Marilyn Werber Serafini has been a reporter in Washington since 1985, and was the health care and welfare correspondent for National Journal magazine from 1995 to 2010. She has written extensively about Medicare, Medicaid, the uninsured, health care reform, bioterrorism and pandemic flu and has won awards for articles on these subjects. Serafini covered the health reform debate during the Clinton Administration and the recent debate that led to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Serafini created and moderated National Journal’s Health Care Expert Blog, and was a senior reporter for CongressDaily (now National Journal Daily) from 1991-1995.
| Contact: mserafini@kff.org
The former governor says he "passed health care reform the right way. No mandates. No takeovers." But critics argue that it is unclear if the law will lower costs and it does little to expand insurance coverage.
Aug 08, 2011
Industry mergers, doctor-hospital cooperation, new payment models are among the changes identified by six health care experts.
Jul 20, 2011
Robert Berenson, an Urban Institute fellow and former official at the Department of Health and Human Services, says a number of small Medicare initiatives are "low-hanging fruit" that could be pursued now in order to control the program’s spending.
Jun 23, 2011
Congressional advisory group recommends that doctors who order a lot of MRIs, CT scans and other such procedures be forced to get prior approval.
Jun 14, 2011
Even as some Republicans distance themselves from the House-passed budget that would fundamentally change the Medicare program, the conservative seniors group 60 Plus' celebrity spokesman Pat Boone is boosting the plan.
May 27, 2011
Sixty Plus, a 19-year-old organization, has become increasingly active in pushing Republican candidates and causes, will be effective in next year’s elections. It tried to have an impact on this week's congressional race in New York.
May 25, 2011
In an interview with KHN, the former adviser to President George W. Bush and presidential candidate John McCain says the health law is standing in the way of reining in Medicare and Medicaid spending and that he always believed that the law “was a dead man walking.”
Mar 18, 2011
The Republican campaign to transform Medicaid could help set debate on the role of government and entitlements, with implications for the 2012 elections. Here's an FAQ on block grants.
Mar 06, 2011
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., says he will include “aggressive” changes to Medicare in his upcoming budget proposal.
Mar 03, 2011
The Obama administration is dispatching aides to states to offer advice on holding down spending on the program for the poor.
Feb 22, 2011