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Supreme Court rejects early request to review health overhaul

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a long-shot request for a review of the Obama administration's health-care overhaul before the matter has been fully litigated. The high court's rejection of the health-care challenge, brought by a conservative legal group in California, wasn't a surprise. …The high court almost never hears cases before they have been fully litigated in the lower courts, and it hadn't asked the Obama administration to file legal papers responding to the appeal."

10 Nov 2010

States slash budgets for tobacco-prevention programs; Florida lawmakers consider Medicaid revision; Md. to probe nonprofit mental health clinic

"Many cash-strapped U.S. states are slashing budgets for tobacco-prevention programs, raising alarms among public-health groups as the nation's progress toward getting adult smokers to quit has stalled. The adult smoking rate was 20.6% in 2009, the same as a year earlier and largely unchanged since 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

10 Nov 2010

Insurance premiums rise, high-deductible plans increase, health costs can lead to elder bankruptcy

The Washington Post: "According to experts and industry insiders, recent trends suggest [health insurance] rates will continue to rise and employers will continue to shift more of the cost of health insurance onto workers - asking them to shoulder a larger share of premiums, for instance, or increasing out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-pays."

10 Nov 2010

Younger patients unable to cope with pain and emotional issues of cancer

Younger adult cancer patients have the most difficulty coping with the pain and emotional issues of cancer, in spite of their potentially better survival odds, according to a University of Michigan Health System study.

10 Nov 2010

Republicans' committee plans take shape amid health reform questions

The Hill: "House Ways and Means Chairman-to-be Dave Camp (R-Mich.) is making his case for repealing and replacing the healthcare overhaul, touting his own version of a bill that he says would reduce premiums." Camp made his case in a USA Today editorial and says the GOP plan would reduce premiums by up to 10 percent. Camp says his plan would reform medical malpractice lawsuits, allow Americans to buy health insurance across state lines, and gives "states the flexibility to make changes that best meet the needs of their residents."

10 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 9, 2010

Today's news includes reports about the Supreme Court's decision regarding an early challenge to the health law.

9 Nov 2010

Study demonstrates preventive effect of urate lowering therapy on cardiovascular mortality

The use of urate lowering therapy might successfully prevent death from cardiovascular disease in people with gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Endeca, eHealth Ontario partner to implement chronic disease management system

Endeca Technologies, Inc., a search and business intelligence (BI) company, today announced that eHealth Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario, has selected Endeca and commenced work on the chronic disease management system (CDMS) and portal project previously announced in August 2010. Endeca, working with its partners, will assist with the design, build, and implementation of the system that will be used initially to better manage diabetes care throughout the province.

9 Nov 2010

Seniors need to check options as Medicare advantage plans change, drop out

The exodus of dozens of Medicare Advantage plans from various counties or from the state entirely is leaving 40,588 seniors across Washington to wade through charts in search of new plans.

9 Nov 2010

Children of deployed parents more likely to suffer mental health problems

The New York Times: "Young children in military families are about 10 percent more likely to see a doctor for a mental difficulty when a parent is deployed than when the parent is home, researchers are reporting Monday in the most comprehensive study to date of such families' use of health insurance during wartime."

9 Nov 2010

Employers struggle with increasing costs to insure workers

This year, Carilion Clinic has paid approximately 80 percent of the health care premium costs for full-time employees. Beginning in 2011, the region's largest employer will decrease its contribution significantly, absorbing an average of 66 percent of the premium costs.

9 Nov 2010

Government cutting premiums for Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan

The federal government is trying to spur enrollment in a new health insurance program for uninsured people with pre-existing medical conditions by slashing rates.

8 Nov 2010

Republicans talk strategy to repeal – or revise – health law

Republicans do not have enough seats to marshal through a full repeal if Democrats remain steadfast in their support. Even if Republicans were able to sway enough Democrats to support their effort, it would face a certain veto from Obama.

8 Nov 2010

Health reform updates: Biotech grants, privacy issues and birth control coverage

Firms vying to tap the fund a $1 billion fund meant to catalyze research on new biologic treatments for cancer and other diseases may be disappointed in the outcome, The Washington Post reports. "[W]ith so many companies applying for a share of the money, many firms got much smaller allotments than requested and said the financial boost won't go as far as they had initially hoped.

8 Nov 2010

HHS cuts premiums for some high risk pools

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Trying to spur enrollment in a new health insurance program for uninsured people with pre-existing medical conditions, the federal government is doing something private insurers almost never do: slashing rates" (Galewitz, 11/5).

8 Nov 2010

Zynex third quarter net revenues increase 42% to $6,657,000

Zynex, Inc., a provider of pain management systems and electrotherapy products for medical patients with functional disability, announces a record number of orders and billed patients in the three months ended September 30, 2010. The Company also generated record net revenues of $6,657,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2010, which represents a 42% increase over third quarter 2009 net revenue and a 16% increase sequentially over the second quarter of 2010.

8 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 8, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include more post-mortem reports about the health law's impact on the election.

8 Nov 2010

HHS gives states technical guidance for Medicaid system while some video game companies start to focus on medical field

Modern Healthcare: "HHS will give states financial aid and technical guidance to help them set up information technology systems to streamline enrollment in Medicaid or health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a news release from the department. HHS proposes that states will be able to receive federal dollars to cover 90% of design and development costs and 75% of operating and maintenance costs of Medicaid eligibility systems.

8 Nov 2010

Maine requests exemption from federal law, Southern Calif. hospital pays $5 million to resolve charges of false Medicare claims

Bloomberg: "Maine wants an exemption from the federal health-care law to keep a Wall Street-controlled insurer with a history of allegedly abusive practices from leaving the state. Mila Kofman, Maine's insurance superintendent, asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a three-year waiver from the law's requirement that insurers spend 80 percent of premium revenues on medical care." The

8 Nov 2010