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• Military benefits extended to same-sex partners

  February 11, 2013 1:53 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Pentagon officials say the department is not extending some housing benefits to same-sex partners of service members because the issue requires more review and military leaders are worried that it might be unfair. The Pentagon is detailing a number of other benefits that will be extended... more »

• Govt: $4.2B recovered in probing health care fraud

  February 11, 2013 11:31 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The government says it recovered almost $8 for each dollar it spent investigating health care fraud over the past three years, including a record $4.2 billion last year. The $7.90 average return on investment is the highest in the 16-year history of the Health Care Fraud and... more »

• Unusual respite from surging health care costs

  January 7, 2013 4:24 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans kept health care spending in check for three years in a row, the government reported Monday, an unusual respite that could linger if the economy stays soft or fade like a mirage if job growth comes roaring back. The nation's health care tab stood at $2.7... more »

• Welfare recipients could have to take blood test to receive benefits

  February 9, 2012 7:05 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers are considering making welfare recipients take a drug test before receiving benefits. The proposal sponsored by Republican Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg is getting its first hearing in a House committee Thursday. House Bill 1046 would require applicants of the Colorado Works Temporary Assistance for Needy... more »

• Gov. Kitzhaber pitches health, education overhauls

  January 13, 2012 6:34 PM

  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - After a year spent developing plans for massive changes to the way Oregon delivers health care and education, Gov. John Kitzhaber faces a critical test in the Legislature next month when lawmakers must decide whether to implement his ideas or toss them aside. The Democratic governor... more »

• How to get health care without insurance Play Video

  October 29, 2011 7:33 PM

  Four years ago, Elaine Brandon did not have to worry about her health care costs. "I had, actually, 100% coverage," she says. After a divorce, now Elaine has to cover her own health care costs, and her monthly premium only keeps rising and it doesn't allow for many... more »

• Election-year ruling looms for health overhaul

  September 29, 2011 8:56 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul appears headed for a Supreme Court ruling as the presidential election season is hitting full stride in the coming year. The health care law affecting virtually every American seems sure to figure prominently in President Barack Obama's campaign for... more »

• Appeals court strikes health insurance requirement

  August 12, 2011 1:47 PM

  ATLANTA (AP) - A federal appeals court has struck down the requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul package that virtually all Americans must carry health insurance or face penalties. A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday struck down the so-called individual... more »

• In debt drama, voters play key, if overlooked role

  July 31, 2011 4:10 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dear voter: Want to know why Democrats and Republicans in Congress find it so hard to work together to solve tough problems like the debt ceiling, health care and Social Security? Look in the mirror. Americans gripe about cowardly, self-serving politicians, and Congress doubtlessly has... more »

• Budget cuts mean fewer cancer screenings in CO

  July 3, 2011 5:04 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's new state budget that took effect last week cuts millions from cancer-screening and prevention programs that doctors say save lives. The cuts include more than two-thirds of the budget for the Colorado QuitLine for smokers. The cuts also include a $1.6 million cut to the... more »

• Governor vetoes fees on kids' health care program

  May 31, 2011 8:21 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Gov. John Hickenlooper has vetoed a bill requiring parents to contribute more to a health insurance plan for low-income children. Hickenlooper said in a statement Tuesday the bill "poses adverse consequences" for access to the Children's Health Plan Plus. The Democrat says he respects lawmakers' intent... more »

• One year in, health care law remains divisive

  March 23, 2011 8:59 PM

  Wednesday marked the one year anniversary of the passage of Affordable Care Act, the massive health care overhaul law commonly referred to as ObamaCare. To date, the signature piece of legislation of the Obama presidency remains a very controversial subject. Twenty six states, including Colorado, have sued the government... more »

• MA healthcare costs soar

  December 11, 2010 11:36 AM

  BOSTON (AP) - Four years after Massachusetts passed the nation's most ambitious health care law, Gov. Deval Patrick and lawmakers are working to rein in spiraling insurance costs. Those costs are threatening to undermine the 2006 health care law, which mandated nearly universal health coverage. Supporters say the... more »

• Number of fat people in US to grow, report says

  September 27, 2010 9:39 AM

  Citizens of the world's richest countries are getting fatter and fatter and the United States is leading the charge, an organization of leading economies said Thursday in its first ever obesity forecast. Three out of four Americans will be overweight or obese by 2020, and disease rates and health... more »

• White House looks to boost health law at 6 months

  September 22, 2010 8:34 AM

  President Barack Obama once told Democratic lawmakers they'd be proud to campaign on historic health care legislation. Six months later, the only Democrats running ads about it are the ones who voted "no." Now, with crucial midterm elections approaching, the White House is preparing to use the law's six-month... more »

