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Democrats reflect on importance of reconciliation in health bill strategy

Reconciliation proved critical to health care reform passage, The New York Times reports: "Just a few months into his first term in 1993, President Bill Clinton went to Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, the protector of Senate rules, to ask permission to use a fast-track budget process known as reconciliation to enact a bold health care overhaul.' At that time, Clinton got neither consent nor the passage of a health care law.

30 Mar 2010

Industry groups, lobbying firms gain from health overhaul

The Associated Press: Under the new health care law, "pharmaceutical lobbyists won new federal policies they coveted and set a trajectory for long-term industry growth." Ramsey Baghdadi, a Washington health policy analyst, "projects a $30 billion, 10-year net gain for the industry. 'I don't see how they could have done much better,'" he said.

29 Mar 2010

Cutting off coverage? An examination of a case in California

The Huffington Post Investigative Fund on the case of Heather Galeotti, a woman in a coma after being hit by a car: "[I]n July 2007, five months into Galeotti's treatment, Kaiser [Permanente] stunned the family with a letter. The Galeottis would have to find another way to pay the bills. Based on information received from her father's employer, Kaiser said that the young woman's coverage had not been in effect when she was hit."

29 Mar 2010

Also in Global Health News: H1N1; USAID's Global Pulse; Rotavirus vaccine; Uzbek doctors; Zimbabwe development; Malaria vaccine

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda on Monday announced that a group of 29 independent scientists and public health experts has been formed to evaluate the response of the organization and national governments to the emergence of H1N1 (swine flu), the Associated Press reports. According to Fukuda, the committee will hold its first meeting April 12-14 (3/29).

29 Mar 2010

Today's OpEds: The states' lawsuits, the need to trim health costs and industry winners

No sooner had President Obama signed comprehensive health care reform than the attorneys general of 14 states scurried to the federal courts to challenge the law. ... [they] are doing a disservice to their constituents by opposing Medicaid expansion and a mandate that everyone buy insurance, with subsidies for low- and middle-income people (3/28).

29 Mar 2010

As CMS nominee, Berwick would face changes and challenges

President Barack Obama will soon nominate Dr. Donald M. Berwick to "run Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that serve nearly one-third of all Americans, administration officials said Saturday," The New York Times reports.

29 Mar 2010

Closing Medicare drug gap helps Democrats sell reform

Kaiser Health News writer Christopher Weaver, in a story produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, looks at the government's plan to close the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole."

29 Mar 2010

HealthCare.com launches new online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes

HealthCare.com, Inc. the leader in online health insurance information and plan quotes, today announced the launch of MedicareSupplemental.com, a new website aimed to be the premier online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes. The website provides extensive information to help consumers understand the complexities of Medicare Supplemental or "Medigap" coverage as well as a search tool to obtain quotes and connect with multiple brokers and agents.

29 Mar 2010

'Ultra-high' Medicare billing program causes waste, abuse

The Washington Post: Federal investigators are examining a Medicare billing program to see if it is being abused by nursing home operators. "More than a decade ago, Congress ... created new 'ultra-high' billing categories intended to be used for only 5 percent of the patients needing highly specialized care and rehabilitation.

29 Mar 2010

Health reform will create demand for primary care physicians, rural docs especially squeezed

The Associated Press: "Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. ... Recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, a field losing out to the better pay, better hours and higher profile of many other specialties.

29 Mar 2010

Three new hospitals utilize PureWellness' comprehensive online employee wellness platform

PureWellness, Inc., a leading provider of online wellness solutions, announced it has signed agreements with three new hospitals; Northeast Georgia Health Systems, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, and Fletcher Allen Health Care.

29 Mar 2010

APP adds eClinicalWorks' EMR system to CI Program

In its continuing efforts to enhance patient outcomes and create efficiency in a challenging economic and regulatory climate, Advocate Physician Partners, has added the power of an electronic medical record system to its award-winning Clinical Integration Program. APP, the largest network of independent physicians in the Midwest, is partnering with eClinicalWorks® in one of the biggest EMR implementations in the country.

29 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 29, 2010

Today's headlines showcase reports about the newly enacted health overhaul law and about the political climate facing lawmakers in the post-vote environment.

29 Mar 2010

Gateway Foundation Alcohol and Drug Rehab's effective substance abuse treatment recognised

Chicago alderman, elected state officials, local law enforcement representatives and West Side community activists were among those touring the Gateway Foundation's Alcohol and Drug Rehab's Westside Treatment Center on March 20.

29 Mar 2010

Thomson Reuters' annual study identifying 100 top U.S. hospitals released

Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance.

29 Mar 2010

Health On The Hill: The reform bill is signed, what's next?

Kaiser Health News' Mary Agnes Carey discusses what's next for health reform in Health On The Hill.

29 Mar 2010

Healthcare reforms – How much more is necessary?

A lot of media attention has been focussed on Australian healthcare reforms lately. Although parallels are being drawn between the American health care policy and its counterpart in Australia, the latter fails to satisfy the public as the former even tries to.

29 Mar 2010

Minority children in the U.S. face pervasive gap in quality and extent of health care

Minority children in the U.S. face a pervasive gap in the quality and extent of health care received compared to Caucasians, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics written by a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician.

29 Mar 2010

White House reportedly set to name Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare

The New York Times reports that President Barack Obama will soon nominate Dr. Donald M. Berwick to "run Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that serve nearly one-third of all Americans, administration officials said Saturday.

29 Mar 2010

GOP resumes call for health law repeal; Schumer says support for Dems' effort will grow

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) pushed again for repeal of the health care law on "Face the Nation." "President Barack Obama 'burned a lot of bridges on health care reform,' DeMint said. 'To give up on repealing this bill will be giving up on this country.' ... Bachmann also slammed the health care bill, saying it will cause 'massive job loss'" (Bruno, 2/28).

29 Mar 2010

Health Care News and Research

Democrats reflect on importance of reconciliation in health bill strategy

Industry groups, lobbying firms gain from health overhaul

Cutting off coverage? An examination of a case in California

Also in Global Health News: H1N1; USAID's Global Pulse; Rotavirus vaccine; Uzbek doctors; Zimbabwe development; Malaria vaccine

Today's OpEds: The states' lawsuits, the need to trim health costs and industry winners

As CMS nominee, Berwick would face changes and challenges

Closing Medicare drug gap helps Democrats sell reform

HealthCare.com launches new online resource for Medicare Supplemental information and quotes

'Ultra-high' Medicare billing program causes waste, abuse

Health reform will create demand for primary care physicians, rural docs especially squeezed

Three new hospitals utilize PureWellness' comprehensive online employee wellness platform

APP adds eClinicalWorks' EMR system to CI Program

First Edition: March 29, 2010

Gateway Foundation Alcohol and Drug Rehab's effective substance abuse treatment recognised

Thomson Reuters' annual study identifying 100 top U.S. hospitals released

Health On The Hill: The reform bill is signed, what's next?

Healthcare reforms – How much more is necessary?

Minority children in the U.S. face pervasive gap in quality and extent of health care

White House reportedly set to name Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare

GOP resumes call for health law repeal; Schumer says support for Dems' effort will grow

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

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