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Viewpoints: Health law undercuts labor markets; the surprising foes on Calif. Prop 45

A report out today from the Republican staff of the Senate Budget Committee highlights a critical point about Obamacare: The law's negative effect on labor markets helps explain why it will increase deficits by $131 billion over the next 10 years. This finding stands in stark contrast to Democrats' repeated assertions that the law will reduce the deficit. The public dialogue on Obamacare has thus far largely focused on how the law affects premiums and limits access to certain health insurance plans or doctors.

16 Oct 2014

State highlights: Ariz. agrees to settlement on health care for prisoners

Prop. 46 would make it mandatory for doctors to consult the database. California would become one of nine states requiring doctors to check before prescribing painkillers to first-time patients. After passing similar laws, Tennessee and New York saw a significant reduction in the number of narcotics prescriptions written. Studies have verified the correlation, but acknowledge that drug abusers may be turning to street drugs, like heroin. Many doctors in California like the database. Some have called it 'indispensable.' But they don't like being told how to practice medicine (Dembosky, 10/14).

16 Oct 2014

FTC cracks down on companies selling phony health insurance

The firms sold consumers a discount card but it offered no health insurance benefits. Also in the news, a government researcher says federal officials need to monitor billing errors and overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans.

16 Oct 2014

Colorado University to limit student work hours -- partly to ease health law coverage requirements

The University of Colorado at Boulder is limiting student employee hours to 25 a week during spring and fall semesters in response to Affordable Care Act provisions, and other CU campuses are doing the same. In a newsletter to students, CU-Boulder said the act - which requires employers to provide health insurance to employees working 30 or more hours per week, or pay fines - was the catalyst for the policy change but not the sole reason. "Not only does the policy support degree attainment as the student's primary focus, it will help assist the campus in achieving chancellor (Phil) DiStefano's initiative of increasing the six-year graduation rate," the newsletter said.

16 Oct 2014

ADHD increases major depression to bipolar disorder conversion

Young people with major depression have an increased risk of conversion to bipolar disorder if they have comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, suggest findings from a longitudinal follow-up study.

15 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

As recently as April, Obamacare was going to be the silver bullet for Republicans in this year's midterm elections. The leader of conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity said his plan was to make Obamacare "the No. 1 issue in the country." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared that the law would be "a huge disaster in 2014" and the deciding factor in November. Well, that was then. Now, three weeks from Election Day, some GOP challengers trying to knock off Democratic incumbent senators have scaled back their anti-Obamacare ads in favor of new targets such as the economy and national security (10/13).

15 Oct 2014

Revamped HealthCare.gov will deal with a new round of complications

The Associated Press reports on how the updated website, which has been overhauled in anticipation of the upcoming second enrollment season, compares with last year's version. Meanwhile, investigations continue regarding Covered California's no-bid contracts.

15 Oct 2014

Medicaid expansion plans, debates continue to roil GOP officials, cause concern for hospital execs

News outlets offer updates regarding Medicaid expansion efforts in Indiana and Ohio.

15 Oct 2014

McConnell's mixed message on Kynect, the state's health exchange

During a debate last night with Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the state's online insurance marketplace could stay but the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. In addition, news outlets report on Senate races in Arkansas and South Dakota.

15 Oct 2014

In Md. gubernatorial debate, Democrat defends his role in botched health marketplace

Anthony Brown, the state's lieutenant governor who oversaw the development of the state's online insurance marketplace, acknowledges the technical problems but points to tens of thousands of Marylanders who now have health insurance.

15 Oct 2014

Health care costs and health law politics: How issues are shaking out in public opinion and policy strategies

A poll by The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research explores American's thoughts about health insurance, peace of mind and whether the health law is keeping costs down. Meanwhile, Politico explores the GOP's chances for repeal.

15 Oct 2014

PhRMA launches new website to educate consumers about ABCs of health coverage

Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) launched Access Better Coverage.org, a new website designed to educate consumers about the ABCs of health coverage and access to prescription medicines.

