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GOP plans post-health reform strategy

"Over the past six months, Republicans used the White House push for a health care overhaul as a way to build grass-roots energy and rebuild enthusiasm among activists demoralized by the Democratic sweep back in 2008. While the effort to kill the health care bill ended in defeat for the GOP, conservatives say the issue has lost none of its power to motivate the opposition to the White House in this midterm election year and beyond"

25 Mar 2010

Financial Times' opinions on World TB Day

"Governments and their international partners must recognise that health is an investment. The only successful exit strategy in the struggle against the TB, HIV and TB/HIV pandemics is to include them as part of broader development and poverty reduction strategies, and to strengthen health systems to respond more effectively to the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

25 Mar 2010

Democrats expect to end debate early on health reconciliation bill

Senate Democratic leaders are trying to end the debate on a bill that "fixes" the health overhaul law that President Barack Obama signed Tuesday. Once the debate ends, the Senate is expected to begin voting on a number of Republican amendments, The New York Times reports.

24 Mar 2010

Clinicians can help pregnant women in making lifestyle changes for healthy weight gain

A new study from UCSF shows that prenatal health care professionals are concerned about patients' excessive weight gain during pregnancy but have difficulty providing effective counseling.

24 Mar 2010

Bill signing is first step in reforming nation’s health care system, says Business Roundtable

“Health care in America is too costly – for individuals, for employers and for our country. It is the number one cost pressure facing our members, who provide coverage to more than 35 million Americans, which is why we have been at the table since day one advocating for effective systemic reform.

24 Mar 2010

Policymakers should determine risk-reduction initiatives to improve health systems, says new report

Tackling the increasing rates of cardiovascular disease in developing nations will require input from multiple partners, including the business community and international companies as well as global health and development agencies and the governments of these countries, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

24 Mar 2010

Unions take hard look at lawmakers who voted against health bill while tea party is promising to fight on

Roll Call: "Industry groups, labor unions and other stakeholders in health care reform offered up their parting shots on Monday, airing lingering grievances with the historic legislation or praising a bill that, after more than a year of tussling, now awaits President Barack Obama's signature.

24 Mar 2010

Patients to discuss future of health care system at Canadian Patient Summit

More than 100 patients living with chronic medical conditions will share their solutions for ensuring that patients are part of government decisions on the future of Canada's health care system.

24 Mar 2010

KHN column: Why the vote changes the health care debate forever

In his latest Kaiser Health News column - done in collaboration with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes: "Over the last week or so, as passage seemed ever more likely, Republicans moved from denial to anger.

24 Mar 2010

Sec. Clinton highlights water as diplomatic, development opportunity for U.S.

Marking World Water Day in a speech Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said tackling the world's water problems "represents one of the great diplomatic and development opportunities of our time," Inter Press Service reports. "It's not every day you find an issue where effective diplomacy and development will allow you to save millions of lives, feed the hungry, empower women, advance our national security interests, protect the environment, and demonstrate to billions of people that the United States cares," she said.

24 Mar 2010

The Children's Aid Society applauds healthcare reform bill

The following is a statement by Richard R. Buery, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, The Children's Aid Society: "This morning when President Obama signed the historic Affordable Health Care for America Act, he took great strides towards improving the health of all children in the U.S.

24 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 24, 2010

Today's headlines note the celebrations surrounding President Obama's signature of the Senate's health reform bill -- making it the law of the land -- and the strategies being developed by health overhaul opponents to block progress with an accompanying "fix it" bill.

24 Mar 2010

PBCC supports passage of health care legislation

The PA Breast Cancer Coalition is encouraged by the United States House of Representatives' passing of a health care reform bill, to be signed into law by President Obama this week.

24 Mar 2010

New legislation will improve consumers' safety, says Pew Charitable Trusts

Allan Coukell, director of the Pew Prescription Project, issued the following statement today, commending Congress for including provisions from the Physician Payments Sunshine Act in health care reform legislation.

24 Mar 2010

Congressional approved health care reform fails to address flawed physician reimbursement formula

In a survey published by the North American Spine Society (NASS), as many as 24 percent of spine care physicians participating in Medicare indicated they will no longer participate in the program if the mandated reductions in Medicare reimbursement to physicians occur later this year.

24 Mar 2010

Healthcare reform bill likely to impact physician owned hospitals

According to Molly Sandvig, Executive Director of Physician Hospitals of America (PHA), the legislation virtually destroys over 60 hospitals that are currently under development, and leaves little room for the future growth of the industry.

24 Mar 2010

Medical ID thefts increase, lack of transparency still plagues hospital safety data reporting

"There were more than 275,000 cases in the U.S. last year of medical information theft, twice the number in 2008, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, a Pleasanton, California-based market research firm.

24 Mar 2010

Shortly after sweeping health reforms become law, states file legal challenges

Officials from 14 states filed lawsuits Tuesday to block the newly enacted historic overhaul of the U.S. health care system. "'Thirteen of those officials filed suit in a federal court in Pensacola, Florida, minutes after Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

24 Mar 2010

MHPA commends Congress for improving state Medicaid programs

"Congress has made a historical commitment to providing access to health care for 16 million low-income Americans through expansion of the Medicaid program. The bills also maintain and strengthen health coverage for kids through the Children's Health Insurance Program."

24 Mar 2010