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Medicaid plays a crucial role in U.S. health care reform by serving the needs of a poor, less healthy population at a lower cost despite certain limitations. The U.S. Congress' proposals for national health care reform are set to transform Medicaid by removing restrictions on coverage of non-elderly adults and establishing a national eligibility standard.

A study was carried out to find out whether use of electronic health records in the U.S. contributed to efficient, safer and higher-quality care. Results revealed that policymakers in the U.S. faced many problems due to the minimal use of electronic health records and suggested the need to train technical support staff, provide finance and adopt interoperabilityto encourage the adoption of electronic-records in the U.S.

A group of 13 panelists were brought together by the Journal and the Massachusetts Medical Society to discuss the U.S. health policy and debate whether it has actually managed to cover the entire American population. Results suggested that the medical community is quite dissatisfied and need health care reforms.

A study was conducted o determine the opinions of physicians in the U.S. on the potential of electronic health records for providing better health care and well as the advantages and drawbacks of the system. Results concluded that physicians who had adopted the system revealed it helped in providing improved health care and expressed satisfaction with the system.

The extent to which the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has achieved the goal plans set out for health care coverage is discussed. Further the continuing controversy over the applicable extent of health care coverage with the drawbacks and advantages is discussed.

The number of companies that produces vaccines for the United Sates has declined due to the absence of competitors with sufficient capacity to compensate for the shortfalls. Vaccine suppliers face increasingly stringent regulation of production, as they undergo frequent FDA inspections of their production facilities.

An overview of Medicaid and proposals to reform it is presented. A Bush proposal called Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) would provide benefits for people who are currently ineligible by reducing benefits for existing Medicaid beneficiaries.

Insurance companies should not be able to overturn a doctor's decision unless they can point to substantial scientific evidence that the decision is not in the best interests of the patient. Until the 1980s, most insurance companies did not challenge the doctor's decision. However, managed care organizations in particular routinely decide which services they will cover and are therefore deciding which treatment plans are unnecessary. Federal legislation may be required to ensure that insurance companies act in a reasonable manner.