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First Edition: July 8, 2010

Today's headlines reflect the continued coverage of President Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to head CMS as well as other developments related to Medicaid, the health insurance industry and state challenges to the health reform law.

8 Jul 2010

Racism influences African-American women's beliefs about depression care: Study

African-American women's beliefs about depression and depression care are consistently and systematically influenced by racism, according to a new study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University. The results are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

8 Jul 2010

Military families with autistic children file lawsuit against DoD for refusing coverage for ABA therapy

Military families having children with autism have filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Defense, alleging that the DoD and its health benefits division, TRICARE, have wrongfully refused to provide insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis therapy. In a dramatic new development, the Department of Defense has vacated its prior policy of denying payment for ABA therapy for autistic children of military families, but it is still refusing to pay for such claims.

8 Jul 2010

MHPA responds to CMS annual report on Medicaid managed care enrollment

Medicaid Health Plans of America, the leading trade association solely focused on representing Medicaid health plans, responded today to an annual report just released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Medicaid managed care enrollment, which showed Medicaid health plan enrollment grew by almost 2.4 million members in 2009 to more than 23.4 million Americans nationwide.

8 Jul 2010

Increasing HAART treatment for HIV/AIDS patients will provide significant cost savings: Study

Increasing highly active antiretroviral therapy treatment for people with HIV/AIDS will provide significant cost savings over a relatively short period of time, according to a formal economic analysis led by researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) at Providence Health Care and the University of British Columbia.

8 Jul 2010

Study looks at the effects of Schwartz Center Rounds program on caregivers

Caregivers who participated in a program where attendees discuss medical cases that were complex for psychosocial and emotional reasons were more likely to be attentive to the psychosocial and emotional aspects of patient care. The program also enhanced their beliefs about the importance of empathy.

8 Jul 2010

Health information technology improves quality of care, study shows

Secure patient-physician e-mail messaging improves the effectiveness of care for patients with diabetes and hypertension, according to new research by Kaiser Permanente. The study, published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that health information technology improves quality of care scores.

8 Jul 2010

HHS awards $390.5M to strengthen medical surge capability in hospitals and health care organizations

States, territories, and large metropolitan areas will receive grants totaling $390.5 million this month to help hospitals and other health care organizations strengthen the medical surge capability across the nation.

8 Jul 2010

Patented computer invention to improve patient security and privacy

A computer security invention patented a decade ago at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is now poised to help safeguard patient privacy in hospitals.

8 Jul 2010

HHS awards $10M to support public health efforts for reducing tobacco use and obesity

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced awards of $10 million to 10 national non-profit organizations to support public health efforts to reduce tobacco use and reduce obesity through increased physical activity and improved nutrition.

8 Jul 2010

New information about quality of care available in America's hospitals added to new HHS website

Important new information about the quality of care available in America's outpatient and emergency departments, including how well hospitals care for patients with heart attacks and protect outpatients from surgical infections was added to the new HHS website HealthCare.gov.

8 Jul 2010

Health Net of California provides health plans that help employers adapt to challenging economy

Health Net of California, Inc. is expanding its efforts to provide health plans that help employers adapt to the still-challenging economy.

8 Jul 2010

Heart attack death rates drop in hospitals; CDC reports increase in colon cancer screening rate

USA Today: Hospital heart attack death rates fell, according to new Medicare data. "Death rates at 4,569 hospitals that treat Medicare patients who suffer heart attacks fell by almost half a percentage point, from a national average of 16.6% last year to 16.2%. Death rates for most hospitals ranged from about 14.5% to 17.9%. ...

8 Jul 2010

HQA applauds public availability of hospital quality information at Hospital Compare website

The Hospital Quality Alliance today applauded the public availability of new information on hospital quality of care at the Hospital Compare website. The HQA is a broad working group of hospitals, consumer representatives, physician and nursing organizations, employers and payers, oversight organizations and government agencies dedicated to improving health care quality and making useful and understandable information about hospital quality available to the public.

8 Jul 2010

Obama uses recess appointment to install Berwick as head of Medicare, Medicaid

President Barack Obama Wednesday will use a recess appointment to install Harvard Professor Donald Berwick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the White House announced Tuesday.

8 Jul 2010

Patients willing to travel for cheaper, better care; Especially when the boss pays

Employers, in search of better deals on surgeries, are in some cases sending employees they insure hundreds of miles for medical care, Kaiser Health News/USA Today reports. "Forget about traveling to Thailand or India for low-cost surgery. … By steering workers to facilities with high-quality care and lower prices, employers say they can reduce their costs 20% to 40% — more than enough to cover the travel expenses."

8 Jul 2010

Pelosi urges Democrats to talk up health care; Businesses feel early impact of law

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doubling down on healthcare reform, betting that it will do Democrats more good than harm in November's elections," The Hill reports.

8 Jul 2010

Advocates continue to push for Michigan to opt out of federal health law despite setback

The Detroit News: "A Michigan Healthcare Freedom Act allowing Michiganians to opt out of the federal healthcare bill will be introduced when the Legislature resumes session July 21." The proposal was announced Tuesday, after a petition drive against the federal healthcare plan fell short. The grassroots organizers of that effort "hoped to get a question on the November election ballot asking Michigan voters to decide if they want to opt out of the federal health care overhaul, but they failed to collect enough petition signatures by Monday's deadline".

8 Jul 2010

States, federal government move forward with high-risk pools

The federal government began accepting applications for the high risk pools it will run in 29 states and the District of Columbia last Thursday, PBS Newshour reports. The other 21 states chose to run their own pools and may be on different schedules.

8 Jul 2010

HealthPlan Holdings announces acquisition of GEMGroup

HealthPlan Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of outsourcing solutions to insurers in the individual, small business and union trust markets, announced today that it has acquired GEMGroup. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, GEMGroup specializes in accounting, pension and 401(k) administration software and services to self-funded and Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans for unionized workers.

8 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

First Edition: July 8, 2010

Racism influences African-American women's beliefs about depression care: Study

Military families with autistic children file lawsuit against DoD for refusing coverage for ABA therapy

MHPA responds to CMS annual report on Medicaid managed care enrollment

Increasing HAART treatment for HIV/AIDS patients will provide significant cost savings: Study

Study looks at the effects of Schwartz Center Rounds program on caregivers

Health information technology improves quality of care, study shows

HHS awards $390.5M to strengthen medical surge capability in hospitals and health care organizations

Patented computer invention to improve patient security and privacy

HHS awards $10M to support public health efforts for reducing tobacco use and obesity

New information about quality of care available in America's hospitals added to new HHS website

Health Net of California provides health plans that help employers adapt to challenging economy

Heart attack death rates drop in hospitals; CDC reports increase in colon cancer screening rate

HQA applauds public availability of hospital quality information at Hospital Compare website

Obama uses recess appointment to install Berwick as head of Medicare, Medicaid

Patients willing to travel for cheaper, better care; Especially when the boss pays

Pelosi urges Democrats to talk up health care; Businesses feel early impact of law

Advocates continue to push for Michigan to opt out of federal health law despite setback

States, federal government move forward with high-risk pools

HealthPlan Holdings announces acquisition of GEMGroup

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