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First Edition: January 28, 2011

Today's headlines include reports that President Obama is expected to really the health reform troops in a speech today.

28 Jan 2011

New research shows employer-sponsored plans to decline more slowly than commonly thought

Contrary to fears that recent health care legislation will trigger a rapid decline in employer-sponsored health coverage in the U.S., management consulting firm Booz & Company today published new research that shows employer-sponsored plans will decline more slowly and less steeply than commonly thought.

28 Jan 2011

ACP details challenges facing the U.S. health care system

"The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis in our health care system," reported J. Fred Ralston Jr., president of the American College of Physicians (ACP), at today's annual State of the Nation's Health Care briefing. "We face a crisis in affordable health insurance coverage. We have more uninsured people than ever before. We still are facing a crisis in access to primary care. Health care costs are increasing at rates that the country-and individual families-can't afford."

28 Jan 2011

GOP focuses health law attacks during two House hearings

The hearings represent the first of what will likely be a long list of hearings and new legislation designed to question and denounce the new health law. With the measure in the spotlight, the debate surrounding its fiscal impact also is a "hot topic." Meanwhile, some Democrats who last year opposed the health overhaul are starting to find value in it.

27 Jan 2011

Roundup: Calif. wrestles with prison health costs; Texas legislator challenges GOP thinking; Mass. Gov. seeks remedy for municipal workers' health expenses

Amid California's budget crisis, the receiver put in charge of the prison health system by a federal judge has spent $82 million on blueprints for medical facilities that have been largely scrapped, more than $50,000 a month on an architectural consultant and millions hiring medical professionals — more per inmate than in many other states.

27 Jan 2011

NHS reforms & proposed spending questioned

According to John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King’s Fund, deaths from heart attacks and cancer in the UK are falling despite lower spending on health than in countries such as France. This, he said calls attention to the Government’s claim that poor outcomes justify a £1.4 billion restructuring of the NHS that will pass control of budgets from managers to GPs. He said, “Comparing health outcomes across countries is complex and not simply down to healthcare spending, but these trends must challenge one of the government’s key justifications for reforming the NHS.”

27 Jan 2011

Study examines primary care capacity challenges that states will face when Medicaid eligibility expands

A new article released online January 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine, authored by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and supported by the Geiger Gibson/ RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative, examines primary care capacity challenges that states will face when Medicaid eligibility expands in 2014, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

27 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 27, 2011

In today's headlines, a range of health policy news -- including House hearings advanced by the GOP to further their repeal efforts and more reports about the budget deficit.

27 Jan 2011

ACS NSQIP Pediatric helps hospitals prevent complications

A first of its kind surgical quality improvement program for children has the potential to identify outcomes of children's surgical care that can be targeted for quality improvement efforts to prevent complications and save lives. The results of a study of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (ACS NSQIP Peds) phase 1 pilot were published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

27 Jan 2011

Roundup: Calif. regulator gets emergency approval to oversee insurance spending; Ariz. seeks Medicaid waiver

Governors have deep differences over national health care reform, but when it comes to so-called insurance exchanges — a centerpiece of the sprawling new federal law — nearly every state is moving ahead with implementation.

27 Jan 2011

Poll findings indicate public's continued mixed feelings about health overhaul

Americans are still pretty polarized in their views of the health care overhaul law passed last year, including whether to repeal it. But a majority oppose the notion of defunding the law's provisions in order to neuter it, a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health finds (Hobson, 1/25).

27 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 25, 2011

Today's health policy headlines include speculation about what President Barack Obama will say during tonight's State of The Union address and how the GOP will respond to it.

25 Jan 2011

Despite congressional policy clashes, state-level innovation could be marked by bipartisan cooperation

Meanwhile, in other health reform policy news, Arizona tries a new work-around related to federal Medicaid rules, conservative think-tanks develop policy alternatives for the "repeal-replace" environment and the Administration weighs in regarding an ongoing Michigan challenge to the health law.

25 Jan 2011

Press Ganey updates Value-Based Purchasing Calculator to reflect VBP guidelines

The recently unveiled Press Ganey Value-Based Purchasing Calculator has been updated to reflect the latest proposed VBP guidelines issued by CMS earlier this month. The calculator is a solution which helps Press Ganey hospital clients understand how much they stand to lose each year, as well as how to target the areas for improvement that are most likely to optimize VBP reimbursement.

25 Jan 2011

EBRI findings show employers and workers expect increase in health benefit costs

New findings by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) show that both employers and workers say they are not very knowledgeable about health reform, but that employers say they are likely to pass along any health benefit cost increases to workers -- and, mostly, workers are expecting such cost increases.

25 Jan 2011

Victoria’s e-health system may still yield benefits: Experts

According to e-health experts, the state government should continue to patronize Victoria’s $360 million health technology program because it was finally starting to deliver some benefits.

24 Jan 2011

AMA supports new bi-partisan bill to reform the medical liability system

The American Medical Association (AMA) sent a letter of support for legislation introduced today, H.R. 5, known as the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011. The bi-partisan bill, introduced by Representatives Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA), David Scott (D-GA), and Lamar Smith (R-TX) includes reforms intended to repair the broken medical liability system, reduce the growth of health care costs, and preserve patients’ access to medical care.

24 Jan 2011

GOP health agenda includes medical malpractice, cost concerns

The Republican House to-do list also includes action by oversight committees to investigate waivers given in regard to the health law. Meanwhile, KHN details six provisions from the sweeping measure that the GOP may seek to repeal or replace.

24 Jan 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. Ryan, kind on repeal; Opinions on what's next for health reform

The health-care law enacted by the last Congress is enormous—more than 2,000 pages—and full of provisions that will expand government control of health care and limit what individuals and employers can do. ... in the end the Senate, House, and White House will have to come together and agree on some health-care changes.

24 Jan 2011

Republicans attack health law, call for Senate repeal vote; Obama to defend law in SOTU

News outlets previewed the President's State of the Union address and discussed how the health law repeal vote might fare in the Senate.

24 Jan 2011

Health Reform News and Research

First Edition: January 28, 2011

New research shows employer-sponsored plans to decline more slowly than commonly thought

ACP details challenges facing the U.S. health care system

GOP focuses health law attacks during two House hearings

Roundup: Calif. wrestles with prison health costs; Texas legislator challenges GOP thinking; Mass. Gov. seeks remedy for municipal workers' health expenses

NHS reforms & proposed spending questioned

Study examines primary care capacity challenges that states will face when Medicaid eligibility expands

First Edition: January 27, 2011

ACS NSQIP Pediatric helps hospitals prevent complications

Roundup: Calif. regulator gets emergency approval to oversee insurance spending; Ariz. seeks Medicaid waiver

Poll findings indicate public's continued mixed feelings about health overhaul

First Edition: January 25, 2011

Despite congressional policy clashes, state-level innovation could be marked by bipartisan cooperation

Press Ganey updates Value-Based Purchasing Calculator to reflect VBP guidelines

EBRI findings show employers and workers expect increase in health benefit costs

Victoria’s e-health system may still yield benefits: Experts

AMA supports new bi-partisan bill to reform the medical liability system

GOP health agenda includes medical malpractice, cost concerns

Viewpoints: Reps. Ryan, kind on repeal; Opinions on what's next for health reform

Republicans attack health law, call for Senate repeal vote; Obama to defend law in SOTU

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