Health Care, Energy and Environment

December 26, 2013 3:07 PM

I've had a busy 2013 covering health care in Southeast Michigan, and beyond it seems, if you count writing countless articles about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects local companies and people with and without health insurance.

Health care is local, and personal, obviously, but decisions made far away from the home medicine cabinet or physician's office affect people's health and pocketbook in very real ways.

My health care coverage also includes changes and innovations from businesses such as hospitals, physician organizations, insurance companies, nursing homes, mental health providers and post-acute care providers such as home health and rehabilitation companies.

First, here are my top health care stories of the year:

Obamacare's healthcare.gov marketplace website roll-out fiasco, policy terminations, slow enrollment. Read my news analysis that created quite a controversy. I predict this story will continue well past the time I turn in my private insurance card for a Medicare card.

Hospitals, doctors, clinics prepare for insurance expansion in 2014. Will more patients equal higher profits?

Michigan legislators finally approve state Medicaid expansion. Almost a no-brainer, especially when small business groups signed on as supporters.

Beaumont, Henry Ford nix merger. Read my news feature on why it happened.

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Reporter's notebook: Health care storylines to watch in 2014