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As states work on implementing the complex federal health care reforms, some have begun tackling an issue that has vexed employers, individuals and governments at all levels for years - the rapidly rising costs of health care.

Driving value-based care through incentives that reward lower-cost delivery measures showed promising results in a recent study.

Only 6 states across the country are currently receiving funds through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision intended to increase Medicaid managed-care payments to meet Medicare payment levels.

Medicare may enjoy the fruits of the growing and varied work among private payers and providers to boost value in healthcare, though the benefits will come sooner to costs than quality, a study suggests.

Tomas Philipson, PhD, says historical reform efforts in the United States have raised doubts as to whether or not the implementation of the Affordable Care Act will slow health spending growth. Dr Philipson also suggests that concepts of value-based insurance design must be considered differently when managing a chronic condition like diabetes.

As congressional Republicans push for a delay in the 2010 health law's individual mandate, the Obama administration Tuesday announced final regulations implementing the requirement that most Americans have health insurance coverage by Jan. 1 or pay a fine.

This year's Modern Healthcare ranking of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare includes 15 newcomers as well as seven leaders who have been on every list since it started in 2002.

Could Medicare payment models impact a physician's decision to prescribe cancer drug supplements? A recent study from The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits published new findings that say they can.

As American workers prepare for the first open enrollment season of the Obamacare era, hints are surfacing about what awaits them - higher deductibles, more incentives for staying well and premium hikes that continue to out-strip wages, albeit by more moderate amounts than in the past.

Facing anticipated reductions in funding and regulatory changes under the health care reform law, several of the nation's largest health insurers have indicated plans to scale back their Medicare Advantage programs.

They are bare-bones health plans, and critics say they could leave consumers who become seriously ill on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs.

Adhering to the best practices in cancer care may be the answer many oncologists have been looking for, at least according to one hospital's findings.

The nation as a whole is facing a physician shortage. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the United States will have a shortfall of 90,000 physicians within the next decade.

The most important piece of legislation in Michigan, and perhaps the country, remains idle on the floor of the Michigan Senate.

The healthcare reform act intends to extend insurance coverage for millions of Medicare patients nationwide, but that doesn't mean it will expand their access to physicians.

While the employer mandate delay and other stalls in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act have raised a few eyebrows, a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation brings forth some encouraging news.

New measures are cropping up all over the US to force more pricing transparency among healthcare providers, although their passage has only seen mixed success.

The Affordable Care Act promises to expand access to health care by providing affordable coverage to millions of Americans. But finding a policy that meets your health care needs and your budget requirements can be daunting.

Medicare accountable care organizations outnumber non-Medicare ACO contracts and make up more than half of the 488 ACOs nationwide, according to an August 2013 update from Leavitt Partners, a healthcare consultancy that follows ACO development.

About half the people who now buy their own health insurance- and potentially would face higher premiums next year under President Barack Obama's healthcare law- would qualify for federal tax credits to offset rate shock, according to a new private study.

A new report finds that the US healthcare system could save more than $200 billion a year if prescription medications were more prudently administered.

Although researchers have made powerful new targeted treatment options available to oncologists who treat breast cancer patients, options such as pertuzumab are associated with high costs which raises questions about access as payers assess the value of treatment.

Patients with a new cardiac pacemaker have an advantage over patients who have received standard pacemakers: they can undergo MRI scans as a part of their care without the risk of adverse events.

The role of data collection in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) will be vital.

Opinions rage about whether health insurance costs will rise or fall with implementation of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act relies heavily on expanding Medicaid eligibility to increase insurance coverage and healthcare access. But its authors had to make sure that physicians would accept new Medicaid patients.

Health services are now expected to deliver quality care with a shrinking budget. The digital 'channel shift' could be the answer, but attitudes to technology in the sector must change.

Almost $70 million in federal navigator grants are intended to ensure that consumers will able to successfully enroll in the healthcare insurance exchanges (HIEs) when they go live, October 1.

Since the rise of genetics and advanced molecular biology, cancer research is a field that has become almost as obsessed with understanding aberrant metabolism as it is with devising therapies.

The health reform key is in, but the implementation ignition just won't start.