By LAURAN NEERGAARD (AP) WASHINGTON — Better beat the crowd and find a doctor. Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. The new law goes beyond offering coverage to the uninsured, with steps to improve the quality of care for the average person and help keep us well instead of today’s seek-care-after-you’re-sick culture. To benefit, you’ll need a regular health provider. Read More…

By Kathy Brister For the AJC This report is based on the best information currently available. As federal agencies write regulations to support the new law, and as unintended consequences inevitably appear, some things may change. Every American will be affected in some way by the coming changes to the nation’s health care system. Some people will have greater access to care at more affordable prices. Some will retain their current coverage but keep a wary eye on how their health insurance premiums change. Others will feel the greatest effect on their pocketbook as taxes and fees designed...

A 2005 Supreme Court ruling citing the authority to regulate commerce poses a problem for suits claiming it’s unconstitutional for the federal government to force individuals to have insurance. By David G. Savage Reporting from Washington – Lawsuits from 14 states challenging the constitutionality of the new national healthcare law face an uphill battle, largely due to a far-reaching Supreme Court ruling in 2005 that upheld federal restrictions on home-grown marijuana in California. At issue in that case — just like in the upcoming challenges to the healthcare overhaul —...

by Katie Adams The Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act, more commonly referred to as the “healthcare bill”, has taken over a year to craft and has been a lightning rod for political debate because it effectively reshapes major facets of the country’s healthcare industry. Here are 10 things you need to know about how the new law may affect you: Read More…

Timeline Of The New Healthcare Bill Don’t understand what is going to change or when? Here is a snapshot of key changes.

Critics say health insurance shouldn’t be mandatory because health care is not a right. But it is a right in emergency rooms. By Howard Gleckman, One day soon, I would like to walk into my neighborhood supermarket, load up my cart with goodies and walk out the door. When I’m confronted by security about the matter of paying for the stuff, I’ll just tell them to make everyone else in the store pick up the tab. If I lived in Virginia, I’d tell ‘em to go see Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who says I don’t have to pay. Read More…

Uninsured kids with pre-existing conditions might not get help until 2014 by Phil Galewitz and Andrew Villegas Clotie Robinson has tried for four years to buy health coverage for her 8-year-old daughter who suffers from depression and other mental illnesses, but she’s been consistently rejected by insurance companies. As a result, Robinson has been unable to pay for some medicines and medical tests her daughter needs. Read More…

WASHINGTON — A quiet revolution is transforming how medical care is delivered in this country, and it has very little to do with the sweeping health care legislation that President Obama just signed into law. But it could have a big impact on that law’s chances for success. Traditionally, American medicine has been largely a cottage industry. Most doctors cared for patients in small, privately owned clinics — sometimes in rooms adjoining their homes. Read More…

Hours before President Obama signed the health care bill Tuesday, George Butler, a retired steelworker, was the first patient to enter Evanston-Rogers Park Community Health Center. By 9 a.m., all of the 22 black and gray molded plastic seats were filled. Mr. Butler, 75, who normally comes to have his diabetes and high blood pressure treated, needed a doctor’s note to get an extension on paying his gas bill. The rest of a lower-income Hispanic and black clientele sought typical medical help: advice on hypertension, refilling medications, a checkup for a newborn and follow-ups on test results....

By ERICA WERNER WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats sent the final piece of landmark health care legislation to President Barack Obama before heading home to face a skeptical — and sometimes even threatening — electorate. The last legislative chapter in the wrenching national debate over Obama’s health overhaul plan came Thursday night in the House, as Democrats approved — for the second time — a package of fixes to the sweeping health bill Obama signed two days earlier. The measure includes better benefits for seniors and low-income and middle-class families. Read More…