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President Obama launches new series of television, radio PSAs to mark the 20th anniversary of ADA

To coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act today, President Obama is joining the Ad Council and the American Association of People with Disabilities to launch a new series of television and radio public service advertisements. The ads, which feature the President, celebrate the progress that has been made during the last two decades and remind the public that there is still a lot of work to do so that all Americans have equal opportunity and full participation in this country.

27 Jul 2010

Cash-strapped local governments threaten to hold back payments to N.Y.; Oakland council approves 4 marijuana factories

The Wall Street Journal: "Frustrated by Albany's backlog of unpaid bills, cash-strapped local governments around New York are threatening to suspend their Medicaid payments to the state. Last week, an upstate county announced that it was freezing Medicaid payments to Albany. The move, which was closely watched by other county leaders, may be the start of a broader revolt, as the consequences of the state's chronic cash shortage trickle down to the local level.

27 Jul 2010

Insurers, young, uninsured all prepare for different changes under health reform

Insurers, the young, the uninsured and lawmakers are just a few of the groups sorting out what the implementation of health reform means for them as details emerge on changes to the system.

27 Jul 2010

Local chapters raise $100,574 with the help of CAHU CCF

California Association of Health Underwriters is proud to announce that local chapters raised $100,574 this year with the assistance of CAHU CCF, through events including a fashion show, golf tournaments and Holiday Meetings.

27 Jul 2010

Primary care shortages affect even doctor-heavy Massachusetts

The Boston Globe: Despite being home to the largest number of doctors per person, finding a primary care physician has been getting more difficult for Massachusetts residents since 2006, according a report released by the state. "Last year 60 percent of family-medicine doctors' offices were accepting new patients, down from 70 percent in 2007, the first full year after the state mandated near-universal health insurance coverage. Last year only 44 percent of internal medicine practices were accepting new patients, down from 66 percent in 2005.

27 Jul 2010

Lack of dental insurance a problem for millions

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Lack of dental insurance is an "endemic problem" that affects millions of people, largely those without jobs, health coverage or solid incomes. "It began with a toothache. Tori Pence, 23, could feel the hole that had suddenly developed on her tooth, and she couldn't stand either hot or cold food.

27 Jul 2010

Racial, ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system: ACP

Racial and ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system, the American College of Physicians said in an updated paper released today. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Updated 2010, an update to a policy paper that was originally released in 2003, outlines recommendations on how to close the gap between racial and ethnic minority patients and their white counterparts.

27 Jul 2010

Study analyses anesthetic effects on surgical site infections

A study appearing in the August 2010 issue of Anesthesiology found that patients receiving a total hip or knee replacement in Taiwan had a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) when general anesthesia was administered for the operation than when the same procedures were performed under epidural/spinal (regional) anesthesia.

27 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 26, 2010

Today's headlines include news about the politics of implementing the new health reform law as well as the ADA's 20th anniversary.

26 Jul 2010

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

So-called "accountable care organizations" or ACOs might change the way that the agency running Medicare does business. An article in the Indiana Business Journal explains that the new health reform law requires the agency to sign new "shared savings" contracts with ACOs and gives examples of how these organizations work. ACOs can begin doing business with Medicare in January 2012.

26 Jul 2010

It's back: House Democrats argue anew for public option

House Democrats are arguing again for the passage of a public option to compete with private health plans and reduce the deficit, news outlets report.

26 Jul 2010

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Physician Satisfaction With Chronic Care Processes: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Guided Care - The authors randomly assigned teams of physicians and their chronically ill older patients into groups that either provided Guided Care - an educated registered nurse works with a primary care practice team to enhance quality of care - or usual care. One year later, they measured "physicians' satisfaction with chronic care processes, time spent on chronic care, knowledge of their chronically ill older patients, and care coordination provided by physicians and office staff."

26 Jul 2010

Ohio sets up high risk pool; Four drug companies come under scrutiny for payments to Pittsburgh doctors, nurses

"Ohioans with pre-existing health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, can apply for coverage under a new high-risk insurance pool beginning Aug. 1." Qualifications include evidence of a pre-existing condition, proof of Ohio residency and U.S. citizenship, state of being uninsured for six months prior to the date of applying for coverage and being "ineligible for coverage under the Medicare program, the Ohio Medical Assistance Program, the Ohio Children's Health Insurance Program, or an employer-sponsored group health plan, unless subject to a mandatory initial waiting period" (7/22).

26 Jul 2010

Liberal bloggers, activists push Democrats for more changes, including public option

President Barack Obama made a surprise video appearance at Netroots Nation, a convention of about 2,000 liberal bloggers and activists in Las Vegas, trying to calm their frustrations that the Democratic administration and Congress have not achieved all the changes that progressives were hoping for, Miami Herald/McClatchy News Service report.

26 Jul 2010

Insurers, advocates fight over upcoming spending rules

Insurance companies are banding together to weaken a key health law rule that requires them to spend as much as 85 percent of their revenues on medical care, according to the advocacy group Health Care for America Now. At issue is the definition of 'medical loss ratio,' a figure used on Wall Street to show an insurer's profitability.

23 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

In the long list of problems affecting the American health care system, the shortage of general practitioners and overabundance of specialists is usually ranked near the top. There is truth to this: only 32 percent of physicians practice primary care medicine. As a result, patients have to wait longer to see their doctors and are more likely to be seen by nurse practitioners and physician assistants instead. However, pediatrics has the opposite problem: a growing shortage of pediatric subspecialists (Dennis Rosen, 7/22).

23 Jul 2010

NYC hospitals agree to pilot program to cut medical-malpractice costs

To cut medical-malpractice costs, five New York City hospitals have agreed to a pilot program to divulge medical mistakes early, offer settlements quickly and use special state 'health courts,' where judges will help negotiate agreements before cases go to trial. The program, funded for three years with $3 million from the federal government, aims to cut the $1.4 billion spent annually in New York State on medical-malpractice premiums, hospital and state officials say.

23 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 23, 2010

Today's news coverage includes more details about the Obama administration's new rule on appealing rejections of health insurance claims and a new law to reign in improper government payments.

23 Jul 2010

New data on health insurance to be included in AHRQ's 2009 State Snapshots

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's annual release of state-by-state quality data has been expanded to include new data on health insurance, including data on health care quality categorized by source of payment, including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and those without insurance.

23 Jul 2010

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

Today, the Obama Administration is announcing both new regulations to empower consumers to appeal decisions made by their health plans or insurance companies and the availability of resources that will be used to help give consumers more control of their health care decisions. These provisions of the Affordable Care Act will help support and protect consumers and help end some of the worst insurance company abuses.

23 Jul 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

President Obama launches new series of television, radio PSAs to mark the 20th anniversary of ADA

Cash-strapped local governments threaten to hold back payments to N.Y.; Oakland council approves 4 marijuana factories

Insurers, young, uninsured all prepare for different changes under health reform

Local chapters raise $100,574 with the help of CAHU CCF

Primary care shortages affect even doctor-heavy Massachusetts

Lack of dental insurance a problem for millions

Racial, ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system: ACP

Study analyses anesthetic effects on surgical site infections

First Edition: July 26, 2010

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

It's back: House Democrats argue anew for public option

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Ohio sets up high risk pool; Four drug companies come under scrutiny for payments to Pittsburgh doctors, nurses

Liberal bloggers, activists push Democrats for more changes, including public option

Insurers, advocates fight over upcoming spending rules

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

NYC hospitals agree to pilot program to cut medical-malpractice costs

First Edition: July 23, 2010

New data on health insurance to be included in AHRQ's 2009 State Snapshots

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

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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