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Insurance companies increased lobbying by 24 percent in 2009

The Hill reports on insurer lobbying spending in 2009: "America's largest insurance companies spent millions more on lobbying last year as lawmakers debated healthcare reform, lobbying disclosure records show.

27 Jan 2010

Regrouping Democrats consider next steps on health overhaul

Democrats are trying to regain health reform momentum during the week of the president's State of the Union address.

27 Jan 2010

APHA urges Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president

The American Public Health Association today urged Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president in the coming weeks.

27 Jan 2010

Number of Americans in excellent or good health has declined

The New York Times reports on health in the U.S. "The percentage of people who reported having excellent or very good health declined to 66.6 percent in the 2009 period, from 69.1 percent in 1998.

27 Jan 2010

Commissions to examine paring costs from Medicaid, Medicare

Medicaid payments are coming under review by a new commission, American Medical News reports. "MACPAC was created by a provision of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, signed by President Obama in February 2009. The act instructs the panel to examine the effect of Medicaid pay and other factors on the access and quality of care received by Medicaid and CHIP enrollees." Kaiser Family Foundation executive Diane Rowland will chair the panel. The panel has not yet gained federal funding (Trapp, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

As state legislatures gear up, federal health overhaul is on their agenda

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog: "The question of equality, or inequality, among states is a major reason President Obama's overhaul of the health care system, and the legislation in Congress to make it happen, seemed to reach the brink of collapse last week." The issue also reflects "one of the biggest challenges" the President and Congressional leaders face in their efforts to overhaul the health care system. The key question: "how to devise a national solution for a problem that varies sharply from state to state."

27 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 25, 2010

Today's news begins to set the scene for the President's upcoming State of the Union address, and provides continuing coverage of Democrats' efforts to regroup on health reform.

25 Jan 2010

Proposal for NHI to be the most significant development in South Africa's healthcare sector in 2010

The proposal for a National Health Insurance (NHI) was without doubt the most significant development in South Africa's healthcare sector in 2010. The aim of the NHI is to create universal healthcare coverage for all the country's citizens.

25 Jan 2010

Democrats suggest efforts on health reform will continue

Politico has a compilation of comments by Washington officials on the Sunday morning talk shows, including discussions about the health care overhaul legislation, which is facing a serious challenge following the election last Tuesday of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

24 Jan 2010

Post-Katrina stress contributes to three-fold increase in heart attacks

Chronic stress following Hurricane Katrina contributed to a three-fold increase in heart attacks in New Orleans more than two years after levee breaches flooded most of the city, according to researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine.

23 Jan 2010

Insurance policy that allows acceleration of benefits to pay for critical health care needs

What if life insurance was designed to help policy owners live their lives, not just ease the financial burden at life's end? Quality of Life... Insurance(SM) from American General Life and Accident Insurance Company (AGLA) has taken this bold approach, which is paying off despite a volatile economy and a polarizing healthcare debate.

23 Jan 2010

Emdeon introduces HIPAA Simplified to help guide healthcare industry's transition to new standards

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced the availability of HIPAA Simplified, a one-stop online resource for guiding the healthcare industry's transition to HIPAA 5010, NCPDP D.0 and ICD-10 standards.

23 Jan 2010

Centene prices follow-on public offering of common stock

Centene Corporation today announced the pricing of its previously announced follow-on public offering of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $19.25 per share.

23 Jan 2010

Americans are divided about health reform proposals overall, but the public, including critics, becomes more supportive when told about key provisions

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds that Americans are divided over congressional health reform proposals, but also that large shares of people, including skeptics, become more supportive after being told about many of the major provisions in the bills.

23 Jan 2010

Obama: Not going to walk away from health reform

New York Times' The Caucus blog: "Conceding his health care overhaul had 'run into a bit of a buzz saw,' President Obama vowed on Friday to keep fighting for legislation that will 'hold the insurance industry accountable and bring more stability and security to folks in our health care system'" (Stolberg, 1/22).

23 Jan 2010

States worry about Medicaid stimulus money drying up under scaled-back health bill

News outlets report on health care funding gaps in state budgets, including Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia and Wisconsin, and the possible impact of a scaled-back federal health bill.

23 Jan 2010

FDA's Ampyra approval wonderful news for people with MS experiencing walking problems

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the marketing of Ampyra™ (dalfampridine, formerly known as fampridine SR, from Acorda Therapeutics) for its ability to improve walking speed in people with any type of multiple sclerosis.

23 Jan 2010

Searching for consensus, Dems consider potential of paring back health reform

"Passage of a comprehensive [health] bill looked impossible after the Democrats' loss of a Senate seat in Massachusetts. As an alternative, lawmakers in both parties said, some pieces of the bills already passed by the House and the Senate could be pulled out and packaged together in a measure that would command broad support."

23 Jan 2010

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

We will ultimately have real health care reform in this country for a very simple reason: We have no choice and both Democrats and Republicans understand that. More importantly, the American people know it (Robert Laszewski, 1/22).

22 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 22, 2010

Today's news highlights the continued efforts by Democrats to plot a new health reform strategy.

22 Jan 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

Insurance companies increased lobbying by 24 percent in 2009

Regrouping Democrats consider next steps on health overhaul

APHA urges Congress to press ahead and send comprehensive health reform legislation to the president

Number of Americans in excellent or good health has declined

Commissions to examine paring costs from Medicaid, Medicare

As state legislatures gear up, federal health overhaul is on their agenda

First Edition: January 25, 2010

Proposal for NHI to be the most significant development in South Africa's healthcare sector in 2010

Democrats suggest efforts on health reform will continue

Post-Katrina stress contributes to three-fold increase in heart attacks

Insurance policy that allows acceleration of benefits to pay for critical health care needs

Emdeon introduces HIPAA Simplified to help guide healthcare industry's transition to new standards

Centene prices follow-on public offering of common stock

Americans are divided about health reform proposals overall, but the public, including critics, becomes more supportive when told about key provisions

Obama: Not going to walk away from health reform

States worry about Medicaid stimulus money drying up under scaled-back health bill

FDA's Ampyra approval wonderful news for people with MS experiencing walking problems

Searching for consensus, Dems consider potential of paring back health reform

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

First Edition: January 22, 2010

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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