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One in three people with psoriasis do not receive proper treatment due to health insurance issues: Survey

Results from a new survey reveal that one in three people with psoriasis do not receive proper treatment for their disease due to health insurance issues—and many won't be helped by the new health care reform law.

17 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 17, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports on states' progress with high-risk pools created as part of the health reform law: "The program, one of the highest profile provisions of the law, is designed to provide health insurance to people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition and have been without coverage for at least six months.

17 Jun 2010

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

Following a recent trip to the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reflects on the recent progress made in the fight against the disease in a McClatchy opinion piece. Though "Uganda was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. …Uganda is also a success story," Ban writes. "A decade ago, fewer than 10,000 people were on the new generation of antiretroviral drugs that suppress the disease and offer the promise of a normal life.

17 Jun 2010

State round-up: Calif. orders review of insurers' planned rate hikes; S.D. targets young smokers

"California health insurance regulators have ordered independent reviews of rate hikes being sought by four of the state's largest insurers, a move that could lead to smaller increases for consumers. The action comes after an outside analysis found significant errors in a recent rate filing by Anthem Blue Cross, leading it to cancel increases of as much as 39% for hundreds of thousands of policyholders. , to be announced Wednesday by The California Department of Insurance's findings are to be announced Wednesday" (Helfand, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

As its real costs become clearer, Obama's program is looking even more expensive for employers, seniors, and taxpayers (Rick Santorum, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Money for early retirees and insurers' customer service

Consultants are pushing big companies to apply quickly for money from a $5 billion fund to help cover retiree health costs as part of the new health law, The Wall Street Journal reports.

17 Jun 2010

GOP-led health law repeal vote fails

A vote pushed by House Republicans to repeal the mandate on citizens to carry health insurance failed Tuesday, despite some Democrats joining Republicans to rescind what is known as the requirement known as the individual mandate, Politico reports. "Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, called for the repeal under a 'motion to recommit' — a parliamentary tool often used by the minority party to change bills on the House floor.

17 Jun 2010

CDC survey shows 3 million more uninsured in 2009

The number of uninsured Americans increased slightly last year, compared with 2008, but the change was not statistically significant according to a just-released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. "The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics said in its report that 15.4 percent of Americans lacked health insurance in 2009, compared to 14.7 percent in 2008." The number of uninsured, 46.3 million last year, increased by less than 3 million compared to the prior year. Six million children remain uninsured (Fox, 6/16).

17 Jun 2010

Health on The Hill – June 15, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey and the Los Angeles Times' Noam Levey talk with KFF's Jackie Judd about recent events in Congress. For instance, the Senate is debating ways to reverse a 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments that began on June 1.

16 Jun 2010

Also in Global Health News: Clinton to Haiti; Global Fund suspends Zambian aid; Ugandan health workers; MDG summit; Rwandan health insurance; HIV drugs in Kenya

Reuters reports that former President Bill Clinton will return to Haiti to "jump-start" the country's post-earthquake reconstruction. Clinton will head the first meeting of Haiti's reconstruction commission, "part of a sorely needed effort to better coordinate international aid efforts, [Prime Minister Jean-Max] Bellerive said." Bellerive hopes the meeting will "establish clear-cut guidelines" for distributing more than $5 billion in aid from 140 countries following the Jan. 12 earthquake (Brown, 6/16).

16 Jun 2010

SOA provides clarity regarding law's consequences on existing health insurance plans, benefits

With the approaching national implementation of The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act on July 1, 2010, members of the Society of Actuaries are providing clarity regarding the law's potential unintended consequences on consumers' existing health insurance plans and benefits. While the law is intended to provide non-discriminatory mental health coverage, members of the SOA are helping consumers and large and small employers understand what effects the law will have on current health plan offerings, and what individuals can do to help avoid higher out-of-pocket costs.

16 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 16, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on the latest Senate developments regarding the Medicare 'doc fix' as well as continuing health reform implementation news.

16 Jun 2010

UNC researchers study why surgery happens less often in blacks with lung cancer

A new study led by UNC researchers that looks at newly diagnosed lung cancer patients and follows them from diagnosis forward is one of the first to give reasons why patients don't go to lung surgery and why surgery happens less often in blacks.

