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Undocumented immigrants should be included in health care system, concludes new report

With comprehensive immigration reform a priority for President Obama and gaining bipartisan and public support, there is a need and an opportunity to consider how the millions of undocumented immigrants should be integrated into our health care system, concludes a new report from The Hastings Center.

20 Mar 2013

Federal government may need to enforce health law in some states

Politico reports that insurance officials in at least four states won't implement insurance market changes that are part of the law, leaving that task to federal officials. Meanwhile, the Obama administration offers new rules and statistics related to implementation.

20 Mar 2013

First Edition: March 19, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of a new report about the troubling reach of Alzheimer's disease.

19 Mar 2013

AGA, CDC partner to promote free colonoscopies for uninsured patients

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women nationwide. During National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are joining forces for the second year to promote free colonoscopies for uninsured patients.

19 Mar 2013

Minnesota House poised to vote on health exchanges

Meanwhile, a New Hampshire survey finds few residents are aware of the health insurance marketplaces starting soon, and a fight is brewing in California over how "enrollers" for the state's exchange will be screened.

19 Mar 2013

Congress' looming deadlines: Budget votes and averting government shutdown

On the Sunday talk shows, members of Congress sparred over the upcoming budget votes and the ongoing dispute over the cost of 'Obamacare' and entitlement programs such as Medicare. More urgently, if Congress fails to pass an extension to keep the government funded by March 27, agencies and programs face a broad shutdown.

18 Mar 2013

Study finds increased use of antipsychotic medication among Medicaid-insured children

A new study from the University of Maryland found that use of antipsychotic drugs from 1997 to 2006 increased 7- to 12-fold in a Medicaid population of about 500,000 children ages two to 17.

16 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: 'Namby-pamby' Democratic budget offer; Murray argues her plan is responsible; Officials can force hospitals to fix pricing for uninsured

In the absence of an emergency, Washington can and should bring its budget into balance, even though that requires doing what politicians despise: for Republicans, raising taxes; for Democrats, curbing the rapid growth in benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security that already make up three-fifths of federal spending.

16 Mar 2013

Research roundup: Nurse education and post-surgery mortality; The influence of publicly reported quality-of-care measures

Each week, KHN reporter Alvin Tran compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

16 Mar 2013

Moody's outlines hospital economic concerns in states not expanding Medicaid; Iowa Democrats offer compromise; Idaho lawmakers weigh options

State legislatures around the country consider the implications of Medicaid expansion proposals under the federal health overhaul.

16 Mar 2013

Highlights: Ga. governor gets health insurance 'navigators' regulation bill; Combating shootings with mental illness prevention; Ohio's tobacco tax proposal

A selection of health policy news from Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and California.

16 Mar 2013

Employers, small businesses bristle over health law cost increases, requirements

The Wall Street Journal reports on the fee that many employers will pay for each person that they insure next year while KHN details a possible "loophole" for small businesses.

16 Mar 2013

Deadline pressures could put more health exchanges in the federal government's hands

Reuters reports that if states that are pursuing their own insurance marketplaces can't keep up with the timeline, it could fall to Washington to run. Meanwhile, the Minnesota House approves legislation to set up its health exchange while advocates in Colorado press to make coverage of children's dental care mandatory in plans sold on that state's exchange.

16 Mar 2013

First Edition: March 15, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about President Barack Obama's third day of Capitol Hill visits in pursuit of progress on the budget.

15 Mar 2013

UnitedHealth faces mental health parity legal challenge

Health insurance giant UnitedHealth Group has been sued in a class action for alleged violations of federal and state parity laws that mandate coverage for mental health claims on a level comparable to medical and surgical benefits.

15 Mar 2013

Report estimates employer costs that would result from states' refusal to expand Medicaid

According to Bloomberg, the report by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. estimates the cost to employers to be $1 billion. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on state-level decisions and developments related to the expansion.

15 Mar 2013

Health insurance exchanges likely to offer wide choice

NBC News reports the exchanges may offer an "overwhelming" array of plans to choose from to people who have not purchased insurance before.

15 Mar 2013

Debate on budget options: Ryan offer is 'cruel'; Obama unwilling to take risks necessary for grand bargain

It's a cruel budget. To finance his largess to the very well-off, Ryan would - through steep Medicaid cuts and the repeal of Obamacare - leave an additional 40 million to 50 million poor or moderate-income Americans without health insurance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (E.J. Dionne Jr., 3/13).

15 Mar 2013

Calif. lawmaker pushes expanded role for mid-level health professionals to meet health law's demand

A series of proposed bills would widen how much care California's mid-level health workers could give to patients in order to meet the growing demand for health care services as the health law takes hold.

15 Mar 2013

As health law nears implementation, concerns raised about premium increases, impact on food industry, use of incentives

Several news outlets explore questions that are raised about how the impact of the law.

15 Mar 2013

Health Insurance News and Research

Undocumented immigrants should be included in health care system, concludes new report

Federal government may need to enforce health law in some states

First Edition: March 19, 2013

AGA, CDC partner to promote free colonoscopies for uninsured patients

Minnesota House poised to vote on health exchanges

Congress' looming deadlines: Budget votes and averting government shutdown

Study finds increased use of antipsychotic medication among Medicaid-insured children

Viewpoints: 'Namby-pamby' Democratic budget offer; Murray argues her plan is responsible; Officials can force hospitals to fix pricing for uninsured

Research roundup: Nurse education and post-surgery mortality; The influence of publicly reported quality-of-care measures

Moody's outlines hospital economic concerns in states not expanding Medicaid; Iowa Democrats offer compromise; Idaho lawmakers weigh options

Highlights: Ga. governor gets health insurance 'navigators' regulation bill; Combating shootings with mental illness prevention; Ohio's tobacco tax proposal

Employers, small businesses bristle over health law cost increases, requirements

Deadline pressures could put more health exchanges in the federal government's hands

First Edition: March 15, 2013

UnitedHealth faces mental health parity legal challenge

Report estimates employer costs that would result from states' refusal to expand Medicaid

Health insurance exchanges likely to offer wide choice

Debate on budget options: Ryan offer is 'cruel'; Obama unwilling to take risks necessary for grand bargain

Calif. lawmaker pushes expanded role for mid-level health professionals to meet health law's demand

As health law nears implementation, concerns raised about premium increases, impact on food industry, use of incentives

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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