10/03/2012
Sears Holdings and Darden Restaurants are adopting a new direct contribution model for their employees' health benefits, a change that may prompt other major companies to follow suit. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
09/26/2012
Compete -- or consolidate? Lawmakers can't seem to decide which approach they want hospitals and doctors to follow, and the mixed messages are causing confusion.
by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
09/19/2012
A new analysis projects the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medicare cuts on California: at least $61 billion over a decade. It's a striking figure -- but the effect on patients and providers is still unclear. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
09/12/2012
After several years of anticipation, early-stage accountable care organizations are beginning to report initial results. Leaders of a Sacramento-based pilot say they have demonstrated clear savings -- and the model is replicable. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
09/05/2012
The continued focus on how Barack Obama or Mitt Romney would shape the Medicare program has become a major focus of the presidential campaign. It also means that the candidates' deep, actual differences on Medicaid policy are being overlooked. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
08/29/2012
For the second straight summer, "Road to Reform" spotlights five of the most influential -- and interesting -- studies that were released in recent months. Here's a look at what the wonks are reading. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
08/22/2012
Presidential proposals sometimes lead to transformative Medicare changes -- but more often lead to changes that die on the vine. Meanwhile, the government's ongoing effort to tamp down Medicare fraud has indirectly led providers to pass more costs on to patients. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
08/15/2012
Mitt Romney's running mate has authored several budget proposals that would transform Medicare and Medicaid. How would Ryan's changes affect the Golden State, and how do they compare to the Affordable Care Act's reforms? by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
08/08/2012
Experts are cautiously optimistic that a new Massachusetts law will be a much-anticipated cure for the state's rising health spending. But others say that the state's new cost controls -- which could be a model for the nation -- aren't the right prescription for reform. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
08/01/2012
Defenders of the Affordable Care Act can point to a pair of reforms taking effect today that offer immediate benefits. Meanwhile, Oregon moves forward with its own transformative health care pilot. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
07/25/2012
Which three-letter acronym actually matters most in health reform this month? Many are focusing on the CBO's projections -- but news about the AQC, a Massachusetts pilot project, could hold the keys to unlocking ObamaCare's potential. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
07/18/2012
State officials are wrestling with whether to join the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, but as part of their evaluation process, many are relying on cost estimates that are not accurate. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
07/11/2012
State leaders are wrestling with whether to take part in the Affordable Care Act's newly voluntary Medicaid expansion. Several policy and political concerns are driving their decisions. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
06/29/2012
We mocked their guarantees, but the scholars who were sure that the Supreme Court would affirm the Affordable Care Act's constitutionality were proved right in the end. Here are five reasons why more prominent pundits led us astray. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor
06/27/2012
It may not be fair to focus on winners and losers, to prioritize assigning blame rather than assigning patients to ACOs. But for the foreseeable future -- and for decades to come -- this week's events will be interpreted through a simple lens: who underprepared and who overreached in the battle over the Affordable Care Act. by Dan Diamond, California Healthline Contributing Editor