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Health care industries have mixed reaction to health reform

The Wall Street Journal: While many Republican campaigns this season focused on repeal of the federal health care overhaul, "even with the House changing hands, health insurers, drug companies and hospitals said they were planning as if the law will stick." However, health-care companies "say that the election results offer new opportunities to influence the way the law is implemented.

8 Nov 2010

What's next for health law? Repeal efforts, 'compromise,' congressional conflict

Health on the Hill features Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini talking about the GOP gains, what they mean for state implementation to health reform and what possibilities there are for major changes being made to the health law.

8 Nov 2010

GOP prepares to challenge health law on federal, state levels

Congressional Republicans said on Sunday they plan a full-scale assault against President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul next year but acknowledged it could take until after the 2012 presidential election to repeal it. Representative Paul Ryan, expected to become chairman of the House Budget Committee chairman, said his fellow Republicans will try to deny funding for implementation of the healthcare legislation and hold hearings to point out its shortcomings when the new Congress convenes in January.

8 Nov 2010

Mass. focuses on containing health care costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger seeks to expand coverage of uninsured in Calif.

While the White House seems destined to spend the next two years fending off attacks on President Obama's health care law, the administration of Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will push forward with the next stage of health care overhaul: trying to contain the escalating costs of medical care.

7 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 4, 2010

Less than 24 hours after Republicans won control of the House, soon-to-be-speaker John Boehner denounced the new health care law, saying it would "kill jobs in America, ruin the best health care system in the world, and bankrupt our country" -- and renewed his vow to try to repeal it. Kaiser Health News asked people around the country to answer the following question: "If you ended up in an elevator with Rep. Boehner, what single thing would you urge him to do about health care in this country? (Kaiser Health News).

4 Nov 2010

PA Insurance Department awarded $2M federal grant to design health insurance information exchange

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has received $2.1 million in two federal grants to design programs giving consumers more options and tools to shop for health care coverage and make informed decisions about their health care.

4 Nov 2010

Florida to drop 350 uninsured HIV/AIDS patients from drug program; Ore. and Wash. set up enrollment periods for children's insurance; Calif. gets federal grant to update Medicaid program

The Miami Herald/The Sun Sentinel: "The Florida Department of Health plans to drop about 350 uninsured HIV/AIDS patients from a federally funded program that pays for all or most of their drugs, because of a budget crisis. An additional 2,000 or more HIV-positive patients are at risk of being bumped from the program unless the state can close a $16 million shortfall in the next few months, officials said Tuesday.

4 Nov 2010

Republican leaders say health law repeal is 'a top GOP priority'

Reuters: "Representative John Boehner, expected to be named the next speaker of the House of Representatives, vowed on Wednesday to repeal health care reforms pushed into law by the Obama administration. 'I believe that the healthcare bill that was enacted by the current Congress will kill jobs in America, ruin the best healthcare system in the world, and bankrupt our country,'" Boehner, an Ohio Republican, told a news conference" today (Lawder, 11/3).

4 Nov 2010

GOP claims Statehouse victories that could set back health law implementation

"The Democrats' ambitious health care overhaul is facing roadblocks from newly elected state officials who harshly criticized it while campaigning and who are now in a position to make good on their promises," Kaiser Health News reports. The GOP made significant political gains in Tuesday's election, taking "Governors' mansions in several states." Among the newly elected governors were Sam Brownback of Kansas, "who called the reform law 'an abomination,'" and Tennessee's Bill Haslam, who called the law "an 'intolerable expansion' of federal power."

4 Nov 2010

Republicans look to use majority for health overhaul repeal, plan vote

Now in control of the House of Representatives, Republicans are planning to flex their muscles quickly to try to repeal the Democratic health law but even some GOP leaders acknowledge it is likely they can get rid of the law right away.

4 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 3, 2010

Today's headlines track the GOP's sweeping electoral gains and begin to explore what this power shift might mean for the future of the health law.

