Among the changes: expanding Medicaid’s reach, preventive screenings, support services and insurance coverage requirements By the time women reach 44 years old, roughly 85% have given birth. Yet even though pregnancy and childbirth are so commonplace, health insurance coverage and support services to keep mothers and babies healthy are often seriously deficient. Some private insurers, for example, treat pregnancy as a preexisting condition ... Jump to full article >>

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Does your company pay your gym membership? Better start using it. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who get their health insurance through their employers have gotten used to company perks such as reduced-cost gym memberships, free weight-loss or smoking-cessation programs, or getting cash back for filling out health-assessment profiles. But a new survey reports that a small but growing group of firms will be imposing tougher requirements to get ... Jump to full article >>

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Another day, another political scandal and Stephen Byers has just referred himself to the standards watchdog. Oh dear. I had hoped to write about Barack Obama’s costly victory in the important battle to inject greater fairness and efficiency into the American healthcare system. Of course Obama’s win – and the boost it gives his battered presidency – is much more important than what Byers said to a young woman he thought represente ... Jump to full article >>

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State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, will hold Senate legislation hostage unless he gets a Senate vote on a statewide smoking ban. Brown said Wednesday he is sending a message to the Senate by refusing to sign Senate Bill 175 until two state senators sign House Bill 1132, which contains the smoking ban. Neither proposal can advance from conference committee to a final floor vote until two members of each chamber agree to the language in each measure ... Jump to full article >>

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