Medical Legislation News and Research

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Decision by Democratic Presidential Candidate Clinton to suspend campaign decreases prospects for individual health insurance mandate, Wall Street Journal reports

The recent decision by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) to suspend her campaign "will deal a blow to supporters of a key element in the tussle over universal health coverage: the idea that all Americans be required to buy or have health insurance," the Wall Street Journal reports.

10 Jun 2008

New Jersey lawmakers advance bill that would require income verification of all state-funded health insurance program applicants

A New Jersey Assembly committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require state authorities to conduct income verification checks on individuals applying for state-funded health insurance coverage, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

10 Jun 2008

CQ's Carey discusses Democratic, GOP Medicare proposals, VA mental health bill, health care IT measure

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses Senate Democratic and Republican measures to halt a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees; Senate legislation involving veterans' mental health; and a House bill that encourages greater adoption of electronic health records in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

10 Jun 2008

Congressional Democrats move to impose new limits on specialty hospitals

The New York Times on Sunday examined how Democrats -- who for years "have been trying to stop the proliferation of doctor-owned hospitals in the belief that they drive up costs by encouraging doctors to order more procedures" -- have moved to "impose new restrictions on these for-profit hospitals" as part of a Senate supplemental war appropriations bill, although they have "carved out exemptions for a few institutions represented by influential senators and well-connected lobbyists."

10 Jun 2008

E.U. members express concerns about U.S. travel regulations related to health, HIV/AIDS

European Union member countries on Thursday expressed concerns about U.S. plans that could require visitors to provide personal health details, including information about their HIV/AIDS status, before they enter the country, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports.

10 Jun 2008

Delaware committee approves bill that would mandate HIV testing for accused sex offenders

Under a bill (HB 424) approved by the Delaware House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, anyone arrested for a crime involving sexual intercourse or sexual contact could be required to undergo an HIV test, the AP/Washington Examiner reports.

10 Jun 2008

Australia to enter the race to clone human embryo cells for stem-cell research

Melbourne's Monash University may be granted the first licence in Australia to clone human embryo cells for stem-cell research.

9 Jun 2008

Experts to develop national response to growing crisis of premature birth

Experts from throughout the United States will gather to develop a comprehensive national action plan to address the growing crisis of preterm birth.

9 Jun 2008

Massachusetts employers, insurers lobby against higher employer fees for uninsured workers, support cost control efforts

Massachusetts businesses and most of the state's health insurers on Wednesday announced the formation of the Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage, a lobbying group that will work to control rising health care costs in the state and prevent cost-shifting to employers, the Boston Globe reports.

8 Jun 2008

House panel hearing focuses on health IT privacy, cost concerns

Lawmakers, patient-privacy and health care advocates, and information technology experts on Tuesday "debated ... how Congress can strike a balance between accelerating the adoption of a nationwide system of electronic medical records while protecting patient privacy," CongressDaily reports (Noyes, CongressDaily, 6/4).

8 Jun 2008

Senate Finance Committee hears testimony on health IT, quality of care, medical liability laws in preparation for major health system overhaul efforts next year

Lawmakers should not overstate the ability of health care information technology, quality improvement efforts and medical liability reform to reduce health care costs, Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, testified on Tuesday at a Senate Finance Committee hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports.

8 Jun 2008

Health care legislation might not top next administration's agenda, former house leader says

Legislation that would overhaul the U.S. health care system might take a back seat to other issues for the next administration, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) said Thursday at a health care policy forum, CQ HealthBeat reports. The forum was sponsored by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases and Emory University's Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions.

8 Jun 2008

Colorado Gov. Ritter signs 11 health care bills to increase access, expand coverage

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Tuesday signed into law 11 health care bills, including measures to expand coverage requirements and increase children's access to care, the AP/Denver Post reports.

8 Jun 2008

Senate approves $3.1 trillion FY 2009 budget resolution without proposed reductions in Medicare, Medicaid spending

The Senate on Wednesday voted 48-45 to approve a $3.1 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget resolution (S Con Res 70), which includes large increases in funds for domestic programs and excludes reductions in funds for Medicare and Medicaid proposed by President Bush, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

8 Jun 2008

Editorial 'wrongly criticized' Sen. Coburn's 'due diligence' in reauthorizing PEPFAR, letter to editor says

A recent Washington Post editorial "wrongly criticized" Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and "his colleagues for conducting due diligence" regarding legislation to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee's Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, writes in a Post letter to the editor (Gregg, Washington Post, 6/5).

8 Jun 2008

Jamaican Health Ministry secures 40% of funding for $200 million plan to fight HIV/AIDS

The Jamaican Ministry of Health and Environment has secured 40% of the funding needed to implement a $200 million, five-year strategy to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, Kevin Harvey -- treatment, care and support coordinator at the health ministry -- said recently, the Jamaica Observer reports.

8 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

8 Jun 2008

Drug used to treat alcohol dependence also works for pathological gamblers

Scientists in the U.S. have found that a drug commonly prescribed for the treatment of alcoholism and drug dependence, also works for pathological gamblers.

8 Jun 2008

9.7 million at risk of death from AIDS today, AHF calls for ARV treatment scale-up

The release of a World Health Organization/UNAIDS/UNICEF report on Monday documents appreciable global progress in the effort to deliver lifesaving antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) to people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries; however, it also underscores the crucial need to maintain a focus on scaling up and providing lifesaving antiretroviral treatment in programs like PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) notes AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

5 Jun 2008

Majority of U.S. House supports repeal of Medicare therapy caps

With about one month to go before the current exceptions process for clinically based care above the Medicare therapy caps expires, a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has endorsed legislation to repeal the arbitrary financial limit on therapy benefits.

5 Jun 2008

Medical Legislation News and Research

Decision by Democratic Presidential Candidate Clinton to suspend campaign decreases prospects for individual health insurance mandate, Wall Street Journal reports

New Jersey lawmakers advance bill that would require income verification of all state-funded health insurance program applicants

CQ's Carey discusses Democratic, GOP Medicare proposals, VA mental health bill, health care IT measure

Congressional Democrats move to impose new limits on specialty hospitals

E.U. members express concerns about U.S. travel regulations related to health, HIV/AIDS

Delaware committee approves bill that would mandate HIV testing for accused sex offenders

Australia to enter the race to clone human embryo cells for stem-cell research

Experts to develop national response to growing crisis of premature birth

Massachusetts employers, insurers lobby against higher employer fees for uninsured workers, support cost control efforts

House panel hearing focuses on health IT privacy, cost concerns

Senate Finance Committee hears testimony on health IT, quality of care, medical liability laws in preparation for major health system overhaul efforts next year

Health care legislation might not top next administration's agenda, former house leader says

Colorado Gov. Ritter signs 11 health care bills to increase access, expand coverage

Senate approves $3.1 trillion FY 2009 budget resolution without proposed reductions in Medicare, Medicaid spending

Editorial 'wrongly criticized' Sen. Coburn's 'due diligence' in reauthorizing PEPFAR, letter to editor says

Jamaican Health Ministry secures 40% of funding for $200 million plan to fight HIV/AIDS

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

Drug used to treat alcohol dependence also works for pathological gamblers

9.7 million at risk of death from AIDS today, AHF calls for ARV treatment scale-up

Majority of U.S. House supports repeal of Medicare therapy caps

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