3 Nov 2010

Safeguard Scientifics third quarter aggregate revenue of partner companies increases 73% to $109.6 million

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a holding company that provides growth capital for entrepreneurial and innovative life sciences and technology companies, today announced that aggregate revenue of its partner companies for the three months ended September 30, 2010 was $109.6 million, up 73% from $63.4 million for the same partner companies in the same period of 2009.

3 Nov 2010

Veterans deserve best health care coverage

The nation pauses to honor its veterans on November 11 for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Naturally, we want our veterans to be taken care of, especially when it comes to their health. Those who have served their country through the United States military have several options when it comes to their health care coverage.

3 Nov 2010

Health Affairs recognizes U-M leadership in implementing Value-Based Insurance Design

Value-Based Insurance Design - a concept created at the University of Michigan and incorporated in the nation's new health care reform law - is the focus of an upcoming national policy journal.

3 Nov 2010

Three states to cast ballots on health insurance mandate; Others consider abortion and marijuana questions

"Voters in three states will cast ballots Tuesday on the new healthcare law's individual mandate to buy insurance," The Hill reports. "Arizona and Oklahoma are expected to pass the state constitutional amendment, but it faces an uphill battle in Colorado. The measure on the ballot in Arizona and Oklahoma is modeled after legislation drafted by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.

3 Nov 2010

Races sometimes hinging on health law issues go down to the wire

Races around the nation are coming down to the wire Tuesday and the controversial health law continues to play a role in the campaign.

3 Nov 2010

Health reform law: Tax credits may boost coverage; rationing still hot word

The number of small businesses offering health insurance to workers is projected to increase sharply this year, recent data show, a shift that researchers attribute to a tax credit in the health law.

3 Nov 2010

Decisions on health law's fate start today as GOP seems poised for gains

Expected Republican wins in Congress and in statehouses throughout the country Tuesday would likely slow down implementation of the law and make the debate even more contentious but not outright stop the law.

3 Nov 2010

Health IT: Apps; Competitive contracts; Electronic medical records

The Wall Street Journal: "Indian technology companies are eyeing a coming wave of U.S. spending to digitize health care records. But sensitivity over outsourcing and resistance by American hospitals to sending medical information overseas could thwart efforts to win big contracts." Next year, the U.S. government will dispense billions to "health-care providers who adopt electronic medical records." Doctors are also facing "a federal mandate to upgrade software as the U.S. switches to a new system of insurance billing codes."

3 Nov 2010

Today's Op-Eds: Birth control coverage, 'free' medical care, profitable nursing homes

For every extra benefit Congress has required health insurers to provide, there is an extra cost. Ultimately, we all will pay the cost of these "free" services in the form of lower wages, higher taxes or higher health insurance premiums.

3 Nov 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

Health care industries have mixed reaction to health reform

What's next for health law? Repeal efforts, 'compromise,' congressional conflict

GOP prepares to challenge health law on federal, state levels

Mass. focuses on containing health care costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger seeks to expand coverage of uninsured in Calif.

First Edition: November 4, 2010

PA Insurance Department awarded $2M federal grant to design health insurance information exchange

Florida to drop 350 uninsured HIV/AIDS patients from drug program; Ore. and Wash. set up enrollment periods for children's insurance; Calif. gets federal grant to update Medicaid program

Republican leaders say health law repeal is 'a top GOP priority'

GOP claims Statehouse victories that could set back health law implementation

Republicans look to use majority for health overhaul repeal, plan vote

First Edition: November 3, 2010

Safeguard Scientifics third quarter aggregate revenue of partner companies increases 73% to $109.6 million

Veterans deserve best health care coverage

Health Affairs recognizes U-M leadership in implementing Value-Based Insurance Design

Three states to cast ballots on health insurance mandate; Others consider abortion and marijuana questions

Races sometimes hinging on health law issues go down to the wire

Health reform law: Tax credits may boost coverage; rationing still hot word

Decisions on health law's fate start today as GOP seems poised for gains

Health IT: Apps; Competitive contracts; Electronic medical records

Today's Op-Eds: Birth control coverage, 'free' medical care, profitable nursing homes

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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