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EHR? Not so fast - Patients express security concerns

CDW Healthcare, part of the public sector subsidiary of CDW LLC, today announced the results of a national survey on patient perceptions of electronic health records (EHRs) and the security of personal health information (PHI). The report, “Elevated Heart Rates: EHR and IT Security,” found that while patients trust their doctors to protect their information, 49 percent believe that EHRs will have a negative impact on the privacy of their PHI and health data.

8 Mar 2011

First Edition: March 8, 2011

In today's headlines, news about ongoing budget discussions and how issues like Medicare spending and the health law fit into them as well as reports about the growing interest in replacing the current chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

8 Mar 2011

New study represents major reversal in thinking about universal screening programs

Screening every woman who comes to a health care centre does increase the number who acknowledge they have been abused by their partners, a new study confirms.

8 Mar 2011

Harvard study finds increase in medical bankruptcies in Massachusetts

The percentage of personal bankruptcies linked to medical bills or illness changed little, and the absolute number actually increased in Massachusetts after the implementation of its landmark 2006 law requiring people to buy health insurance, a Harvard study says.

8 Mar 2011

Also in global health news: EU-India talks; China's health system funding; water in Ethiopia; nonprofit offering health services abroad to sell off assets; polio in India

BMJ News Examines Ongoing EU-India Trade Talks' Impact On Access To Affordable Medicines

8 Mar 2011

Bupa introduces new health section online for international audience

Bupa has announced the launch of the first part of its new health section online at bupa-intl.com, featuring more interactive content and 50 medical factsheets for an international audience.

8 Mar 2011

State roundup: Mass. effort to manage care for chronically ill; promoting organ donations

For a glimpse of the future of Massachusetts health care as Gov. Deval Patrick envisions it, consider Phyllis Minsky. At 82, Phyllis is complex. Medically, that is. ... Older patients with multiple chronic diseases are the biggest consumers of health care; some 15 percent of Medicare patients make up over 75 percent of health care spending.

8 Mar 2011

Health care political battles tied to budget, insurance costs

"As Congress continues to debate the new health care law, health insurance costs are still rising, particularly for small businesses. Republicans are seizing on the trend as evidence that the new law includes expensive features that are driving up premiums. But the insurance industry says premiums are rising primarily because of the underlying cost of care and a growing demand for it. Across the country, premiums have more than doubled in the last decade, with smaller companies particularly hard hit in recent years, federal officials say".

6 Mar 2011

Mintz Levin's Health Law Practice to sponsor WBL's 10th Annual Summit

The Health Law Practice of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. is a sponsor of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation and WBL's 10th Annual Summit.

5 Mar 2011

WSJ: A windfall for HCA investors

Meanwhile, a report by Health Care For America Now details profits for the nation's five largest insurers and draws a strong reaction from the industry.

5 Mar 2011

House votes to repeal health law's tax reporting requirement

Lawmakers continue to be at odds over how to pay for the repeal of this provision, which was originally included in the overhaul as a means to raise revenue to pay for it. The House's offset, for instance, would recoup advance tax subsidies given to lower- and middle-income people to buy insurance if their incomes exceed a certain threshold during the same calendar year.

5 Mar 2011

State roundup: After Vinson stay, Alaska to implement health law

After allowing the application deadline to pass for $1 million in federal health care assistance, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell said Thursday he will begin implementing the new health care law after all, now that a Florida judge has told the states to do just that.

5 Mar 2011

Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim plan to remain as individual organizations

The Board of Directors of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan today announced that they will not pursue a merger of the two non-profit health plans. On January 25, 2011, Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding as the first step in exploring a possible merger of the organizations.

5 Mar 2011

Research roundup: Hospital infections and costs; Prescription confusion; Medicaid and access to care

"Sepsis affects approximately 750,000 patients each year in the United States and is in many ways a model condition for examining the relationship between hospital spending and patient outcomes and for identifying potential opportunities to improve the value of hospital care," write the authors.

5 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: Gambling on entitlement cuts; 'culture war' over family planning; insurance premium 'gouge' in Calif.

The House Republicans are rolling the political dice. They've pledged that in their budget for next year they will offer detailed proposals for curbing spending on "entitlements" — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. When Democrats heard this, their world suddenly brightened. One congressional aide dismissed the Republicans as "suckers".

4 Mar 2011

GOP focus remains tight on reforming Medicare, entitlement programs

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has made clear his determination to address this issue — The Wall Street Journal is reporting that he has even assured President Barack Obama that he will give him "cover" if he makes a proposal to cut entitlement spending.

4 Mar 2011