Democrats are "dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care legislation, abandoning claims that it will reduce costs and deficit, and instead stressing a promise to 'improve it,'" Politico  reports. "The messaging shift was circulated this afternoon on a conference...

Group Health  Research Institute has received a $2 million federal grant to study whether a relatively new health-insurance model can support and improve patient health, and hence can reduce cost. If it does, many insurers and self-insured employers may...

(Health Insurance News) -- As the new health reform law requires, states are continuing to establish health insurance pools for "high-risk" patients. The Associated Press/Chicago Sun-Times: "Hundreds of Illinois residents have submitted applications for a new federally funded health...

 The Santa Cruz Sentinel/San Jose Mercury News: As a result of the federal health overhaul, businesses "with under 50 full-time equivalent employees will be under no obligation to offer health insurance, but those with over 50 must offer it or...

More than two-thirds of large employers surveyed by the National Business Group on Health  plan to increase employee contributions to health care plans next year, and most are making changes to health plans in advance of federally mandated health care...