Chris Weaver has covered hospital billing practices, insurers' strategies, and states' struggles with health spending for the news service. Before joining KHN, he wrote for the
Part B News, ProPublica and various print and online publications. Before stumbling into journalism (he has a master's degree in journalism from the Univ. of Maryland), Weaver worked on health care projects in post-Katrina New Orleans.
| Contact: ChrisW@kff.org
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a likely GOP contender for the White House in 2012, publicly opposed the law again this week, this time with a preliminary filing supporting a challenge to the overhaul in a Florida court.
Nov 13, 2010
Nationwide, new physician-owned hospitals are scrambling to open by the end of the year. Beginning Jan. 1, the health law bans them from taking part in Medicare, making it hard for the facilities to survive.
Oct 28, 2010
Economists in the federal Medicare office say health overhaul legislation and other changes made by regulators and Congress since February will only have a "moderate" effect on health spending.
Sep 09, 2010
Panel’s recommendations on preventive care will determine which services are covered fully by insurance. That could make it a political lightning rod for lobbyists and disease advocates and conflict with its tradition of scholarly dedication to the science of randomized medical trials.
Jul 15, 2010
The federal government recently handed consumers a new trove of data about how hospitals use their fancy medical scanners. The implicit message: Avoid hospitals that lean too heavily on devices that can expose you to radiation and other risks.
Jul 09, 2010
More than 30 states and Congress have passed laws requiring hospitals to publish their prices, but the information often is of little use to consumers.
Jun 29, 2010
Doctors across the country find themselves – once again – putting their Medicare claims on hold while they wait for Congress to take action. For the fourth time in six months, physicians are facing a 21 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursements.
Jun 15, 2010
A new report says federal funding will not cover the insurance needs of all the people who now have trouble getting coverage because of preexisting conditions. But HHS officials disagree with the findings.
May 27, 2010
Companies that provide health insurance to retirees who are too young for Medicare may get some financial relief due to a new $5 billion federal program.
May 10, 2010
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services confirms that some discounts states received from drugmakers will now be shifted to the federal government.
Apr 22, 2010