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
The new health care law could shift billions of dollars from cash-strapped states to the federal government by changing the way Medicaid prescription drug rebates are treated.
Apr 20, 2010
A new congressional staff report is quieting the dispute regarding the losses that large corporations were anticipating as a result of the new health law. Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, cancelled a planned hearing for next week.
Apr 14, 2010
A study about the Veterans Administration takes a step towards putting a dollar value on the savings a health care system can get from electronic medical records.
Apr 07, 2010
Starting April 1, the first federal funding from the health overhaul law becomes available to expand coverage of Medicaid programs. Some states are seeking to use that money in current programs that cover low-income people who do not qualify for Medicaid.
Apr 01, 2010
The health overhaul package passed by Congress will gradually eliminate the so-called Medicare Part D "doughnut hole," making prescription drugs more affordable for many seniors.
Mar 29, 2010
Beginning next year, tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer money will flow to doctors and hospitals to help them buy computerized medical record systems as part of the economic stimulus package. In a marketing pitch, one company is offering a calculator that shows how much money is on the line for a given facility.
Mar 19, 2010
One California cardiology group has confronted steep Medicare cuts with a tactic that may irk patients who already face soaring health costs in that state: Beginning April 1, Pacific Heart Institute, in Santa Monica, will charge some patients annual fees ranging from $500 to $7,500, in addition to the regular fees paid by patients and insurers.
Mar 16, 2010
To help pay for his health care overhaul package, President Obama is proposing that wealthy Americans pay Medicare taxes on the money they make on their investments. The proposal would affect millions of people.
Mar 10, 2010
As a part of our "Are You Covered?" series, KHN and NPR also examine how the health overhaul would impact the uninsured.
Feb 10, 2010
A new study by federal officials finds that state, local and federal health spending has steadily increased. And, the nation's health spending as a share of the economy jumped in 2009 by 1.1 points to 17.3 percent.
Feb 04, 2010