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First Edition: May 31, 2011

Today's headlines include articles on the federal efforts to improve hospital quality, the politics of Medicare and the move by some GOP governors to set up health exchanges.

31 May 2011

Doctor rating website upsets medical groups

Australian doctors are miffed about a website that will for the first time publicly rank the performance of the nation's medical practitioners. The Newcastle-based health fund NIB will launch a website - whitecoat.com.au next month which will compare dentists, physiotherapists and other health providers on the internet. But the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says it is certain to make unfair comparisons.

29 May 2011

Research Roundup: Medicaid co-payments, access to docs causes worse health

Disparities In Child Access To Emergency Care For Acute Oral Injury -- This study looked at the "impact of insurance status on dental practices' willingness to schedule an appointment for a child with a symptomatic fractured permanent front tooth." Six researchers posed as mothers of 10-year-old boys who all had the same injury but different coverage: Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or private Blue Cross dental insurance.

27 May 2011

Viewpoints: Medicare controversy continues to raise outrage, prescriptions, vivid prose

The key to any reform is tackling the whole problem, not just one piece — like health care spending by the federal government, for example, or even the public sector as a whole. Unless spending on health care is curbed systemwide, federal reforms run the risk of just shifting skyrocketing costs to those least able to handle this added burden.

27 May 2011

Report: Budget impact of health law defunding unclear

A new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation found the actual impact of GOP proposals to defund the health law "unclear" because too many variables are involved in the calculation.

27 May 2011

Roundup: Calif., Iowa hope to streamline mental health care delivery; Wis. battle with public employee unions continues

Over and over yesterday, in two separate Health and Human Services budget subcommittee hearings, officials insisted that eliminating the California Department of Mental Health was not a diminishment of services, but rather a reorganization.

27 May 2011

Fallout from NY-26 election makes Dems gleeful, Republicans defensive

The results from the special congressional election in New York earlier this week have caused Democrats to feel that their political fortunes may be turning on the issues of the GOP proposal to revamp Medicare. Republicans are scrambling to refine their message.

27 May 2011

GOP presidential hopefuls offer Medicare, health reform opinions

Pawlenty offers his Medicare policy positions with care while California Healthline looks at steps he took during his tenure as Minnesota's governor to refashion the state's health system. Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich vows to repeal the health law.

27 May 2011

Next round of arguments in health law appeals process will be marked by tough questioning

The Obama administration can expect tough questioning from the three appeals judges chosen Wednesday to hear the multi-state challenge to the health care reform law. Unlike the three Democratic appointees who heard the first appeals arguments in Richmond earlier this month, the 11th Circuit panel includes judges appointed by presidents of both parties. The Atlanta-based court is slated to hear appeal arguments June 8.

27 May 2011

State roundup: Budget battles continue in statehouses

Massachusetts labor leaders have given up their full-throated battle to protect certain collective bargaining rights amid an increasing likelihood that the Legislature will empower local governments to raise the health insurance costs of teachers, firefighters, and other municipal employees.

27 May 2011

Americans happy with Medicaid as it is

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released on Wednesday, more than half of Americans do not want Medicaid funding cut and are skeptical of changing how the federal government funds the healthcare program for the poor.

26 May 2011

Geisinger reports positive results with computer-assisted and NLC-driven intelligent workflow solution

Geisinger Health System, widely recognized for its implementation of innovative care models, is among the first healthcare organizations in the nation to deploy advanced technology that combines a Computer-Assisted Coding application with Natural Language Comprehension™ (NLC) in order to improve clinical documentation and coding accuracy.

26 May 2011

First Edition: May 26, 2011

"If 60 Plus' goal was to inoculate Corwin from attacks on the Medicare issue, the effort failed badly. Corwin was beaten soundly by Democratic opponent Kathy Hochul, partly because of voter fears about House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's proposal to sharply transform Medicare".

26 May 2011

Disputes over ACO rule, IPAB, MLR, health law continue

Some hot topics -- the IPAB, the medical-loss ratio rule and the health law's impact on employer-sponsored health care -- also claim headlines today. Meanwhile, MinnPost analyzes executive orders - including a controversial one on health care - by former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, now a GOP presidential candidate.

26 May 2011

Many young adults couldn't afford needed health care: New Commonwealth Fund report

Young adults ages 19-29 are struggling to get the health care they need more than almost any other age group, demonstrating the need for Affordable Care Act provisions, some already in place, that will expand health insurance and make it more affordable, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.

26 May 2011

State Legislatures struggling with efforts to fund health programs

A second measure designed to streamline state government advanced late Tuesday as the Senate voted to merge several agencies for the disabled and a rehab program for injured workers into a new social services bureau.

26 May 2011

Texas considers performance-based payments; Calif. docs oppose mammography bill

As crafted, SB 8 gives the Health and Human Services Commission permission to test various performance-based payment programs to increase efficiency and find ways to link payments to improved patient outcomes. Despite a few clarifying amendments, lawmakers' efforts to tack on controversial measures like abortion and end-of-life reporting, Medical Board reform and scope-of-practice expansions were knocked down.

26 May 2011

Poll finds popularity for Medicaid program

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that most Americans oppose the GOP plan to cut Medicaid, throwing into question the conventional wisdom that this health insurance program for the poor lacks the widespread public support generally attached to Medicare.

26 May 2011

First Edition: May 25, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Most Americans oppose the House Republicans' plan to overhaul and slash funding of Medicaid, the state-federal program that covers 56 million low-income people, according to a poll being released today".

25 May 2011

GP groups call for reinvestment into successful mental health program

United General Practice Australia – the coalition of the peak groups representing Australia’s general practitioners – has issued a strong united statement calling on the government to expand the Better Access program to meet the demand for mental healthcare in the community rather than reducing Medicare patient rebates for vital mental health services.

25 May 2011