Insurance companies bracing for change in healthcare reimbursement

At Modern Healthcare, they look at how new legislation implementing universal healthcare will affect how insurance companies are going to be affected when the new plan roles out, which many believe could be as soon as 2011. In addition to the abundance of regulations that are sure to follow, insurance companies will have to change the way they evaluate hospitals. They could begin paying for care based on performance and begin listening to independent patient advisory boards. They could also change they way they reimburse hospitals when it comes to re admissions for certain ailments. Read the full article here.

Healthcare reform and abortion

Now that healthcare reform is in full swing, we're sure to see several issues that votes and opinions collide on when it comes to coverage. Currently the House and the Senate are looking at if and how abortion should be covered. Should this be dropped from the health bill, it may leave many women with private insurance at risk for their insurers to drop abortion coverage as well.

Stupak’s amendment prohibits any public health insurance option from offering abortion coverage except for cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. It also prohibits individuals from using tax credits and subsidies to buy private insurance with abortion coverage from companies taking part in new health insurance exchanges.

Read more about the debate about including health care in the healthcare reform bill here. What do you think? When and how should the government choose to cover abortions? What impact will this have on the ruling of Rowe vs. Wade?