Health Reform News and Research

RSS

Democratic leaders shift on public plan, but push ahead despite setbacks

Despite recent setbacks, congressional Democratic leaders have continued pushing for a new government-run insurer as part of health reform. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warmed this week to a more moderate approach to the health insurance plan proposed by centrist Democrats, The Hill reports.

3 Oct 2009

Cleveland and Mayo Clinic CEOs raise concerns about Congressional reform proposals

The chief executives of the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, both held up as models for health reform, voiced concerns about the health care proposals moving forward in Congress.

3 Oct 2009

Senate Finance Committee rejects GOP efforts to gut various taxes and fees from bill

During today's mark-up proceedings, Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected GOP amendments to strip certain fees and taxes included in the draft health reform measure.

1 Oct 2009

Illegal immigrants receive offers to return home for their health care

Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital's offer to send illegal immigrants who can't afford treatment back to their home countries is raising questions about how to handle health care for that population. Some say the practice is necessary financially while others worry about the patients.

1 Oct 2009

Last finance hurdle: how to pay for overhaul

A final hurdle, how to pay for the health overhaul bill, remains, Bloomberg reports. The remaining items for the Senate Finance Committee are whether "to increase taxes on the most-expensive insurance plans, impose new fees on health-related industries, and limit the tax benefits of flexible savings accounts" (Donmoyer and Rowley, 10/1).

1 Oct 2009

House Democratic leaders work to bridge divisions in ranks

Although much of the attention in the health care debate seems be on the Democratic divisions in the Senate, Democrats in the House are also split on what the next steps are.

1 Oct 2009

For American majority - those confused about health reform - a fresh wave of primers

For those still confused about the various health reform bills - six in ten are confused, and half say they don't know enough to form an opinion, the New York Times reports - news organizations offer a series of primers on key bills and provisions today.

1 Oct 2009

Doctors can be frustrated, confused by health care system

Some doctors feel frustrated by insurance paperwork while many recent medical school graduates say they are confused by the structure of the health care system.

1 Oct 2009

Democrats shoot down Republican abortion amendment, others pass

Members of the Senate Finance Committee wrangled Wednesday over proposed amendments to tighten abortion restrictions to the panel's health reform bill, with Democrats ultimately defeating the effort.

1 Oct 2009

CBO estimate left out hospital exemption; Baucus savings likely lower

The Congressional Budget Office "did not consider that hospitals would be exempt from a Medicare cost-cutting commission in Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus' healthcare overhaul mark, an omission that will slash a conservative $11 billion from $23 billion in savings the commission was expected to produce," CongressDaily reports.

1 Oct 2009

Capitol Hill personalities play a key role in how health bills are taking shape

A number of news organizations are detailing the conflicts and positions of certain lawmakers in the ongoing health overhaul effort.

1 Oct 2009

Baucus: Complete committee action on health bill 'by nightfall'

The Associated Press reports that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said today as he began the panel's seventh day of mark-up that he "wanted to complete work on a sweeping health care bill by nightfall, opening the way for Democratic leaders to bring the historic legislation to the floors of both the House and Senate as early as mid-October." Once the Finance Committee finishes its deliberations on the measure, "Senate leaders can work to finalize a package to bring to the Senate floor."

1 Oct 2009

Screening and diagnostic tests contribute to health care value across spectrum of care

Amidst ongoing debate in Congress over reforming the nation's health care system, a new report from the Lewin Group finds that screening and diagnostic laboratory tests are central to achieving some of the most important goals of health care reform.

1 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 1, 2009

The progress continues, and so does the drama, as the Senate Finance Committee complete another day of its health bill mark up. Meanwhile, in the House, leaders are counting votes among their members.

1 Oct 2009

57% of Americans believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever: Kaiser poll

Public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

1 Oct 2009

North Shore-LIJ Health System to implement the largest EHR program in the New York metropolitan area

The North Shore-LIJ Health System announced today it is subsidizing up to 85 percent of the cost of implementing and operating an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system in the offices of its more than 7,000 affiliated physicians in New York City and Long Island -- part of a $400 million investment to strengthen the quality of care throughout the region by automating inpatient and outpatient records in all medical settings, including 13 hospitals.

1 Oct 2009

The Finance Committee continues its health bill mark-up, and the October recess is cancelled

As Senate Finance Committee members meet Wednesday to discuss their overhaul bill, Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) hopes to "revise a key financing provision of his health reform package in light of a new analysis showing that it would impose a particularly heavy tax burden on people over 65, aides said," the The Washington Post reports.

1 Oct 2009

Reconciliation: A health reform end-run with its own obstacles

Budget reconciliation, a procedural tool that allows the Senate to avoid filibusters with only 51 votes, has become increasingly attractive to Democrats who feel they can not rely on support from more conservative Democratic colleagues or Republicans, MSNBC explains. The potential use of the procedure is a political lightning rod, but in practice, it presents its own challenges, too.

1 Oct 2009

Consumer Watchdog urges Democrats to to support a robust public option in health insurance reform

Consumer Watchdog today called on Congressional Democrats to support a robust public option and rate regulation as a part of any health insurance reform.

1 Oct 2009

Jindal to GOP: Time to say "here's what we're for"

In interviews Tuesday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Republicans need to lay out their own plans for health reform, rather than just rejecting Democratic proposals..

1 Oct 2009

Health Reform News and Research

Democratic leaders shift on public plan, but push ahead despite setbacks

Cleveland and Mayo Clinic CEOs raise concerns about Congressional reform proposals

Senate Finance Committee rejects GOP efforts to gut various taxes and fees from bill

Illegal immigrants receive offers to return home for their health care

Last finance hurdle: how to pay for overhaul

House Democratic leaders work to bridge divisions in ranks

For American majority - those confused about health reform - a fresh wave of primers

Doctors can be frustrated, confused by health care system

Democrats shoot down Republican abortion amendment, others pass

CBO estimate left out hospital exemption; Baucus savings likely lower

Capitol Hill personalities play a key role in how health bills are taking shape

Baucus: Complete committee action on health bill 'by nightfall'

Screening and diagnostic tests contribute to health care value across spectrum of care

First Edition: October 1, 2009

57% of Americans believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever: Kaiser poll

North Shore-LIJ Health System to implement the largest EHR program in the New York metropolitan area

The Finance Committee continues its health bill mark-up, and the October recess is cancelled

Reconciliation: A health reform end-run with its own obstacles

Consumer Watchdog urges Democrats to to support a robust public option in health insurance reform

Jindal to GOP: Time to say "here's what we're for"

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

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

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Applications Engineer

Latest News