Health reform implementation

The groups want employees to have a say on whether their insurance would cover contraception.

In ObamaCare, online insurance brokers see potential windfall

Moody's: New Medicare cuts threaten non-profit hospitals

Adults skipping medicines to save money, research finds

"The politics has been relentless and that continues," the Health and Human Services secretary said.

The Obama administration is moving to ease the national transition from paper to electronic health records through a pair of proposed rules to be published this week.

The rules, to hit Tuesday’s Federal Register, would update and extend existing regulations surrounding the sharing of patient electronic records.

Federal law generally prohibits hospitals from giving medical record software to doctors who would then use it to refer patients back to the facility for treatment. Violations can be charged as felonies and are punishable by prison time and fined up to $25,000.

Groups supporting the contraception mandate in President Obama's healthcare law collected and formally filed almost 350,000 comments on the policy.

Monday was the last day for the public to submit formal comments on the regulations implementing the contraception mandate. 

A coalition including Planned Parenthood and the National Women's Law Center urged their members and supporters to file comments, and ultimately flooded the Health and Human Services Department with nearly 350,000 submissions.

The House GOP's spring agenda includes shoring up ObamaCare's high-risk insurance pools and strengthening federally funded research on pediatric diseases.

Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) unveiled those priorities in a memo to colleagues on Friday.

He specifically defended the forthcoming bill on ObamaCare, saying that one move to strengthen the law does not eliminate the GOP's goal of repealing it. 

Delays in implementing popular pieces of ObamaCare are hurting it with Democrats.

Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) says the new ObamaCare insurance brokers known as “navigators” are likely to cost more than they’re worth because of "inflated" salaries. 

Marchant's questions stem from a recently released Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposal outlining the specifics of the navigators, a fleet of individuals that will help Americans without employer-provided insurance figure out how to use the new healthcare exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act.

In an April 4 letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Marchant expressed concerns with the estimated hourly wages for the positions. 

“In an attempt to reduce health care costs, the greatest possible portion of taxpayer funds should go to treating patients rather than being absorbed by administration and public relations,” wrote Marchant, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

A majority of small businesses say the healthcare law is their biggest concern, finally eclipsing their long-held worry over economic uncertainty. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s latest quarterly small-business survey finds that 77 percent say the Affordable Care Act will make coverage for their employees more expensive, while 71 percent say it will be harder to hire more employees under the law. 

Of those surveyed, 79 of small businesses believe the economy is on the wrong track. 

“While the general trends of the economy appear to be improving, a closer look shows workforce participation still falling and full-time employment still historically low,” said Dr. Martin Regalia, the Chamber’s chief economist said on Thursday. 

The anti-abortion rights Susan B. Anthony List called the measure's passage a triumph for taxpayers.