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"Tan Tax" will hurt middle-class women and women-owned businesses

The proposed 10 percent federal tax on indoor tanning services, added to the latest U.S. Senate health care reform bill in a back-room deal over the weekend, will fall 40-50 percent short of delivering the revenue its proponents promised, according to the International Smart Tan Network (Smart Tan). The tax unfairly targets female consumers, who make up more than two-thirds of tanning clients, and would be detrimental to the thousands of women who own the majority of America's indoor tanning salons.

24 Dec 2009

QUITPLAN Services' quit-smoking campaign: Monkeys on people's backs

Quitting smoking is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions for many Minnesotans. As the holiday approaches, QUITPLAN Services, the free quit-smoking program provided through ClearWay Minnesota(SM), hopes to motivate them to make a fresh start with a new television ad launching just as most smokers resolve to quit. The new ad acknowledges that every individual experiences different triggers for smoking, and highlights the free, personalized help available through QUITPLAN Services. The ad debuts on Dec. 28.

24 Dec 2009

Increase in COBRA health care plan enrollment rates among subsidy-eligible employees

A new analysis from Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, indicates that average monthly enrollment rates in COBRA health care plans among subsidy-eligible employees have increased by 20 percentage points since the COBRA subsidy was enacted in March 2009.

24 Dec 2009

The Concord Coalition discusses fiscal risks in health care reform

With the House having passed its version of health care reform (H.R. 3962) and the Senate on the verge of passing its version (H.R. 3590), the outline of a final bill is beginning to take shape. In its new Issue Brief, The Concord Coalition looks ahead at the fiscal considerations that will likely be the subject of conference committee discussions and "end game" negotiations. These include the cost of expanding coverage, the methods used to prevent that cost from adding to the deficit, and the prospects for systemic reforms to reduce cost growth over time.

24 Dec 2009

Oklahoma's largest health insurer redesigns web site

Because Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma recognizes that health insurance is becoming more and more complicated, the state's largest health insurer has redesigned its public Web site to better assist and educate customers as well as the general public. Now live, the new site provides an education that enables wise health care decisions, communicates a commitment to partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma customers and emphasizes the insurer's trustworthiness.

24 Dec 2009

Terri McCormick's statement on Senate healthcare reform bill

In the rush to pass the so-called "healthcare reform bill," U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stomped his feet and held his breath until he extracted his presents from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One such gift exempts Nebraska from paying the $45 million increase in Medicaid imbursement costs. Nelson was the 60th Democrat to get his stocking stuffed.

24 Dec 2009

Growing public health threat from surge in drug-resistant strains of acinetobacter

A new study in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology reports a surge in drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter, a dangerous type of bacteria that is becoming increasingly common in U.S. hospitals. This study is being posted online today and will appear in the journal's February print edition.

24 Dec 2009

NPAF impressed with progress on health care reform

The National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) - a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of improved patient access to health care through public policy reform at the state and federal levels - today praised Senate leadership for their tireless work on historic health care reform, and encouraged lawmakers to continue their steadfast work on this important issue in the weeks to come.

24 Dec 2009

FRC Action launches campaign to protest Senate health care bill

As the Senate prepares for a Christmas Eve vote on Senator Reid's health care bill, Family Research Council Action (FRC Action) announced that it will immediately begin a last minute phone call campaign in six states -- Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The phone calls will ask voters to contact their Senators and tell them "don't trade the lives of children for political power."

24 Dec 2009

National Council on Aging favors Senate health reform bill

The National Council on Aging supports the Senate for its Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590), which, when passed, will bring America one giant step closer to the long-awaited goal of health care that is both accessible and affordable for Americans of all ages.

24 Dec 2009

PDI awarded contract sales engagement with Top 5 pharmaceutical company

PDI, Inc., a leading provider of sales and marketing support to U.S. health care companies, has been awarded a significant contract sales engagement with a Top 5 pharmaceutical company. This program is expected to generate approximately $6 million in revenue for PDI during the first quarter of 2010 and may extend through the remainder of 2010.

24 Dec 2009

Senate rejects mass importation of medicine from Canada

In the midst of President Obama's push for health care reform, the Senate rejected a plan to allow American pharmacies and drug wholesalers to import federally approved drugs from abroad. That vote has proved to be a headache for customer service staff at companies like Canadameds.com (http://www.Canadameds.com), which sells low-cost prescription drugs directly to American consumers.

24 Dec 2009

Brain training may enhance specific ability, but no scientific proof exists for overall mental fitness

Many brain training products claim to be able to keep us mentally fit. Some products even claim that brain training can prevent dementia in old age. But there is no scientific proof that games or other brain exercises can have this effect.

24 Dec 2009

Schumer's hunting trip with Nelson; Reid gets a hero's welcome

Politico reports on a hunting trip that Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., took in Nebraska about six weeks ago. Schumer "bagged three pheasants. And six weeks later, he bagged Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), serving as key negotiator as Nelson held the fate of landmark health care legislation in the balance.

24 Dec 2009

False Claims Act allegations: Visiting Physicians Association to pay $9.5M

Visiting Physicians Association, which is based in Farmington Hills, Mich., will pay the United States and the state of Michigan $9.5 million to settle allegations that the association violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare, TRICARE and the Michigan Medicaid program, the Justice Department announced today. Visiting Physicians Association is a Michigan professional corporation which has provided home health services at various times in Michigan, Ohio, Georgia and Wisconsin.

24 Dec 2009

White House does not expect conference bill before State of the Union speech

Although a deal was struck Tuesday to get a vote on the Senate health bill before Christmas, White House officials said Wednesday that they don't expect a conference bill to pass both houses before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in late January or early February, Politico reports. Democratic congressional leaders had earlier said they planned to reconcile the differences in the House and Senate measures and send Obama a bill before the speech.

24 Dec 2009

Obama defends health bill in Oval Office interview

In an Oval Office interview with The Washington Post, President Barack Obama "rejected criticism that he has compromised too much to secure health-care reform or turned over too much authority to congressional leaders in pursuing his broad legislative agenda."

24 Dec 2009

States slash budgets including cuts in health programs

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reports on budget cuts in Louisiana: "Obligated to close a $247.9 million gap in the current-year state budget, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced cuts across all agencies Tuesday, including $108.1 million in health dollars and $84 million from higher education. ... Slack tax revenue during the recession is leaving state coffers short of anticipated spending money for this year.

24 Dec 2009

Opinions: Doctors in developing nations; foreign aid

In a New York Times opinion piece that focuses on health reform in the U.S., Shannon Brownlee, a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation and David Goodman, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, discuss an amendment that teaching hospitals in the U.S. hope will make it into final health care legislation. The amendement would add 15,000 residency slots to the 100,000 residencies supported by the federal government.

24 Dec 2009

Lawmakers, public take aim at deal struck for Sen. Nelson

News outlets report on deals struck with individual senators, in particular Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., in an effort to win support for health care legislation.

24 Dec 2009