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House hearing to consider more federal funds for state Medicaid programs as part of second economic stimulus package

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Tuesday plans to hold a hearing that "might turn up the heat on congressional leaders to include Medicaid relief for states in a second economic stimulus package," CongressDaily reports.

23 Jul 2008

Tennessean examines physicians in state limiting new Medicare beneficiaries they see, charging concierge fees

The Tennessean in a two-part series examined how physicians in the state are limiting the number of new Medicare beneficiaries they will treat and how some are charging concierge fees to accept new beneficiaries.

23 Jul 2008

WellCare revises past financial statements to include refunds owed to Florida, Illinois Medicaid programs

WellCare officials on Monday announced that the health insurer has revised financial statements from 2004 through mid-2007 to include refunds owed to the Florida and Illinois Medicaid programs, the St. Petersburg Times reports (Hundley, St. Petersburg Times, 7/21).

23 Jul 2008

Widespread adoption of e-prescribing could save U.S. $156 million over five years

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Monday discussed the details of an electronic prescribing incentive program scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2009, that will increase Medicare payments to physicians who adopt the technology, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

23 Jul 2008

Disease prevention programs cannot reduce costs in long term, columnist writes

The "formulation" that disease prevention programs can reduce health care costs in the long term "is a pleasant fantasy," syndicated columnist Froma Harrop writes in the Providence Journal.

23 Jul 2008

CMS proposal would limit industry practice that raises costs for some Medicare drug plan beneficiaries

A CMS proposal under consideration would limit a practice used by pharmacy benefit managers known as "lock-in pricing" that can increase costs for beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare drug benefit and bring them into the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap more quickly, the Wall Street Journal reports.

23 Jul 2008

Alaska Group to offer health coverage to employees of not-for-profit

The Foraker Group, an organization that supports not-for-profit organizations in Alaska, on Thursday announced that it will offer health insurance to employees of private, not-for-profit organizations in the state, the Anchorage Daily News reports.

23 Jul 2008

Blitz on hospital waiting lists pays off

Since a boost of $600 million to both federal and state governments earlier this year, almost 14,000 additional patients have received elective surgery in the first six months of the Rudd government's blitz on lengthy public hospital waiting lists.

23 Jul 2008

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

As the number of working-age adults who have major chronic conditions grew between 1997 and 2006, those without health coverage in this group experienced substantial erosion in access to health care, according to a new study by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers published today as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive.

22 Jul 2008

Nursing teams in care homes could reduce hospital admissions

Bringing a community nursing and physiotherapy team into residential care homes for older people improves quality of life and reduces hospital admissions, according to a new evaluation study's reports published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

22 Jul 2008

16% of all new HIV cases reported in Canada linked to immigrants

About 16% of all new HIV cases reported in Canada in 2005 were linked to immigrants from countries where HIV is prevalent, according to a report recently released by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, the CP/Toronto Star reports.

22 Jul 2008

Russia considers ending mandatory HIV testing for foreigners entering country

Following U.S. Senate approval of legislation to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that includes a provision to ease HIV/AIDS-related travel restrictions, Russian government officials have said they are considering replicating the U.S. measure, "an indication that Russia may end mandatory HIV tests for foreign residents," the Moscow Times reports.

22 Jul 2008

Southern U.S. not receiving adequate Federal funding to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, support, report says

The Southern U.S. is not receiving enough federal funding to provide adequate HIV prevention, treatment and support programs, according to a report scheduled to be released on Monday by the Southern AIDS Coalition, the Birmingham News reports.

22 Jul 2008

PBS' 'News Hour' examines efforts of Baylor's Pediatric AIDS Corps to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa

PBS' "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on Thursday examined efforts from the Baylor College of Medicine's Pediatric AIDS Corps to fight HIV/AIDS among children in Malawi.

22 Jul 2008

Rising fuel prices affecting some health care workers

Rising fuel prices are causing financial strain for some home health care workers and the industry is considering replacing some services in rural areas with remote monitoring systems, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

22 Jul 2008

Association of Academic Health Centers calls for national plan to recruit, retain health care workers

The Association of Academic Health Centers on Thursday during a briefing said that the federal government needs to help develop a national plan to recruit and retain health care workers to meet increased demand as the U.S. population ages, Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Tseng, Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/18).

22 Jul 2008

House Democrats plan second, $50 billion economic stimulus package with possible funds for state Medicaid programs

House Democrats are planning a second, $50 billion economic stimulus package that could include funds for state Medicaid programs, CongressDaily reports.

22 Jul 2008

NYT examines record of cooperation on health care, other issues by McCain

The New York Times on Monday examined how presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) since his failed 2000 presidential campaign has "mastered the art of political triangulation -- variously teaming up with ... the new Republican leaders, with Democrats against Republicans and with the president against the Democrats" on health care and other issues -- to "become perhaps the chamber's most influential member."

22 Jul 2008

Rep. Boustany introduces legislation that would require states to report on SCHIP enrollment, outreach efforts

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) last week introduced a bill (HR 6506) that would require all states to submit annual reports on SCHIP enrollment, CQ HealthBeat reports.

22 Jul 2008

Means testing in Medicare, other entitlement programs could help address financial problems

The U.S. faces a "financial crisis," in part because of spending on entitlement programs, and the "situation will become much worse as Americans age and health care costs rise," Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

22 Jul 2008

Health Care News and Research

House hearing to consider more federal funds for state Medicaid programs as part of second economic stimulus package

Tennessean examines physicians in state limiting new Medicare beneficiaries they see, charging concierge fees

WellCare revises past financial statements to include refunds owed to Florida, Illinois Medicaid programs

Widespread adoption of e-prescribing could save U.S. $156 million over five years

Disease prevention programs cannot reduce costs in long term, columnist writes

CMS proposal would limit industry practice that raises costs for some Medicare drug plan beneficiaries

Alaska Group to offer health coverage to employees of not-for-profit

Blitz on hospital waiting lists pays off

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

Nursing teams in care homes could reduce hospital admissions

16% of all new HIV cases reported in Canada linked to immigrants

Russia considers ending mandatory HIV testing for foreigners entering country

Southern U.S. not receiving adequate Federal funding to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, support, report says

PBS' 'News Hour' examines efforts of Baylor's Pediatric AIDS Corps to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa

Rising fuel prices affecting some health care workers

Association of Academic Health Centers calls for national plan to recruit, retain health care workers

House Democrats plan second, $50 billion economic stimulus package with possible funds for state Medicaid programs

NYT examines record of cooperation on health care, other issues by McCain

Rep. Boustany introduces legislation that would require states to report on SCHIP enrollment, outreach efforts

Means testing in Medicare, other entitlement programs could help address financial problems

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