• Judge to hear legal arguments in health plan suit

  September 14, 2010 8:22 AM

  A federal judge in Florida will hold a hearing on whether the president's health care overhaul, passed by Congress, is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson will preside over the case Tuesday morning in Pensacola. Florida and 19 other states contend sections of the law that will require... more »

• States continue legal battle against health care law

  August 6, 2010 8:19 AM

  Twenty states and the nation's most influential small business lobby are about to respond to the federal government's attempt to dismiss their lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The states, the National Federation of Independent Business and several individual taxpayers will file their response Friday. A key... more »

• Colorado candidate signs pledge to defund Health Overhaul

  July 30, 2010 1:34 PM

  A Republican candidate for Congress in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, Bob McConnell, has joined a national movement to overturn the Health Care Overhaul bill passed by Congress. Called ObamaCare by opponents, the movement, DeFundIt.org, has signed pledges from almost 150 candidates nationwide who vow to overturn the newly passed legislation.... more »

• V.A. opening up medical marijuana options for vets

  July 26, 2010 6:55 PM

  K.C. Stark served five years in the Army, but now is back in Colorado and making a living as a dispensary owner in Colorado Springs. When he served treatment with marijuana was something you didn't think about. "You did fear that you could lose benefits," says Stark, a... more »

• Governor unveils new health insurance plan

  July 6, 2010 10:56 AM

  A new health insurance plan to cover people with pre-existing conditions is now available in Colorado. Gov. Bill Ritter plans to announce the details of the plan Tuesday, the first day that customers will be accepted. It's a result of health care reform passed by Congress this year and... more »

• Colorado to offer coverage to uninsured

  July 2, 2010 11:02 AM

  Coloradans who have been denied health insurance because they have pre-existing conditions will be able to take advantage of a new state insurance plan. Temporary coverage will become available starting Tuesday. It will be phased out in 2014 when federal health care legislation will begin barring insurance companies from rejecting... more »

• Tanning bed tax begins

  July 1, 2010 7:26 PM

  Getting a nice tan will cost you more green now that the federal tanning salon tax is in effect. The IRS expects to collect some $2.7 billion in taxes from tanning salons over the next decade, but local salons owners are worried that the 10 percent price increase will... more »

• Salons chapped by tanning tax

  June 30, 2010 5:18 PM

  A tax on tanning goes into effect Thursday, July 1. Indoor tanners, who spend from $5 to $30 per session to get that bronze look, will now have to chip in another 10 percent to pay for health care. "These are not people who can afford an extra... more »

• Back pain widely overtreated

  June 8, 2010 8:36 AM

  A recent estimate has Americans spending a staggering $86 billion a year to care for aching backs. The money covers MRIs, pain pills, nerve blocks and a host of other treatments. But research finds little evidence that the patients got better as medical bills soared over the past decade.... more »

• Obama pitching health overhaul to seniors

  June 8, 2010 8:20 AM

  President Barack Obama is turning his attention back to the massive health care bill he signed earlier this year, and trying to win over the most skeptical constituency: seniors. Obama is set to pitch the bill at a senior center in Wheaton, Md., on Tuesday. The event will be... more »

• Ritter to sign new Colorado laws on health care

  May 26, 2010 9:48 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is signing bills that will improve health care and help prevent injuries. Bills being signed into law Wednesday include a requirement that children be placed in booster seats while riding in cars. Others track down Medicaid fraud and require that insurance companies cover reproductive services. ... more »

• Small business lobby joins challenge to health law

  May 14, 2010 8:19 AM

  The National Federation of Independent Business is joining a federal lawsuit filed in Florida by 20 state attorneys general and governors against the health care overhaul. The nation's most influential small business lobby is joining a court challenge that argues that Americans cannot be required under the Constitution to... more »

• Health care law's unfinished business: cost curbs

  April 25, 2010 12:09 PM

  What's it going to cost me? That's the single biggest unanswered question about the new health care law - and its weak spot. Many experts believe it falls short on taming costs, and Congress will have to revisit health care. For now, the political parties are too polarized - and... more »

• Anthem Blue Cross postponing rate hike again

  April 24, 2010 10:11 AM

  Anthem Blue Cross has again put a planned rate hike on hold. The Los Angeles-based health insurance company said this week that policyholders will not see a rate change beginning May 1. A spokeswoman for Anthem's parent, Wellpoint Inc., Kristin Binns, told the Los Angeles Times in a story Friday... more »

• Colorado governor to sign health care legislation

  April 20, 2010 9:44 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is announcing his plans to implement national health care reform in Colorado. Ritter plans to sign four bills Tuesday that he says will advance the state's ongoing initiatives to contain health care costs, improve quality and make care and coverage more available. He will be joined by... more »

• New health care agency open in Pueblo

  April 16, 2010 11:31 AM

  Here's what I'm working on today. Total Longterm Care is now open in Pueblo. The agency helps elderly people who need long term health care. What's unique about them, is that they offer home health care care and transportation services, giving seniors an alternative to living in nursing homes. ... more »