14 Oct 2014

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan earns 5-Star rating from CMS

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan has earned the highest rating available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Group Health is one of only 16 plans in the country to receive this rating for 2015.

14 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Hubris is the greatest danger in wealthy countries - a sort of smug assumption that advanced technologies and emergency-preparedness plans guarantee that Ebola and other germs will not spread. It was hubris that left Toronto's top hospitals battling SARS in 2003, long after the virus was conquered in poorer Vietnam. It was hubris that led the World Health Assembly in 2013 to cut the WHO's outbreak-response budget in favor of more programs to treat cancer and heart disease.

14 Oct 2014

State highlights: Md., Minn. see small business health insurance rate changes; Texas sues AstraZeneca over Seroquel marketing

Some small businesses in Maryland will see a small drop in health insurance premiums next year, while others will pay as much as 11 percent more to cover their workers, according to rates released by state regulators Friday. The rates, which go into effect in January, only apply to small firms with up to 50 employees, and not to large or self-insured firms or individuals buying coverage on the state's health insurance exchange. Evergreen Health Cooperative sought no rate increase, and Aetna Health Inc. will raise rates only slightly, according to the rate information released by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Some UnitedHealthcare premiums will drop by about 2.5 percent (Cohn, 10/10).

14 Oct 2014

Issues on coverage: Steep Rx costs; federal plan eliminates 'transgender exclusion'

Even patients with insurance are finding that specialty drugs can quickly eat a hole in their wallets because insurers are often putting them in a special tier and demanding high consumer co-payments. Also, the State Department is getting rid of the "transgender exclusion" in it largest health plan, and some consumer advocates are suggesting that people getting coverage on the health marketplaces be allowed to get "wrap-around" plans through their employers.

14 Oct 2014

Obamacare premium increases likely in states with key Senate races

Politico reports that this could be bad news for Democrats who are running in Louisiana and Iowa -- both locations are experiencing double-digit rate hikes for individual health plans. In other news, Va. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie, a Republican, unveils a plan to replace the health law if it were to be repealed, and the New York Times take a close look at one Florida congressional contest.

14 Oct 2014

Medicare Advantage plans marked by shortcomings

The New York Times reports that these problem areas include rejection of claims for medical services and limits on prescription drug coverage. News outlets also report on ACOs grades and Medicare Advantage rate shifts.

14 Oct 2014

Medicaid backlogs persist, raising concerns as enrollment season nears

The Wall Street Journal reports that hundreds of thousands of people still don't officially have the Medicaid coverage they signed up for. Some of them began the process in late 2013. In other Medicaid news, debate in Mississippi continues regarding whether the state should pursue the expansion of the health insurance program for low-income and disabled people.

14 Oct 2014

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

In 2011, households with at least one member between ages 50 and 64 spent 8 percent of their total budget on health items, compared with 19 percent for those age 85 or over.

13 Oct 2014

Health Insurance News and Research

Viewpoints: Health law undercuts labor markets; the surprising foes on Calif. Prop 45

State highlights: Ariz. agrees to settlement on health care for prisoners

FTC cracks down on companies selling phony health insurance

Colorado University to limit student work hours -- partly to ease health law coverage requirements

ADHD increases major depression to bipolar disorder conversion

Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

Revamped HealthCare.gov will deal with a new round of complications

Medicaid expansion plans, debates continue to roil GOP officials, cause concern for hospital execs

McConnell's mixed message on Kynect, the state's health exchange

In Md. gubernatorial debate, Democrat defends his role in botched health marketplace

Health care costs and health law politics: How issues are shaking out in public opinion and policy strategies

PhRMA launches new website to educate consumers about ABCs of health coverage

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan earns 5-Star rating from CMS

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

State highlights: Md., Minn. see small business health insurance rate changes; Texas sues AstraZeneca over Seroquel marketing

Issues on coverage: Steep Rx costs; federal plan eliminates 'transgender exclusion'

Obamacare premium increases likely in states with key Senate races

Medicare Advantage plans marked by shortcomings

Medicaid backlogs persist, raising concerns as enrollment season nears

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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