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Medica's clinic-based chronic care management program delivers promising results

Medica’s clinic-based chronic care management program with six clinic partners shows that focusing on care coordination is beginning to deliver promising results. A recent program evaluation reported that members participating in the clinical pilots had 1 percent more doctor visits and 3 percent more prescription fills than members with similar conditions seen in traditional clinic settings.

19 Dec 2009

NPRC urges Senators to work for final passage of the health care reform bill

Saying that "Hispanics have more at stake in the health care reform debate than any other group because we're least likely to be insured," the new President of the National Puerto Rican Coalition today urged Senators to "keep working" on getting the 60 votes necessary for final passage of the health care reform legislative package being assembled by Majority Leader Harry Reid.

19 Dec 2009

Wisconsin cuts $600 million from Medicaid budget, still faces deficit

The Associated Press reports that the top Wisconsin health official said Thursday that the state is "on track to cut more than $600 million from Medicaid, but even with those reductions, high demand from the poor for insurance benefits could result in up to a $150 million shortfall."

18 Dec 2009

Laid-off workers may get COBRA help before Christmas

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold writes about a COBRA extension moving through Congress. "A proposal to extend the health insurance subsidies for Americans who have lost jobs as a result of the recession is one step closer to gaining congressional approval.

18 Dec 2009

Roundup of health policy research and analyses

Urban Institute/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: What Would Health Care Reform Mean for Small Employers and Their Workers? - "Small employers and their workers face a broad assortment of barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage today," such as "high administrative costs, limited ability to spread health care risk, and a low-wage workforce."

18 Dec 2009

The backstories of politicians scrambling on health legislation

Politico: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has kept his legislative strategy for the health overhaul under wraps, even from his closest lieutenants. "As Reid works furiously to line up the 60 votes he needs for the most sweeping health care bill in generations, the majority leader is playing an insider's insider's game. He's having private, one-on-one conversations with colleagues, and he's not sharing the contents with others.

18 Dec 2009

COBRA extension moves forward - in defense appropriations bill

Modern Healthcare: "The Senate is expected to vote on a fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill by this weekend that would extend a health insurance subsidy for laid-off workers through February 2010. The House has approved the subsidy extension for the COBRA program, which was tucked into the $636.3 billion Defense appropriations bill."

18 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 18, 2009

The highlights from today's headlines focus on continuing movement in the Senate toward a pre-Christmas health overhaul vote -- but many questions about its cost, and how many votes it can attract, persist.

18 Dec 2009

NHCAA, LearnSomething partner to develop a fraud, waste and abuse compliance training solution

The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, the leading national organization focused exclusively on the fight against health care fraud, has partnered with LearnSomething, Inc., to develop a compliance training solution that satisfies the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) requirement for fraud, waste and abuse training.

18 Dec 2009

One quarter of Detroit-area Arab Americans reported personal or familial abuse since 9/11

One quarter of Detroit-area Arab Americans reported personal or familial abuse because of race, ethnicity or religion since 9/11, leading to higher odds of adverse health effects, according to a new University of Michigan study.

18 Dec 2009

CHA's statements on ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009’

The Catholic Health Association is pleased to learn of the work being done to improve the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. As we understand it, the Senate intends to keep the President's commitment that no federal funds will pay for abortions and in addition, provide significant new support for pregnant women.

18 Dec 2009

Fine print of Senate health reform bill would lead to pre-emption of state patient protection laws

Key members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a warning to Senate and House leaders that the fine print of the Senate health reform bill would strip many states, including California and Maine, of hard-won patient rights and benefit requirements, reported Consumer Watchdog.

18 Dec 2009

National Health Partners to launch two sales campaigns

National Health Partners, Inc., a leading provider of unique discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it will be launching sales campaigns through two new prestigious business partners that are expected to yield more than 5,500 new members per month for the company.

18 Dec 2009

Interactive health assessment system from RedBrick Health

RedBrick Health, the Health EarningsSM company, today announced the launch of its own next-generation, highly interactive health assessment. Integral to RedBrick’s Health Earnings System, the company’s new health assessment is compact, conversational and graphical, all significant departures from conventional health assessments.

18 Dec 2009

ELH offers vision product line for North Carolina and Tennessee employers

Eastern Life & Health Insurance Company (ELH), a subsidiary of Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EIHI), announced today that its vision product line will now be available to North Carolina and Tennessee employers.

18 Dec 2009

Sen. Nelson rejects abortion compromise

Reuters: "Democratic hopes for passing a broad healthcare overhaul in the U.S. Senate by Christmas took a hit on Thursday when a party holdout, Ben Nelson, rejected a compromise on abortion aimed at winning his vote. ... Democrats have no margin of error -- they control exactly 60 votes and face so far unified Republican opposition.

17 Dec 2009

Report estimates how many would gain coverage under senate health bill

Families USA analyzed Congressional Budget Office data to estimate how many people would gain health insurance coverage if the Senate bill passes. Some local news outlets report on how their state would be affected.

17 Dec 2009

Pelosi signals openness to bill without public option, others also eye possibilities

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled Wednesday that she is open to health care reform that doesn't include a public option, "a strong signal that Congress could agree on a plan early next year," McClatchy reports.

17 Dec 2009

HCC Medical Insurance Services develops business and customer relationships through social media

There was a time when customers had to make personal visits to receive assistance. To make these tasks more convenient and cost-effective, companies developed automated systems to support customers 24/7. However, as popular radio host Clark Howard frequently comments, the result has been “customer no service.”

17 Dec 2009

New comparison of subsidized COBRA premiums and non-group health insurance premiums

Today eHealth, Inc. released a new comparison of subsidized individual COBRA premiums and non-group health insurance premiums for individuals using data derived from eHealth's December 2009 Cost and Benefits Report and a Families USA Foundation report released in January 2009.

17 Dec 2009