Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt in a speech Wednesday said continued preparation for a global flu pandemic should be a priority of his successor.

The current global financial crisis will not prevent the next Congress or president from making healthcare reforms, key leaders are saying.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said he plans to nix a $145 billion budget proposal on Friday. If passed, the proposal would end the longest budget impasse in the state's history and restore many benefits and provider pay rates to the Medi-Cal program.

The draft of the Republican party's 2008 platform calls for new non-institutional long-term care options.

The Democratic Party has included long-term care reform as a plank in its policy platform.

The current economic downturn has most Americans clinging tight to their wallets. But a new analysis shows that state and local governments have increased spending, which could mean fiscal trouble in the near future.

A soaring budget deficit could ultimately hurt future proposals for healthcare, a new report suggests.

It's hardly a secret that eldercare services in this nation are in a state of flux. The average age of nursing homes in most metro markets has surpassed 30 years.

The nursing home industry isn't known for setting trends, but that landscape may be changing.

In boardrooms and across kitchen tables, much hand wringing is taking place. At issue is whether the nation may be on the cusp of a recession, or maybe worse.