The health-insurance industry was criticized by the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for “falsely blaming” premium increases on the health law signed by President Barack Obama in March.

Health insurance spending will rise 12.9 percent in 2014, according to a new government analysis of the health-care reform law.

Health-care reform signed by Presisdent Obama earlier this year is set to hike costs, according to a new government report. It says costs under reform will be slightly higher than they would otherwise.

Within a decade, annual health spending is expect to rise to $4.57 trillion, or 19.6 percent of the gross domestic product. The effect of health overall on spending is small -- about 0.2 percent a year.

THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Americans who have health insurance through large, employer-sponsored health plans will see a number of plan design changes in 2011, and they'll be paying more for that coverage, employers and benefits consultants say.

Health officials cautioned dengue fever patients on relying on herbal medicine and herbal doctors to cure their illness, saying these have yet to be supported by scientific research.

Title: Health Care Reform: Will It Empower or Perplex Consumers? Category: Health News Created: 9/7/2010 10:10:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 9/8/2010

It will be at least five years before health car reform triggers a sustained slowdown in the pace of spending, according to new government estimates released on Thursday.