• Study: Obese people receive just as good as care, if not better

  April 6, 2010 12:26 PM

  Surveys of physicians and other health care professionals have shown a certain stigma towards overweight and obese patients. Some of these patients say they feel that bias, but does it affect the care they receive? A new study shows when it comes to several common outpatient medical procedures, overweight... more »

• Study: Overweight people receive just as good care

  April 6, 2010 12:14 PM

  Surveys of physicians and other health care professionals have shown a certain stigma towards overweight and obese patients. Some of these patients say they feel that bias, but does it affect the care they receive? A new study shows when it comes to several common outpatient medical procedures, overweight... more »

• Obama to sign student loan legislation

  March 30, 2010 10:11 AM

  President Barack Obama is preparing to sign the piece of his sweeping health care overhaul that makes the government the primary lender to students seeking loans and strips banks of that power. Obama plans on Tuesday to visit a northern Virginia community college, where he will sign the legislation. He... more »

• Health overhaul likely to strain doctor shortage

  March 29, 2010 11:43 AM

  It could be a lot tougher finding a doctor in the next few years. Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country. And with the landmark health overhaul law, newly insured patients will put an extra strain on the supply. Only 30 percent of U.S.... more »

• Health reform to cover hefty charity care expenses

  March 26, 2010 7:46 PM

  The health care reform is suppose to save hospitals tens of millions of dollars each year. Right now, the major hospitals in Southern Colorado treat patients, even if they don't have insurance and it's running up a big tab. The cost for treating the uninsured and under insured is... more »

• Health care: AT&T will take $1B quarterly charge

  March 26, 2010 2:30 PM

  AT&T will take a $1 billion non-cash charge in the first quarter related to the health care overhaul. AT&T Inc. said Friday that the charge is to reflect the change of the tax treatment of Medicare subsidies. Companies say the health care overhaul, which President Barack Obama signed Tuesday,... more »

• How will health care reform impact hospitals?

  March 26, 2010 11:52 AM

  Today I'm working on a story about how the new federal health care legislation will impact hospitals. In 2014, a mandate will kick in, requiring every American be insured. Right now, hospitals spend millions of dollars a year treating people who don't have insurance. For example, St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center... more »

• Senate will have to return health bill to House

  March 25, 2010 8:44 AM

  Senate Republicans have found minor glitches in a health care fix-it bill that will force it back to the House, and Democrats aren't ruling out the possibility of more flaws. An exhausted Senate labored past 2 a.m. Eastern time on a stack of GOP amendments. Jim Manley, spokesman for... more »

• Colorado effort to block health care overhaul

  March 22, 2010 5:07 PM

  Opponents of federal health care legislation want Colorado voters to block it at the polls. A proposed ballot measure would bar the state from enforcing the legislation, including a provision that would require most people to buy insurance. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers want Attorney General John Suthers to join... more »

• Health care reform bill passes

  March 21, 2010 10:51 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democratic-controlled Congress has approved historic legislation extending health care to tens of millions of Americans who lack it and cracking down on insurance company abuses. The vote in the House was 219-212. Republicans were unanimously opposed. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for... more »

• Health care vote will be a landmark decision

  March 21, 2010 10:02 PM

  No matter the outcome of the upcoming health care bill vote in Congress Sunday night, the impact will be significant. "This literally is the first time in the 46 years with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that I've seen a bill attract as much attention as it is... more »

• Ugly build-up to House health care vote

  March 21, 2010 11:28 AM

  House Democrats heard it all Saturday - words of inspiration from President Barack Obama and raucous chants of protests from demonstrators. And at times it was flat-out ugly, including some racial epithets aimed at black members of Congress. Most of the day's important work leading up to Sunday's historic... more »

• Waxman: No health deal with abortion opponents

  March 20, 2010 11:15 AM

  A top House Democrat says party leaders are unlikely to cut a deal with abortion opponents to pass President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Rep. Henry Waxman tells The Associated Press that "the likely outcome" is that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will move ahead without the votes of a group of... more »

• Obama making final health care pitch to House Dems

  March 20, 2010 8:41 AM

  President Barack Obama is making a final push for the health care overhaul as he heads to Capitol Hill to meet with rank and file House Democrats ahead of tomorrow's scheduled vote. Democratic leaders and Obama are focusing last-minute lobbying efforts on two groups of Democrats. They include 37 who... more »

• Obama assures Indonesians he will visit this year

  March 19, 2010 8:46 AM

  President Barack Obama is assuring the people of Indonesia that he is looking forward to visiting his former home once the health care debate is resolved. Obama put off a trip to Indonesia until this summer as the health care overhaul gained steam in Congress this week. A vote... more »