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GOP hopes to rally sentiment against Dems' health bills but face flap over RNC abortion coverage

For the first time, when asked who voters trusted more on handling health care, congressional Republicans tied Obama at 40 percent with 21 percent undecided," in Ohio, according to a new Quinnipiac poll, Politics Daily reports. PD adds: "In September, respondents favored Obama by 49 percent to 28 percent. (Ohio) voters oppose Obama's health care plan by 55 percent to 36 percent with 9 percent undecided and disapprove of his handling of the issue by a similar margin" (Drake, 11/12).

13 Nov 2009

Doctors face image problems; patients deal with shortages, are urged to question care

Doctors must not only face the fading image of primary care providers, but also physician shortage issues. Meanwhile, some experts suggest patients consider saying "no" to their doctor to control health care costs.

13 Nov 2009

AMA takes on social issues, backs reform, rebuts 100-year trend

After a century of health-reform opposition - with highlights such as coining the term "socialized medicine," - the American Medical Association is now supporting Democrats' overhaul efforts, as well as taking on a few one taboo social issues, NPR's Health Blog reports.

13 Nov 2009

Business and insurers' groups back health reform, but not all legislation

A group of CEOs, the Business Roundtable and America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry group, separately expressed qualified support for health overhaul efforts Thursday.

13 Nov 2009

Membership for leading health insurers decline for the first six months of 2009

The nation’s leading health insurers saw an aggregate decline of 836,000 members for the first six months of 2009. Declining commercial enrollment was offset primarily by gains in products offered to seniors and growth in Medicaid business. Administrative Services Only (ASO) enrollment experienced its first quarterly decline since June 2007.

13 Nov 2009

Veterans' health: Measuring the scope of mental health challenges

NPR profiles retired General Eric Shinseki, the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and his efforts to measure the scope of veterans' mental health issues. In his first nine months in this position, he "has spent hours just listening to veterans talk. Shinseki tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that he feels a strong obligation to 'give back' to the men and women he once served with." NPR reports on the task Shinseki faces: "Since 2001, more than 1 million new veterans have come into a system that is being stretched thin." One of Shinseki's missions to improve the care and resources available to these vets is to work with the Department of Defense to "create a computer-driven system that will track service personnel through their careers — including when they become veterans.

13 Nov 2009

Senate aides: Reid considering Medicare payroll tax increase on wealthy

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pondering a proposal to increase the Medicare payroll tax on high earners "to help offset the costs of providing health insurance to millions of Americans, Senate aides said Thursday," The New York Times reports.

13 Nov 2009

DC HIV study: Can intense treatment prevent spread

The Washington Post: "The National Institutes of Health and the D.C. Health Department are preparing to launch a study in the District with an ambitious goal: to determine whether aggressive treatment of every adult with HIV could eliminate AIDS." In conjunction with the study, NIH will provide experts to the city health department to help modernize clinic record-keeping efforts and to improve the tracking of HIV-infected people.

13 Nov 2009

CDC releases revised H1N1 estimates

USA Today: As expected, CDC released revised H1N1 estimates Thursday indicating that 3,900 people in the U.S. have died from the infection, including 540 children (Sternberg, 11/12).

13 Nov 2009

Overhaul could leave kids' hospitals strapped for cash

Industry advocates say health reform could place a disproportionate burden on children's hospitals, because they will face cuts along with other hospitals, but do not stand to benefit from expansions in insurance coverage, USA Today reports.

13 Nov 2009

Suggestions abound for cutting national health care costs

Two publications looked at the problem of rising health costs and ways to try to "bend the curve."

13 Nov 2009

In rural Kentucky, an unexpected take on the health debate

Frank Browning reports for Kaiser Health News on how the health reform debate is playing out in rural Kentucky. "From a strip-mined bluff at the edge of this famous mountain town you can see one of the most concentrated and diverse sets of medical facilities in rural America: a general hospital, a psychiatric hospital, a university-based rural health care center and clinics for primary care, cancer, urology, cardiology, addiction and ear-nose-and throat problems.

13 Nov 2009

Study of GBHN Order Set project reveals improvements in the length of stay and ordering of best practices

A study of the Grey Bruce Health Network (GBHN) Order Set project has revealed impressive improvements in the length of stay and ordering of best practices.

13 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 13, 2009

On this Friday the 13th, the headlines offer an array of health policy views -- from the possibility of including a Medicare payroll tax in health reform legislation to continuing analysis of the overhaul's winners and losers as well as the CDC's new estimate of the far-reach of the swine flu.

13 Nov 2009

Global industry leaders to address key trends in bioscience industry at Biotech 2009

Biotech 2009 (www.biotech2009.org) will bring together globally-recognized industry leaders to address key trends and topics relevant to the growth and advancement of the tri-state region’s bioscience industry.

13 Nov 2009

Supplement and self-care industry continues to grow at a healthy rate despite recession

With unemployment at 10.2% and growing, the economic climate for many hard-working Americans is challenging, to say the least. Despite economic hard times, however, the supplement and self-care industry -- a $21 billion industry -- continues to grow at a rate of 4%-6% each year, according to GNC, the largest global specialty retailer of nutritional products including vitamin, mineral, herbal and other specialty supplements and sports nutrition, diet and energy products.

13 Nov 2009

Peer-reviewed article to evaluate the financial benefit of wellness programs

URAC, the nation's leading health care accreditation and education organization, today announced that the value of its Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation standards is referenced in "Framework for Assessing the Financial Benefit of Wellness Program", an article by Thomas Wilson, PhD, DrPH, a wellness expert and an epidemiologist for Trajectory Healthcare, LLC.

13 Nov 2009

Health Insurer tells its employees to directly lobby U.S. Senators for weaker health reform and higher insurer profits

The nation's largest health insurance company, United Healthcare, launched a new push this week to get employees to directly lobby U.S. Senators for weaker health reform and higher insurer profits. The new campaign, in an e-mail sent to all employees Nov. 10, offers employees template letters to send from company computers on company time and urges them to write grassroots-style letters to the editor to local newspapers. Consumer Watchdog, which obtained the letters, called on the Senate and newspapers to reject this deceptive corporate-directed campaign.

13 Nov 2009

People in their 60s may have more disabilities than their counterparts from prior generations

In a development that could have significant ramifications for the nation's health care system, Baby Boomers may well be entering their 60s suffering far more disabilities than their counterparts did in previous generations, according to a new UCLA study. The findings, researchers say, may be due in part to changing American demographics.

13 Nov 2009

IBC and WebMD launch new, enhanced website to address health care needs

Imagine having your health care information at your fingertips, in one convenient place. No more surfing the Internet to find reliable, personalized, information. Independence Blue Cross (IBC) announces the launch of an enhanced member website at www.ibxpress.com, which offers one convenient source for members' health care needs.

13 Nov 2009