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Evidence-based care for lung cancer patients results in an average cost savings of 35%, says study

A study recently conducted by US Oncology and Aetna finds that evidence-based care for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) results in an average cost savings of 35 percent over 12 months while demonstrating equivalent health outcomes. The study, which compared patients treated with evidence-based guidelines (also known as ‘on pathway’) to those treated with non-evidence-based guidelines (also known as ‘off pathway’), was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Oncology Practice.

12 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 12, 2010

Today's news coverage details developments related to pending health reform plans with President Obama's meeting with organized labor regarding the 'Cadillac' tax claiming a lot of headlines.

12 Jan 2010

American Lung Association releases State of Tobacco Control 2009 report

The American Lung Association today released its State of Tobacco Control 2009 report, which grades the strength of federal and state laws to protect citizens from tobacco-caused illnesses.

12 Jan 2010

IAM votes to oppose any health care reform legislation funded by taxing workers' existing health care benefits

The Executive Council of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has voted unanimously to oppose any health care reform legislation that is funded by taxing the value of workers' existing health care benefits.

12 Jan 2010

Pan-American Benefits Solutions launched to provide limited medical group benefits in the U.S.

Pan-American Life Insurance Group, a leading provider of insurance and financial services, announced today the launch of its new member company, Pan-American Benefits Solutions, Inc.

12 Jan 2010

Insurance mandates spark GOP fight while proposed insurance pools, abortion issues are examined

The Wall Street Journal: "As congressional Democrats try to iron out differences in the House and Senate health-care bills, Republicans are attacking the legal premise of the legislation, saying Congress has no power to make people carry health insurance or pay a penalty or tax." The article also notes that some experts say the provision — if passed — could become fodder for a constitutional challenge on congressional authority.

12 Jan 2010

In weekly address, Obama focuses on immediate benefits of health bill

"President Obama said Saturday that Americans would see immediate benefits from a landmark overhaul of the nation's health insurance system, and he urged Congress to reconcile swiftly differences on the legislation so it could be signed into law in the coming weeks," The New York Times reports.

12 Jan 2010

Obama to meet with labor leaders to push 'Cadillac' tax in health overhaul legislation

"President Barack Obama, facing growing resistance among Democrats over his support for taxing health benefits, will confront U.S. labor leaders and House lawmakers this week on the issue."

11 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 11, 2010

Today's headlines highlight Democrats' ongoing efforts to blend the House- and Senate-passed versions of health reform and Republican's continuing efforts to criticize the legislation.

11 Jan 2010

Experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine comment on healthcare reform

Johns Hopkins Medicine has several experts who can discuss health care reform as evident in these two opinion pieces.

9 Jan 2010

Reform will save and create millions of more jobs, says Speaker Pelosi

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on a new report released today by the Center for American Progress that shows that health insurance reform will create up to 4 million more jobs over the next decade than would be created without reform. The report finds that health care reform could increase the number of jobs in the United States by about 250,000 to 400,000 per year over the coming decade.

9 Jan 2010

House Democrats tussling on taxes, exchanges in health bill negotiations

The Washington Post: "Worried House Democrats held a caucus-wide conference call Thursday to strategize about health-care reform before lawmakers return to Washington next week. ... With Senate Democrats barely able to muster the 60 votes necessary to pass their own bill and President Obama leaning toward the Senate's position on some key issues, House Democrats are increasingly concerned that they could be marginalized at the bargaining table."

9 Jan 2010

Insurers hope to sway House-Senate agreement over regulation, taxes

House and Senate lawmakers as well as insurance companies all agree on the need for health insurance exchanges that would allow people who don't get coverage from their employers to shop for better values and compare plans.

9 Jan 2010

HumanaOne expands individual Short Term health insurance product

In these difficult economic times, it is not unusual for people to find themselves temporarily without insurance, through no fault of their own. To fill this need, HumanaOne®, the individual health arm of Humana, is expanding its individual Short Term health insurance product to five additional states.

9 Jan 2010

Tech Roundup: Virtual visits, EMR loans and a new e-prescribing tool

The New York Times: "Telemedicine has the potential to improve quality of care by allowing clinicians in one 'control center' to monitor, consult and even care for and perform procedures on patients in multiple locations," Doctor and Patient columnist Pauline Chen writes. "A rural primary care practitioner who sees a patient with a rare skin lesion, for example, can get expert consultation from a dermatologist at a center hundreds of miles away."

9 Jan 2010

Hurdles to clear in the Senate's reform endgame, and possible 2010 consequences

President Barack Obama met Thursday with Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the chairmen who steered the Senate's version of the health overhaul through the finance and health committees, Roll Call reports. It is one sign of Obama becoming an increasingly active participant as the debate nears its endgame (Drucker and Koffler, 1/7).

8 Jan 2010

Health policy research roundup: Long-term care, diabetes disparities, health IT

Annals of Internal Medicine: Cultural Competency Training and Performance Reports to Improve Diabetes Care for Black Patients - In this study, researchers measure the effects cultural competency training and performance training for physicians has on the clinical outcomes for black patients with diabetes.

8 Jan 2010

About 3 million lose health coverage in California

About 3 million poor Californians lost health benefits or access to health care, and thousands more lost their jobs due to state budget cuts imposed six months ago, according to a report released Thursday.

8 Jan 2010

Centene announces financial guidance for the year 2010

Centene Corporation announced today its 2010 financial guidance. As previously disclosed in our December 10, 2009 press release, the discussions below reflect anticipated start-up costs associated with the new Mississippi contract, announced pharmacy carve-outs in Indiana and Ohio, and the impact of January 2010 rate changes; but do not reflect the potential impact of federal healthcare reform.

8 Jan 2010

New Jersey nonprofit bucks the trend of skyrocketing health insurance costs

One New Jersey nonprofit is bucking the trend of skyrocketing health insurance costs while Congress wrangles with health care reform. Through an entrepreneurial business model, self-insurance and the use of a Voluntary Employee Benefits Association (VEBA), Community Access Unlimited (CAU) has limited increases in health insurance costs to just 3.3 percent in each of the last five years and saved more than $1 million during that time. CAU will have a 0.0 percent increase in 2010 and will expand coverage.

8 Jan 2010