Paige Winfield Cunningham
Articles by Paige Winfield Cunningham
Long-term care looks doomed as federal program
The Obama administration this week is shutting down the office charged with carrying out a long-term-care entitlement program included in last year's health care law, according to a departing employee who said the staff has been reassigned to other projects. Published September 22, 2011
Cancer vaccine directive dogs Perry campaign
When Rick Perry signed an executive order in 2007 mandating young girls be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted HPV virus, the Texas governor brushed aside questions over the science underpinning his decision, concerns about parental rights and accusations of cronyism between him and the drug's manufacturer. Published September 20, 2011
Medicare premiums to drop in 2012, rolls will rise
The Obama administration said Thursday that premiums for seniors in the Medicare Advantage program will shrink and enrollment will rise next year, citing the new data as evidence that the president's new health care law won't push seniors out of the supplemental plan as some have feared. Published September 15, 2011
Proposal gives patients access to own lab results
Patients would be allowed direct access to lab results under a new rule proposed by the Obama administration that is part of a broader effort to nudge the health care industry away from paper-driven systems and toward technologies that make it easier to access and share records. Published September 12, 2011
Court dismisses Virginia challenge to Obama health reform
A panel of three federal judges on Thursday dismissed two challenges to President Obama's landmark health care law — including one spearheaded by Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli — on procedural grounds, becoming the third appeals court to rule on a case likely headed to the highest court in the land. Published September 8, 2011
Medicare testing new way to distribute funds to providers
In an effort to nudge the health care industry toward more cost cutting and efficiency, Medicare is testing a new way of reimbursing doctors, hospitals, therapists and other providers through bundled payments intended to prompt more coordinated care. Published August 30, 2011
Rebellion by states could be hazardous to health care overhaul
Nearly a year and a half after President Obama signed his landmark health care overhaul into law, the growing rebellion in the states — being fought out in courts and state legislatures — shows few signs of easing. Published August 25, 2011
Oklahoma’s Fallin resists ‘Obamacare’
Having already rejected a multimillion-dollar federal grant because of a fear of entangling regulations, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said in an interview she hopes to keep President Obama's health care law at bay while cultivating her state's own path to expanded insurance coverage. Published August 18, 2011
HHS releases simpler health insurance forms
Standardized forms intended to make shopping for health insurance easier for consumers were released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 17, 2011
Health coverage, rates rise in Massachusetts
Five years after Gov. Mitt Romney signed Massachusetts' groundbreaking health care legislation, it has met its chief goal of extending insurance coverage to most residents — but with costs rising faster than inflation, lawmakers face the challenge of how to pay for it all. Published August 16, 2011
Appeals court nixes part of Obama health law
An appeals court struck a blow to a controversial part of President Obama's health care law requiring individuals to either buy health insurance or pay a penalty, ruling Friday that the mandate was unconstitutional but allowing the rest of the law to stand. Published August 12, 2011
Obama admin proposes new insurance regulations
The Obama administration on Friday released a batch of rules governing the new, state-based insurance exchanges mandated under the sweeping health care law passed last year. Published August 12, 2011
White House: Insurers must cover abortion pill
Insurance companies must fully cover contraception, HIV and HPV screening and a handful of other women's health services under new guidelines released Monday by the Obama administration. Published August 1, 2011
Unions, left rally for hiking taxes on rich
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has long abandoned hopes of including any tax increases in ongoing debt-ceiling negotiations, but that didn't stop labor unions and left-leaning groups from calling for a final plan that raises taxes on the wealthy and doesn't cut any entitlement programs. Published July 28, 2011
Health care law won’t rein in costs, study says
Despite President Obama's promises to rein in health care costs as part of his reform bill, health spending nationwide is expected to rise more than if the sweeping legislation had never become law. Published July 28, 2011
EPA’s funding facing rollback
House Republicans are attempting to slash funding for climate-change programs and reduce the power of regulatory agencies in a spending bill for next year that Democrats call an assault on the environment. Published July 25, 2011
Prescription drugs debate continues on Capitol Hill
The battle over reducing Medicare's cost for prescription drugs flared up on Capitol Hill on Thursday as lawmakers continued to debate deficit-reduction plans that could curb the program's growth. Published July 21, 2011
Health law may include birth control
Free birth control, including the controversial "morning-after" pill, could soon be added to a list of services insurers must fully cover under President Obama's health care law. Published July 19, 2011
Nonprofits getting loans for health insurance
In the latest step to implement health care reform, federal officials on Monday rolled out $3.8 billion in loans for nonprofits so they can offer less-expensive plans within the new health insurance exchanges. Published July 18, 2011
Allen, Kaine quicken cash race in Virginia
Despite having a two-month head start, George Allen holds only a slight fundraising lead over likely opponent Tim Kaine in the race for U.S. Senate. Published July 13, 2011
