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States and firms seek health reform funds while opposing law

News outlets are reporting that some states and businesses who oppose parts or all of the health reform law are applying for the financial relief it provides.

3 Sep 2010

Survey finds modest rise in health coverage costs

The Washington Post: "Amid high unemployment and a weak economy, employers have been shifting health care costs to workers, according to a study released Thursday. The premiums that employees pay for employer-sponsored family coverage rose an average of 13.7 percent this year, while the amount that employers contribute fell by 0.9 percent, the survey found.

3 Sep 2010

Health Reform Politics: Florida Court on ballot question; Repeal campaign touted by Conservatives; Nebraska flap

The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that targeted the new federal-health reform law, ruling that state lawmakers included misleading wording that could not be fixed.

2 Sep 2010

Employers from nearly every sector of economy applying for health overhaul's early retiree subsidies

Seven states that are suing the federal government to throw out the health overhaul are also readying to take subsidies that will help them afford medical costs for retirees, The Associated Press reports. "An administration official said Tuesday seven states suing the federal government are among 16 already approved for subsidies to help with the health care costs of early retirees. The seven are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Nevada."

2 Sep 2010

Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Modern Healthcare: Health reform has left "industry executives scrambling to project what will happen to revenue and expenses in the coming decade." Some are using models to guess what will happen when payments change for Medicare and Medicaid. "The models, released or under development by trade groups, including the American Hospital Association, Greater New York Hospital Association, and Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, don't produce reliable projections, but rather a best guess — or many guesses

2 Sep 2010

Support slips for health reform law, new KFF poll shows

In this Kaiser Health News short take, Laurie McGinley writes: "Public support for the health overhaul declined in August, a development sure to stir concerns among the Obama administration and congressional Democrats seeking to shore up support for the law in the months leading up to the mid-term elections" (McGinley, 8/31).

2 Sep 2010

Tech News: Feds name health IT certifiers; IBM seeks to crack China's health sector

Federal health officials gave two firms -- the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology in Chicago, Ill., and the Drummond Group in Austin, Texas, -- the power to certify electronic medical record vendors effective immediately, The Hill reports. "As providers move toward mandatory adoption of EHR systems, HHS created an incentive program designed to encourage the transition." Hospitals and doctors can receive payments for achieving "meaningful use," a set of requirements laid out by federal officials.

2 Sep 2010

First Edition: August 31, 2010

"These days, you may leave your dentist's office with more than a toothbrush and dental floss in your bag. Thousands of dentists are offering patients health-care credit cards to cover the work that needs to be done, with seemingly hard-to-resist repayment terms. If you need care and don't have insurance to cover it or cash in hand, it's tempting to sign up" (Kaiser Health News).

31 Aug 2010

Uninsured Maine adults with mental illness struggle to get care; Florida continues to push to repeal reform

Kennebec (Maine) Journal: "A growing number of uninsured Mainers with mental illness are falling through the cracks of the health care system because of state budget cuts and financial strains on nonprofits, according to state officials and private agencies. Just as when someone goes without treatment for a toothache and ends up in the ER, the lack of access to regular mental health care means illnesses are getting more expensive and patients are getting sicker, officials said."

31 Aug 2010

Liberal health reform group pushing hard to save lawmakers, Berwick won't disclose donors

Politico: The liberal health group Health Care for America Now is "fighting hard to help reelect lawmakers who voted for the [health reform] bill — even if it means not talking about it. … HCAN activists say they are not dodging their key issue; rather, they want to keep pace with voter concerns, which have markedly shifted over the past year.

31 Aug 2010

KHN column: As reform improves the overall market, inefficient insurers could take hits

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, done in collaboration with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes about how the insurance market will change as a result of the health overhaul.

30 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 30, 2010

Today's headlines include reports about the market challenges public hospitals are facing as well as the record number of Americans now receiving government assistance such as Medicaid.

30 Aug 2010

Queensland Health: neglect and red tape

After a recent death of a four year old girl following an inquest at the regional Doomadgee hospital in northwest of Queensland on 23rd July 2009, a severe doctor shortage in the region has been finally realised, despite the availibility of skilled pediatricians.

30 Aug 2010

ACOs to offer better coordinate care for patients

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that provider groups in California, including physician groups, independent practice associations, hospitals and medical foundations, are beginning to shape their role in the anticipated shift towards accountable care organizations (ACO).

30 Aug 2010

Weekend Update: Use of high deductible insurance plans rises; Rubio assails health law; Medicaid vs. schools

The New York Times takes a look at the use of high deductible health insurance plans linked to tax exempt savings accounts and points out that although the plans have been growing in use, the new federal health law may make them "less attractive, if new rules, yet to be announced, require lower deductibles and impose other restrictions."

30 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare illusions, small biz perks, abortion regs and more

Americans told lawmakers in Washington that they wanted reforms that would lower costs; Democrats in Congress increased them. They said they wanted Medicare protected; Democrat leaders used it as a piggy bank, cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare to help pay for this massive new government expansion of health care (Sen. Mitch McConnell, 8/26).

27 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Sebelius on EMRs, primary care's role in reform and more

Health care providers may agree with the benefits of electronic health records. But they also believed that adopting them was too difficult and expensive. … [T]hat's changing - in large part due to an ambitious investment we made in the Recovery Act to reduce many of the obstacles that limited the spread of electronic health records in the past (HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 8/26).

27 Aug 2010

AARP Report finds increase in brand-name drug costs outstrips inflation

"Retail prices for some of the most widely used brand-name prescription drugs shot up more than 8 percent in 2009, even as inflation plummeted to a record low, according to a new AARP analysis of retail drug price trends released today.

26 Aug 2010

Aon Consulting survey finds increase in monthly COBRA contributions for terminated employees

As the national unemployment rate continues to hover around 10 percent, health care costs for those jobless Americans have seen a year-over-year increase, according to Aon Consulting, the global benefits and human capital consulting business of Aon Corporation.

26 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 26, 2010

Highlights from today's headlines include the latest political developments surrounding health reform as well as news about California's health insurance premium rates.

26 Aug 2010

Health Reform News and Research

States and firms seek health reform funds while opposing law

Survey finds modest rise in health coverage costs

Health Reform Politics: Florida Court on ballot question; Repeal campaign touted by Conservatives; Nebraska flap

Employers from nearly every sector of economy applying for health overhaul's early retiree subsidies

Models show complex changes in payment system, revenue for hospitals in Medicare

Support slips for health reform law, new KFF poll shows

Tech News: Feds name health IT certifiers; IBM seeks to crack China's health sector

First Edition: August 31, 2010

Uninsured Maine adults with mental illness struggle to get care; Florida continues to push to repeal reform

Liberal health reform group pushing hard to save lawmakers, Berwick won't disclose donors

KHN column: As reform improves the overall market, inefficient insurers could take hits

First Edition: August 30, 2010

Queensland Health: neglect and red tape

ACOs to offer better coordinate care for patients

Weekend Update: Use of high deductible insurance plans rises; Rubio assails health law; Medicaid vs. schools

Today's Opinions: Medicare illusions, small biz perks, abortion regs and more

Today's Opinions: Sebelius on EMRs, primary care's role in reform and more

AARP Report finds increase in brand-name drug costs outstrips inflation

Aon Consulting survey finds increase in monthly COBRA contributions for terminated employees

First Edition: August 26, 2010

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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