Americans more confident on healthcare costs: poll Aug 31, 2009 6:41AM

Fewer Americans are afraid that they will be unable to pay for healthcare services and fewer expect to postpone medical treatments due to costs, according to a Thomson Reuters survey published on Monday. Read more

The day after U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy's burial, leading Democratic and Republican senators on Sunday seized on his reputation for compromise to call for cooperation in the healthcare debate but showed little give in their own positions. Read more

The chief executives of the biggest U.S. health insurance companies were called to testify about industry practices before a congressional hearing examining coverage, costs and claim denials. Read more

U.S. Democrats may sidestep Republican opposition to a sweeping healthcare overhaul by using Senate rules to pass some reform measures, a leading senator said on Sunday. Read more

U.S. President Barack Obama stood by proposals to create a government-run health insurance program on Thursday while insisting the move was merely one element of a wider plan to reform the industry. Read more

The U.S. government on Thursday announced grants of almost $1.2 billion to help hospitals and healthcare providers implement and use electronic health records. Read more

With debate about healthcare reform raging across the Atlantic, Reuters asked a selection of expatriates what they thought of healthcare systems at home and abroad. Read more

U.S. President Barack Obama reignited his criticism of health insurance companies on Saturday, promising reforms that would prevent firms from capping coverage or charging "outrageous" fees. Read more

When Congress returns September 8, lawmakers will continue work on an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system. There are three different plans in the works, all containing changes that would be phased in over a number of years. Read more

Below is the full text of the Health Care Reform Bill HR 320. Section 1233 of the Health Care Reform Bill HR 3200 is over 1,000 pages long and was crafted by House Democrats. The bill shows it would take the better part of a decade — from 2010-2018 — to get all the components of the far-reachin... Read more