16 Jun 2010

Supreme Court to hear case on overcrowding and medical needs of Calif. prisoners; Ohio state employees have unusual situation covering adult children

Agreeing to hear an appeal from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether the state can be forced to release 46,000 inmates — more than one-fourth of its prison population — to relieve overcrowding. The justices said they would hear the case in the fall and rule early next year.

16 Jun 2010

Reid takes steps toward final vote on 'extenders' package after turning down GOP alternative

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion Monday to stop debate on a bill that includes $140 billion in spending on items such as extended unemployment benefits, enhanced Medicaid payments to states and a fix to keep Medicare reimbursements to doctors from being trimmed. The move suggests Reid thinks he is close to having the votes for passage.

16 Jun 2010

Health insurance issues: State regulators wary of health law, Medicare Advantage star system

News outlets report on changes to the individual health insurance market and Medicare Advantage plans under the new health law.

16 Jun 2010

Both sides try to score political points on health law

NPR: Both Democrats and Republicans are continuing efforts to use the health reform law to their advantage as the American public sorts outs its feelings on the subject. "The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is trying to get Republicans on the record about repeal. And Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the head of the Democrats' House campaign committee, is happy to talk about his opponents' position.

16 Jun 2010

Inability of Mass. to curb health costs could be harbinger for national efforts

Last week, Massachusetts health reform "advocates celebrated a new report showing that, despite the devastating economic slump, the vast majority of Massachusetts residents had not dropped health insurance coverage." But also in the headlines were reports that "a state official called Massachusetts's decision to reject the vast majority of insurer rate hikes a 'train wreck' that would very likely lead to the insolvency of some companies.

16 Jun 2010

Employer health costs slowing, but still face 9 percent increase in 2011

PriceWaterhouseCoopers is estimating that employer health costs will rise 9 percent in 2011, slightly less than they rose in 2010, Reuters reports. "The PriceWaterhouseCoopers team questioned 700 companies in 30 industries for the report. About 60 percent of Americans under the age of 65 get health insurance through an employer. Health benefits are often a major part of any employee compensation package. Most employers, 63 percent, offer a [managed-care] preferred provider organization or PPO, the survey found. And many have raised the deductible, with 43 percent having a deductible of $400 or more, compared to 25 percent in 2009."

16 Jun 2010

WellPoint to begin offering 'electronic' house calls

The Indianapolis Star: "Indianapolis-based health insurance giant WellPoint unveiled a new program to give its members access to doctors and other health-care providers via the Internet. The house call would be initiated by a patient logging in for a video chat from work to describe a sore throat, or a parent at home texting about a child with poison ivy.

16 Jun 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

One in three people with psoriasis do not receive proper treatment due to health insurance issues: Survey

First Edition: June 17, 2010

Opinions: Maintain fight against HIV/AIDS; Ending PMTCT; Impact of U.S. health reform on foreign-trained physicians

State round-up: Calif. orders review of insurers' planned rate hikes; S.D. targets young smokers

Wednesday's OpEds: Berwick nomination; Health reform costs and benefits; Medicaid and COBRA in jobs bill

Money for early retirees and insurers' customer service

GOP-led health law repeal vote fails

CDC survey shows 3 million more uninsured in 2009

Health on The Hill – June 15, 2010

Also in Global Health News: Clinton to Haiti; Global Fund suspends Zambian aid; Ugandan health workers; MDG summit; Rwandan health insurance; HIV drugs in Kenya

SOA provides clarity regarding law's consequences on existing health insurance plans, benefits

First Edition: June 16, 2010

UNC researchers study why surgery happens less often in blacks with lung cancer

Supreme Court to hear case on overcrowding and medical needs of Calif. prisoners; Ohio state employees have unusual situation covering adult children

Reid takes steps toward final vote on 'extenders' package after turning down GOP alternative

Health insurance issues: State regulators wary of health law, Medicare Advantage star system

Both sides try to score political points on health law

Inability of Mass. to curb health costs could be harbinger for national efforts

Employer health costs slowing, but still face 9 percent increase in 2011

WellPoint to begin offering 'electronic' house calls

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