Consumer Driven Health Care

The American Medical Association and other health groups have sent a letter of support to lawmakers for passage of The Value in Health Care Act, which would offer incentives to help providers move into the new payment model.

Health insurance satisfaction surges 4% to a record-high of 76 (out of 100), with Humana maintaining its leadership position among insurers, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Doctors, researchers and patient advocates are cautiously optimistic about the liquid biopsy test that screens for more than 50 types of cancers, however, 62% of people who got positive results in a Lancet study didn't have cancer.

All employer plans are free to cover expenses the employer determines should be covered, however, fully insured plans will generally be forced to cover treatments mandated by state laws, while self-funded plans have more leeway.

Among companies that didn't cover abortion services or had limited coverage, 3% reduced abortion coverage, and, of the large companies that generally covered abortion, only 12% expanded coverage, says a KFF survey.

The survey found more than half of Americans could not pay off an unexpected $5,000 health care out-of-pocket expense.