The most recent Muppet movie has a signature song, "Am I a Man or am I a Muppet?" In light of the aggressive attack on women's health by the Right, perhaps we should ask -- "Am I a woman or am I a puppet?"...

In the State of the Union speech January 24th, President Obama spent exactly 44 words on health reform; in 2010 he spent 570. Is the President backing away from his prized achievement, the Affordable Care...

During the health reform debate, there was controversy and disappointment over the failure to include a public option in the Affordable Care Act. Not only did the public option idea not die, it is alive and well in California.

In northern California...

When so many good things have happened as the result of health care reform, I hate to end this year with a rebuttal to a viral lie about the Affordable Care Act. However, this one seems to come from a credible source but is so wrong that I...

Since the passage of health reform (Affordable Care Act), many have wondered what would be covered in the benefits offered through the State Exchanges. We have been reassured that the benefits that are "essential" would be comprehensive yet affordable. But essential to whom? What is an...

This holiday season you may be surprised to find some gifts from the Affordable Care Act (aka health reform) in your stocking. I say "surprised" because a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that the American public still doesn't know what is in the health reform...

Most of us breathe a sigh of relief when we reach Medicare age because we think we will have coverage until we die. And we will. But we may not get all the options we want. Medicare Open Enrollment period officially opens Saturday October 15th, but...

It's the season of political misinterpretations and outright lies. Websites like Politifact try to sort things out. But people still seem willing to believe the most negative things about two of our most durable social programs - Social Security and Medicare. Are they really in terrible trouble and...

Rick Perry's health plan proposes absolutely nothing new. He regurgitates the same talking points Republicans have been touting for over twenty years. Without even seeing the plan, you could predict it would include at least three points: 1) selling insurance across state lines, 2)...

Today President Obama gave a short speech on the economy and the deaths in Afghanistan. As those of you who read my blogs know, I am a big supporter of the President. I have no doubt that he is doing all he can on the economy. But today I wanted...

Over the weekend, I watched Twitter as drops of information about the debt ceiling leaked out bit by bit. There was a deal. No deal. Well, maybe a deal. The deal would require Congress to wait until a Balanced Budget Amendment passed in the states before...

July 4th is a day to celebrate our many freedoms. One of our most important freedoms should be freedom from fear, including fear of financial ruin because of medical bills. You may not know that almost half of all bankruptcies in the...

According to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), fighting back when you have a health insurance claim denied is well worth your time.

Michelle Andrews in Kaiser Health News explains:

The... Report found that more claims problems stemmed from annoying but...

Are you uninsured or do you know someone who is? I do. I get a call or email almost every week from someone who asks me to help them get insurance. Now I have a better answer to give them. The federal government just made it a lot...

Three years ago, my friend Kathy's 21-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. In the process of seeking medical treatment, he was told he needed invasive surgery, something that terrified him and he resisted. He asked Kathy if she could help him find an alternative, and being a mom who was...

I've been waiting for someone or something to stop state Republican-controlled legislatures from defunding Planned Parenthood. Surely, it can't happen, right? But it is. And what's worse, it's not just that states are passing legislation to curb abortions. They are proposing to take all the Medicaid money away from Planned...

The Vermont House of Representatives voted 94 to 49 this week to establish a Green Mountain health insurance exchange, the first step in establishing a single payer program in that State. The bill now goes to Governor Peter Shumlin's desk, who is a strong

What IS the IPAB you ask? If you know the answer to this, you will score big points with your friends, because only about .5% of the population knows the answer. The IPAB is the Independent Payment Advisory Board established in the health reform bill to...

Now that a government shutdown has been avoided, the debate in Washington is turning to what else can be cut from the federal budget. Both the president and the Republicans have to show us the money. The president is making a major policy proposal this week,...

We have been hearing a lot from the Republicans about cutting Medicaid and Medicare. How much do you know about these programs? Take this little quiz:

1) Who qualifies for Medicare?
A) People over 65; B) People over 65 and some people...