national health care

(Southern Methodist University) Unexpected findings from a first-of-its-kind study of insured infants suggests that those children are better off under public health insurance and that private insurance can even be detrimental, says economist Manan Roy, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

Roy's research builds on previous studies that found that government Medicaid/CHIP health insurance are more comprehensive and economical than private insurance.

Therefore, national health care reforms could significantly help impoverished infants, who are typically in worse health, Roy said.

A federal judge on Thursday upheld the authority of the federal government to require everyone to have health insurance, dealing a setback to groups seeking to block the new national health care plan.

Hawaii would be allowed to opt out of key requirements of national health care reform legislation, the only state given such a privilege because it already has its own comprehensive health insurance law.