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Reid: No comment on public option, bill will be ready 'soon'

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declined Tuesday afternoon to predict when negotiations on a final health care reform bill would be complete, saying only that he hopes to have legislation in hand 'soon,'" Roll Call reports

21 Oct 2009

The medical homes model is spreading

A new model of health care called "medical homes" offers a stark contrast to hurried doctor visits, long waits and rushed physicians, the Chicago Tribune reports. Instead, a patients gets regular phone calls and e-mails from medical staff, reminders for flu screenings and vaccines, and less hurried doctors.

21 Oct 2009

New poll finds most Americans back public option in health reform

The Washington Post leads the paper today with a report that "a new Washington Post-ABC poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public."

21 Oct 2009

Grady Memorial Hospital uses LiveProcess event log for emergency healthcare management

Facilities like Atlanta, Georgia-based Grady Memorial Hospital are taking extra precautions, including leveraging technology for emergency healthcare management, in anticipation of a H1N1 surge this fall.

21 Oct 2009

Massachusetts seeks to cut increase in small business health care costs

Today's state news covers access to care issues in Florida and California, a new proposal to review premiums charged to small business, and the potential flaws of Ohio's nursing home payment plan.

21 Oct 2009

Health care reform leads to mergers

Health care reform has caused some unrest in the health care industry but has also led to strong deal-making and mergers.

21 Oct 2009

Baucus doubts a pure public plan can get 60 votes in Senate

Kaiser Health News staff writer Eric Pianin reports on the Senate leadership's ongoing efforts to craft a health overhaul measure that can draw 60 votes.

21 Oct 2009

Senate health bill negotiators discussing, debating versions of public option

Senator Max Baucus says there is still the possibility for some sort of public option in the Senate health bill, though he doubts it can get 60 votes, as Majority Leader Harry Reid negotiates to shape the final legislation.

21 Oct 2009

Health care providers should assist patients in breaking the smoking habit

More than a quarter of cancer survivors who still smoke have not been advised to quit smoking by their health care providers in the last year, according to a study published by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the current issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

21 Oct 2009

Employers may not restore benefits to pre-recession levels

"Since the downturn began, thousands of employers have cut pay, increased workers' share of health-care costs or reduced the employer contribution to retirement plans," The Wall Street Journal reports.

21 Oct 2009

World Medical Association adopts climate change, task shifting resolutions

At its general assembly in New Delhi, India, the World Medical Association (WMA), "a conglomerate of medical associations around the world," approved a plan that aims "to minimise the risk of increased malnutrition deaths, diseases and injuries due to climate change," IANS/Thaindian News reports (10/17).

20 Oct 2009

White House rallies support for health care bills; relationship with Chamber Of Commerce sours

Today, "President Obama will speak from New York City by video hookup to hundreds of small gatherings sponsored by Organizing for America, a spinoff of his 2008 campaign," USA Today reports

20 Oct 2009

By protecting doctors' Medicare pay, lawmakers look to keep health reform tab low

The Los Angeles Times reports on a Democratic plan to cancel scheduled cuts to physician pay under the Medicare program with a bill separate from their sweeping health reform proposal. It would allow lawmakers to "reconcile a nearly $250-billion difference between the House and Senate" while at the same time keeping the American Medical Association on board with their plans.

20 Oct 2009

Sojourns Award to recognize leadership in palliative care industry

The Regence Foundation has announced a new award that recognizes leadership in palliative care, a specialized field of health care that relieves suffering and improves quality of life for patients with advanced illness.

20 Oct 2009

ImPACKD calls for raising awareness about the risks of calcium overuse in CKD patients

Most Canadians living with CKD have likely never spoken with their physicians about calcium and the serious health risks associated with its overuse. This is why Improving Patient Advocacy in Chronic Kidney Disease (ImPACKD), a group of CKD patients and caregivers committed to raising awareness about the risks of calcium overuse, is starting the conversation about the importance of knowing the limits and keeping them in check.

20 Oct 2009

Meeting to discuss latest information on anti-aging medicine and euthanasia

America's foremost authorities on aging will share the latest information on "death panels," anti-aging medicine, health care reform, and other current topics at The Gerontological Society of America's upcoming 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting. This four day event - the country's largest interdisciplinary conference in the field of aging - will take place from November 18 to 22 in Atlanta, GA. Media representatives can register free of charge.

20 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 20, 2009

A new poll finds increased support for a public insurance plan in health reform just as Senate leaders discuss and debate in closed door meetings the various versions of this approach that might still draw enough votes to gain passage.

20 Oct 2009

Unemployed nurses are switching to RN health coach careers

Although the contagious economic epidemic is killing off nursing jobs, the thriving RN health coach sector appears to be immune. Many underpaid or unemployed nurses are transitioning into the booming health coach field with help from L.I.T.E. Therapeutics -- a leading provider of health coaches with nursing backgrounds.

20 Oct 2009

Unitedhealth announces third quarter results; reports growth in revenues and net earnings

UnitedHealth Group reported third quarter results today, including growth in revenues and net earnings and a continued strong financial position.

20 Oct 2009

Individuals and governments around the globe should join the fight against osteoporosis: IOF

Speaking in Rome, Italy today on the occasion of World Osteoporosis Day, International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) CEO Patrice McKenney called for individuals and governments around the globe to join the fight against osteoporosis. "Osteoporosis is a common but devastating disease which we cannot afford to ignore. Immediate measures must be taken to reduce the burden of osteoporotic fractures through prevention, early recognition of fracture risk, and appropriate proven treatment for those in need," she urged.

20 Oct 2009