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States continue push back against mandates in stalled health bills

Conservative lawmakers in 34 states "are forging ahead with constitutional amendments to ban government health insurance mandates" despite the idling health reform measures in Congress, The Associated Press reports.

2 Feb 2010

Congress faces one-month deadline on doctor payment fix

The doctor payment fix and several marketplace issues, such as insurance red tape and malpractice cases, continue to loom while health care reform efforts stall.

1 Feb 2010

Humana announces consolidated revenues of $7.63 billion for fourth-quarter 2009

Humana Inc. today reported diluted earnings per common share (EPS) for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 (4Q09) of $1.48, as compared to $1.03 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 (4Q08), reflecting lower PDP claim expenses in 4Q09 than in 4Q08.

1 Feb 2010

New mental health coverage rules promise to end some discrimination

Reuters: Employer-provided group health plans must offer the same level of coverage for mental illness and drug abuse treatment as for other ailments, according to federal regulations issued on Friday.

31 Jan 2010

Lobbyists played major role in health overhaul debate

The New York Times Prescriptions blog explores how millions of dollars were spent lobbying on health care. Although President Barack Obama has blamed lobbyists for helping to stall the legislative effort, "many of those lobbyists actually worked to support his health care overhaul, not oppose it," the Times finds.

31 Jan 2010

New rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans for treatment of mental disorders issued

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury today jointly issued new rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

30 Jan 2010

American Heart Association's statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address

President Obama's appeal to members of Congress to not walk away from health care reform and the millions of Americans who are counting on it provides hope to the many heart disease and stroke patients who are struggling to get the care they need or are one step away from medical bankruptcy.

30 Jan 2010

Governor Otter vows to fight Idaho's health care reform

As members of Congress figure out the next steps to take to tackle health care reform, Idaho's health care woes continue to grow worse by the day. It's time for Idaho's state and federal lawmakers to step up to the plate for Idaho's families, businesses, and retirees to deliver solutions as opposed to more roadblocks to addressing this critical issue.

30 Jan 2010

Breast cancer patient battles insurer; Recession burdens charity clinics

News outlets report on a patient's struggle to get coverage for cancer treatment and over-burdened charity clinics.

30 Jan 2010

Research roundup: Raising seniors' co-pays increases costs; The stimulus and safety net providers

New England Journal of Medicine: Increased Ambulatory Care Copayments And Hospitalizations Among The Elderly - This study examines the consequences of increasing copayments for outpatient care of Medicare enrollees in managed-care plans. "As compared with matched control plans in which copayments for ambulatory care were unchanged, Medicare plans that increased these copayments by an average of 95% for primary care and 74% for specialty care had a reduction in the number of outpatient visits but an increase in hospital admissions, in the number of days of hospital care, and in the proportion of enrollees who used hospital care," the authors write.

30 Jan 2010

Single payer bill passes Calif. Senate; Other states consider smaller health care changes

California's state Senate Thursday voted for a bill creating a single-payer health system Thursday.

30 Jan 2010

Republicans tout alternative health care reform plans, react to Dems

Following President Barack Obama's challenge to "let me know" if they had better ideas for a health overhaul, Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, said that their plan, rejected last November by the Democratic majority in the House, would satisfy Obama's goals to "bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured" and improve Medicare, BusinessWeek reports. "The Republican ideas ... may have a bigger role in defining party differences this election year than in crafting a compromise on the health bill. That's because the gap between the two approaches is so wide."

30 Jan 2010

Pelosi, Reid search for health reform's forward path

Legislative leaders in search of momentum on health reform "conceded that they did not have an immediate strategy for advancing a health care measure and described their time frame as open-ended," The New York Times reports.

30 Jan 2010

Today's opinions and editorials

By not acknowledging America's concerns about health reform Wednesday night, the president appeared inflexible and incapable of real compromise (Dr. Marc Siegel, 1/28).

30 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 29, 2010

Today's news highlights the Democrats' continuing struggle to find a way forward on health reform.

29 Jan 2010

ACP urges Congress to reach agreement on comprehensive health reform legislation

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today urged Congressional leaders to "reach agreement on a legislative pathway to provide affordable care to all Americans and ensure that they have access to primary care physicians and other specialties facing shortages."

29 Jan 2010

Annual spring conference to focus on behavioral health services for children, youth and young adults

Developing comprehensive behavioral health services for children, youth, young adults and families will be the subject of the annual spring conference of Community Care, a nonprofit behavioral health managed care organization that is part of UPMC and based in Pittsburgh.

29 Jan 2010

Benefit Advocates provides healthcare benefits advocacy services for InterFlex Group

Benefit Advocates Inc. is providing comprehensive healthcare benefits advocacy services for InterFlex Group, a flexible packaging company with facilities in North America, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

29 Jan 2010

Pelosi says House could pass Senate bill under two-track approach

"Laying out a possible path to approving healthcare legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said Wednesday that the House should pass the Senate's version and then use a process known as 'budget reconciliation' to make the changes some lawmakers are demanding," The Los Angeles Times reports.

29 Jan 2010

State budget news from Kansas, Massachusetts and Idaho

Kansas Health Institute reports that the recession is crippling Kansas' safety-net system. "The Kansas unemployment insurance system is virtually broke at a time when Department of Labor officials say they need about $15 million a week to pay benefits to out-of-work Kansans.

29 Jan 2010