The Community Cares Coalition (CoCares) - a national coalition of community long term care businesses and organizations providing key services to the skilled nursing community - today said that while long term care businesses support reform measures to increase efficiencies in the healthcare system and promote cost savings, the current reform proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives and a recent administrative rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') that cut $44 billion Medicare funds to long term care will have the opposite impact on nursing home care and the businesses and organizations that support the nation's long term care sector. [More]

At their General Council Meeting in Saskatoon today, Canada's doctors strongly supported the New Brunswick Medical Society's struggle against their government's violation of a duly ratified contract agreement. [More]

Governor Edward G. Rendell has signed into law Senate Bill 240, a measure to update and enhance Pennsylvania's existing Emergency Medical Services Act. The law was first enacted in 1985. [More]

Today the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) denounced Introduced Resolution 1714, which would ban Suffolk teens under the age of 18 from using a sun-bed. [More]

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) today released a side-by-side comparison of chronic care provisions contained within health reform legislation passed out of committee. [More]

New Jersey significantly reformed its mental illness treatment law on August 11th when Governor Corzine signed Senate Bill 735 into law. Senator Richard Codey and countless advocates battled for years to give New Jersey a way to better help those who refuse treatment because of incapacitating symptoms of illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. “Our goal is to minimize time in the hospital and keep patients in the least restrictive environment that will help foster their recovery,” said Codey. [More]

During a recent visit to The American Legion headquarters here, U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., said that the maintenance of high quality health care for veterans is at the very top of his list of priorities. Within a week, Filner, who is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has demonstrated his advocacy and response to Legion concerns by introducing legislation long championed by the Legion that would materially aid Medicare-eligible vets. [More]

The Associated Press reports: "Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. [More]

"A Quinnipiac University poll released today suggests the public continues to be wary of health care legislation as members of Congress work through the August recess to sell President Obama's plan to voters," USA Today's On Politics blog reports (Fritze, 8/5). [More]

The Associated Press reports on lobbying around biotechnology legislation. A letter urging the protection of biotech drug makers from generics from "the private National Health Council, sent to House leaders drafting health overhaul legislation, said the plea was on behalf of 'the more than 133 million Americans living with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.' [More]

"Senate Democrats will consider approving legislation overhauling the U.S. health-care system without Republican support if the opposition doesn't agree to a bipartisan plan by mid-September, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said," Bloomberg reports. [More]

In the final week of debate before the Senate recess, the Finance Committee continues talks on bipartisan legislation, but both Republicans and Democrats are ramping up their health care rhetoric and considering more drastic options. [More]

Inter Press Service examines several civil society organizations' argument that legislative measures aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, "hurt more" than they "help." There are 58 countries with laws in place to "prosecute HIV transmission" and 33 others where such legislation is being considered, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. [More]

"The House Energy and Commerce Committee resumed work Thursday on major health care legislation, voting to establish a government-run health insurance plan, as top Republicans stepped up their criticism of the ambitious legislation," The New York Times reports. [More]

As lawmakers disagree over which taxes to raise to pay for health care reform, they "also face another problem: They're confronting the fear that's made it hard to raise taxes for more than 30 years. [More]