In The News
Rivals Chide Romney On Healthcare Plan
Mitt Romney's top rivals are reminding voters that Massachusetts residents have until Nov. 15 to sign up for health insurance or face possible penalties -- a requirement that Romney signed into law when he was governor. The Republican presidential candidate isn't doing as much to mark the milestone, the Associated Press reports. (Johnson, Associated Press, 11/15)
Some Medicaid Providers Owe Back Taxes
A Senate panel is asking why more than 30,000 Medicaid providers -- doctors and others in the healthcare field -- owe at least $1 billion in back taxes and still receive federal payments for their services. Some of those identified in a government report even live in luxury, residing in million-dollar homes, driving high-dollar vehicles and withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars from casinos, reports the Associated Press. (Frommer, Associated Press, 11/14)
Employer-Provided Insurance Continues To Decline
The percentage of people with health insurance through their employers -- traditionally the way most people get coverage -- is continuing to shrink, raising anxiety among workers and invigorating a debate about whether insurance should be tied to jobs. Many of those who get their coverage through their jobs are becoming less secure that those benefits will always be there, according to USA Today. (Appleby, USA Today, 11/13)
The Public Face Of Wal-Mart's Healthcare Program
Linda M. Dillman, who oversees the employee healthcare program at Wal-Mart, did not ask for the job. Indeed, when the chief executive of the company, the world's largest retailer, told her of the appointment, she wondered, "Did I make somebody mad? Are they trying to tell me something?" For much of the last decade, labor groups and state governments pilloried the healthcare Wal-Mart offered its 1.4 million workers -- and the executives who oversaw it. But Ms. Dillman, who took over the company's healthcare program in April 2006, has managed to win over some of Wal-Mart's traditional critics by aggressively reaching out to healthcare experts (at Microsoft, I.B.M., Starbucks, Union Pacific and S.C. Johnson, to name a few) and expanding the coverage Wal-Mart provides to workers, the New York Times reports. (Abelson/Barbaro, New York Times, 11/13)
New Health Plans Are Worth A Look
The annual open-enrollment season for federal employees and retirees began Nov. 12, and that means it's homework time for workers interested in holding down their health insurance costs. The 2008 open season may be one of the most complex ever, in part because more national plans and local health maintenance organizations are offering the newest types of health insurance -- some with higher deductibles and others that allow consumers to decide how their dollars are spent, reports the Washington Post. (Barr, Washington Post, 11/12)
