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After tense meeting, Dems likely to ditch Medicare buy-in plan in health bill

Top Senate Democrats were prepared Monday night to sacrifice proposals to expand Medicare in a bid to win over moderates and amass the 60 votes needed to pass their health legislation, according to news reports.

15 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 15, 2009

A glance at today's health policy headlines offers a common theme: Senate Democrats are likely to abandon the Medicare buy-in plan, which just last week was heralded as part of a compromise plan in that chamber's health bill.

15 Dec 2009

Decline in reducing youth smoking and increase in smokeless tobacco use

The 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey released today by the National Institute of Drug Abuse shows that the nation continues to make gradual progress in reducing youth smoking, but declines have slowed significantly compared to the dramatic gains early in the decade. In especially troubling news, the survey also finds that smokeless tobacco use has increased among 10th and 12th graders in recent years, a period during which tobacco companies have introduced a slew of new smokeless tobacco products and significantly increased marketing for smokeless tobacco.

15 Dec 2009

Private insurance companies are subject to federal jurisdiction, affirms Tenth Circuit

On December 9, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, affirmed the federal government's position that private insurance companies are "plans" and therefore subject to federal jurisdiction.

15 Dec 2009

Lee Enterprises cancels health coverage for retirees

In an act of corporate greed, Lee Enterprises, owner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other newspapers, is canceling company-paid health insurance for scores of retirees, the Newspaper Guild of St. Louis announced today. Retirees will protest outside the Post-Dispatch building, 900 North Tucker Boulevard, in downtown St. Louis, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

15 Dec 2009

Study compares status of health care systems in U.S. and UK

The well-worn notion that patients in the United States have unfettered access to the most expensive cancer drugs while the United Kingdom's nationalized health care system regularly denies access to some high-cost treatments needs rethinking, a team of bioethicists and health policy experts says in a report out today.

15 Dec 2009

Anthem Blue Cross to receive Tri-County Commercial contract renewal award

Anthem Blue Cross announced today that the California Department of Health Care Services intends to award Anthem the Tri-County Commercial contract renewal to provide Medi-Cal benefits to residents in the Fresno, Kings and Madera Counties.

15 Dec 2009

Utah may be forced to raise Medicaid payments for dentists; mandatory student insurance would benefit Florida

News outlets report on Medicaid dental payments in Utah, student insurance in Florida, Illinois budget woes and emergency rooms in Massachusetts.

15 Dec 2009

Medicare actuary: Health costs would rise after overhaul

The Senate's health overhaul plan would cover 33 million more people but fail to curb rising health costs, could threaten some Medicare patients' access to care, and may sink profits for one-fifth of hospitals and nursing homes, according to news accounts of an HHS report released Friday afternoon.

15 Dec 2009

Experts consider public option compromise, role of OPM in health bill

Kaiser Health News talks to nine experts who weigh in on the proposed public option compromise as a possible spinoff of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to be run by the Office of Personnel Management.

14 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 14, 2009

Today's headlines reflect the mounting pressure in the Senate regarding the pending health overhaul bill -- especially as the clock ticks closer to the Christmas holiday.

14 Dec 2009

Workers and employers anxious for COBRA extension

Writing for Kaiser Health News, Andy Miller explores the current circumstances surrounding COBRA subsidies. "Congress faces mounting pressure to decide the future of a popular but temporary health insurance subsidy program -- and not just from unemployed Americans who would benefit.

14 Dec 2009

Wellpoint stock surges as public plan struggles

Indianapolis Star: "As the health-care reform debate boiled over this week, so did WellPoint's stock price. Shares of the Indianapolis-based health insurance giant surged to a 52-week high Thursday as the prospects for a new government-run 'public option' health plan faded amid intense Senate debate.

14 Dec 2009

Democrats struggling to find delicate balance on Senate health bill

The Hill: "Two key senators criticized the most recent healthcare compromise Sunday, saying the policies replacing the public option are still unacceptable. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) both said a Medicare 'buy-in' option for those aged 55-64 was a deal breaker.

13 Dec 2009

State Medicaid programs face cuts, backlog of applications

The Associated Press reports Minnesota Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that they hope to save health coverage for 35,000 low-income adults after state funding runs out in March. "Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration already plans to switch patients into another subsidized program, MinnesotaCare.

12 Dec 2009

UPMC Health Plan signs agreement to offer brain fitness software from Posit Science

UPMC Health Plan announced today that it has signed an agreement to offer award-winning brain fitness software from Posit Science®, at no cost, to all UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage members.

12 Dec 2009

Health reform profiles: People working in the health industry and those struggling with coverage

News reports today include profiles of people who work in the health care industry and people struggling with their insurance coverage.

12 Dec 2009

Health policy study roundup

Relationship of Primary Care Physicians' Patient Caseload With Measurement of Quality and Cost Performance - To "determine whether primary care physicians in the same physician practice collectively see enough Medicare patients annually to detect meaningful differences between practices in ambulatory quality and cost measures," the authors of this study combed through a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries and a database identifying the practice affiliations of the physicians who delivered care to these patients.

12 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 11, 2009

Today's headlines track the fits and starts of the Senate's health bill debate, including moderates' concern regarding the recent Medicare expansion deal and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's positive reaction to it. Meanwhile, floor action appears snagged on a drug importation amendment.

11 Dec 2009

Pfizer extends its patient assistance program for unemployed and uninsured Americans

Pfizer today announced it will extend its MAINTAIN™ (Medicines Assistance for Those who Are in Need) patient assistance program for an additional year, through December 31, 2010. In addition to the more than 70 Pfizer primary care medicines currently available through MAINTAIN, Pfizer will extend the benefits of MAINTAIN to many legacy Wyeth medicines.

11 Dec 2009