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AARP calls for Idaho's members of Congress to support real health care reform

As the debate over health care reform is expected to pick up in the Senate after Thanksgiving, notices of health care premium increases are hitting mailboxes across Idaho -- leaving many families wondering how they'll be able to afford the hikes. While high health care costs have left nearly 15% of Idaho without insurance, as benefits run out for the state's 67,300 jobless residents that number will jump in the coming months.

25 Nov 2009

Healthways and Physicians Health Choice agree to provide SilverSneakers Fitness Program

Healthways, Inc. and Physicians Health Choice today announced an agreement to provide the Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program, the nation’s leading exercise program for older adults, to eligible Physicians Health Choice plan members in Texas, Florida, New Mexico and Arkansas beginning in January 2010.

25 Nov 2009

Results of impact of 2010 CMS Physician Fee Schedule survey released

The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has released the initial results of a survey about the impact of the 2010 CMS Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on patients and practices.

25 Nov 2009

Great Lakes Health Plan rated among Top 20 Medicaid health plans

Great Lakes Health Plan (GLHP), part of AmeriChoice, is rated among the nation’s Top 20 Medicaid health plans according to the 2009-10 U.S. News & World Report/National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) survey of “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans.”

25 Nov 2009

SBI urges Congress to exclude the USPSTF guidelines from health care legislation

Several sections of Senate health care reform legislation contain language stipulating that insurance entities such as private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid would only be required to cover services receiving a specific grade from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. Presently, this would exclude mammography services for women 40-49, would only require coverage of biennial (every other year) coverage for women 50-74, and exclude coverage for those 74 and older.

25 Nov 2009

Anthem members in Bangor and Presque Isle can now visit their physician without leaving home

Thanks to an innovative program recently developed between Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine, some Anthem members in Bangor and Presque Isle can now "visit" their physician without leaving home.

25 Nov 2009

Hospital officials report job cuts, concern about possible effects of reform

Several news outlets find that hospital executives are worried about their facilities' finances, and for a Chicago hospital the prospect of health care reform brings even more concerns.

24 Nov 2009

KHN column: Answers from Iowa

In this Kaiser Health News column, Michael L. Millenson writes about insights one could gain from paying attention to what's happening in Iowa. "The Des Moines home of the Chicago Cubs' AAA farm team boasts of being 'one of the top minor league facilities in the country.' This might also be an accurate description of the State of Iowa's political status, in which its quadrennial presidential caucuses help determine who advances to the Big Show."

24 Nov 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

If this were a presidential election year, a recent report by the Iowa Committee for Value in Healthcare would be reaping a lot of attention. Its sponsors say they know the "secret sauce" that allows Iowa to care for one of the highest percentage of "old old" in the country on modest Medicare reimbursement and yet still score near the top of the nation on a slew of quality indicators (Michael Millenson, 11/24).

24 Nov 2009

Ad audit: Congress' former fiscal expert attacks health overhaul effort

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau examines an ad advanced by the Employment Policies Institute.

24 Nov 2009

New Medicare rules on home-oxygen affect patients, businesses

The Wall Street Journal: "New Medicare rules designed to reduce waste and fraud in medical-equipment reimbursements are driving some home-oxygen suppliers out of business and leaving patients scrambling to find new providers." The rules - scheduled to go into effect January 1, apply to people "who rely on Medicare to pay for oxygen services, which relieve the symptoms of conditions such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

24 Nov 2009

Fourth-quarter and fiscal year-end 2009 results announced by IASIS Healthcare

IASIS Healthcare® LLC today announced financial and operating results for the fiscal fourth quarter and year ended September 30, 2009.

24 Nov 2009

Americans with hepatitis C are at increased risk of developing liver cancer, says NVHR

New peer-reviewed data finding that fewer than one-fifth of the nearly 4 million Americans infected with chronic hepatitis C virus have received anti-viral therapy in recent years should be a wake-up call that Congress needs to move urgently on bipartisan legislation to support new state-based detection, research, and surveillance efforts, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) said today.

24 Nov 2009

Premier Purchasing Partners announces new agreements for flooring carpet and resilient

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for flooring carpet and resilient.

24 Nov 2009

Health reform bill: 10 key positive and negative consumer protection provisions

Consumer Watchdog released a list today of the 10 key positive and negative consumer protection provisions of the U.S. Senate health reform bill, HR 3590, which passed an important procedural vote this weekend.

24 Nov 2009

Update from GeckoSystems regarding its CareBot elder care robot

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. announced today that since their first annual "Mobile Robots in Motion" conference earlier this month, they have been solicited by another first tier contract manufacturer interested in the high volume manufacture of their product line. GeckoSystems is a dynamic leader in the emerging Mobile Service Robot industry revolutionizing their development and usage with "Mobile Robot Solutions for Safety, Security and Service™."

24 Nov 2009

Reports highlighting the benefits of health insurance reform released

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of Health Insurance Reform: The Case for Change, a series of state-by-state reports highlighting the benefits of health insurance reform.

24 Nov 2009

Kaiser Permanente has the top-ranked Medicare health plan in the United States

Kaiser Permanente has the top-ranked Medicare health plan in the nation, according to a joint ranking by U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The December 2009 issue, "America's Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10," ranked the nation's top commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid health plans based on clinical quality data, member satisfaction and NCQA accreditation scores. The announcement comes as beneficiaries review their choices for the Medicare Annual Election Period, which runs through Dec. 31.

24 Nov 2009

RetireSafe urges America's seniors to protest the massive cuts to Medicare

While the Senate Democrats moved forward to begin the debate on their health care "reform" bill this weekend, RetireSafe, a 400,000 supporter strong grassroots senior advocacy group, is calling on all of America's seniors to grab their bullhorns to protest the massive cuts to Medicare.

24 Nov 2009

Tips to redress health insurance plan problems

If you have a problem with your health insurance plan, there are steps you can take to get the service you need. California's Office of the Patient Advocate encourages Californians to speak up if they are having problems with their health plan and report any complaints. Start by explaining your problem to your doctor and your health insurance plan.

24 Nov 2009