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has asked for comments on eliminating the “use it or lose it” rule for Flexible Spending Plans. We need your help telling the IRS why the forfeiture rule is burdensome, outdated and needs to be modified. MedBen has… more »

Most businesses aren’t buying the claims that the Affordable Care Act will reduce health care costs. A new survey by the Mercer consulting firm found that 61% of employers expect to pay more for their group health coverage – and 1 in 5… more »

Nobody ever promised that the Affordable Care Act would single-handedly solve all that ails health care (not that we recall, anyhow). But a new Congressional Budget Office report suggests that even when the law’s provisions are in place, we will… more »

When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, President Obama and lawmakers took it for granted that every state would willingly establish its own health insurance exchange. A misguided assumption, to put it mildly. According to The New York… more »

Kevin Pho, a primary care physician and blogger – and whose KevinMD.com website we frequently highlight here – recently wrote a column for USA Today regarding patient access to lab test results. He observes that while having to wait days or… more »

Several months ago, this blog examined what types of health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are excepted from Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We now turn our spotlight on health… more »