Raising Medicare age could leave hundreds of thousands uninsured

By Greg Sargent for the Washington Post – It looks increasingly possible that lawmakers will reach a fiscal cliff deal that includes a hike in the Medicare eligibility age — a concession to those on the right who seem determined to see very deep entitlement cuts, even if they take benefits away from vulnerable seniors.…

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Doctor Visits Dropping, New Census Figures Show

By Sabrina Tavernise for the New York Times – Americans of working age are going to the doctor less frequently than they were 10 years ago, according to a new report by the Census Bureau. In 2010, people age 18 to 64 made an average of 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals,…

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Court’s Ruling May Blunt Reach of the Health Law

From the New York Times – The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that the Supreme Court decision on President Obama’s health care overhaul would probably lead to an increase in the number of uninsured and a modest reduction in the cost to the federal government when compared with estimates before the court ruling. Of the…

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Americans Cutting Back on Drugs and Doctor Visits

By Katie Thomas for the New York Times – Patients cut back on prescription drugs and doctor visits last year, a sign that many Americans are still struggling to pay for health care, according to a study released Wednesday by a health industry research group. The report, issued by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics,…

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Recession’s Toll on Health Coverage

From the New York Times – It’s a startling reminder that when people lose their jobs, they typically also lose their health insurance coverage. The share of children and working-age adults who had insurance through an employer fell 10 percentage points during the last recession, according to a study released on Thursday by the Center…

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Gallup: Uninsured adults rising

By Tim Mak for Politico – None of the components of President Obama’s health care law that have taken effect appear to be affecting insurance coverage of adults over 26, according to a new poll Friday. The percentage of adults with no health insurance is the highest on record, with 17.3 percent of adults being…

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Healthy Rebellion: The Uninsured Step Forward

By Paul Glover for Tikkun – For ninety-nine years the campaign for universal health coverage has relied on conferences, panel discussions, petitions, and rallies. These vent moral indignation but lack power. Today, 51 million Americans without medical insurance and 30 million Americans paying for inadequate coverage will not get prompt affordable health care through polite…

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Remote Area Medical Comes to Chicago

Community Activists and Legislator to Speak on Site about Health Care Crisis CHICAGO—Remote Area Medical (RAM) will be in Chicago to serve the under- and uninsured citizens of Cook County and points beyond. Founded in 1985 to serve “desolate areas of the world,” RAM is a non-profit, volunteer group that delivers on-site health care, dental…

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