House and Senate negotiators have struck a tentative deal on major elements of the fiscal 2010 budget resolution that includes fast-track procedures for a health care overhaul and for legislation to curtail the role of private lenders in the federal student loan program. Read more »
The chairmen of the two key committees that will lead Senate efforts to craft health overhaul legislation announced that they plan early June markups of very similar legislation that "can be quickly merged into a single bill for consideration on the Senate floor." Read more »
A majority of Americans support a "shared-responsibility" plan for health coverage that couples an individual mandate with expanded employer, government, and insurer roles, according to a study published on the Health Affairs Web site. Read more »
House Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said that while he has not written off the idea of a government-run insurance plan for his health care overhaul proposal, it probably won't be his first line of attack, preferring to focus instead on the system for self-insured companies. Read more »
Many hospitals have not implemented standards that would improve the quality of patient care and save lives, according to the 2008 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Read more »
Senate Republicans objected to a confirmation vote on the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services, prompting Democrats to threaten a cloture vote to force the issue. Read more »