Consumer Driven Health Care

As the New Year begins, it seems like as good a time as any for me to make a list of what Id like Congress to do in order to help make account-based plans, such as health flexible spending accounts and transit benefits, more accessible and user friendly.

Not enough Americans are following government recommendations for getting regular cancer screenings, the CDC says.

Health insurer Aetna Inc. plans to give some primary care doctors an extra monthly payment to help them manage care better under a concept that aims to improve patient health and cut down on expensive hospital stays or emergency room visits.

Six Southern California communities have each received a $1 million grant from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to encourage people in these HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Zones to eat better and become more physically active as part of daily life.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware offers suggestions for optimizing a health care budget this year.

Health insurer WellPoint Inc. plans to improve primary care doctor payments and start reimbursing for care management it doesn't cover as a way boost treatment and save money.

Vermont's top health officer told lawmakers Thursday not to worry about a form of radiation emitted by the wireless smart meters some Vermont utilities want to install in customers' homes and businesses.

As employers continue to look for ways to cut health care costs and improve consumerism among the work force, consumer-directed health plans, and health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts, are expected to remain strong in 2012.