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Pelosi's statement on new guidance for small business owners in new health insurance reform law

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after the Obama Administration announced new guidance to make it easier for small business owners to take advantage of tax credits in the new health insurance reform law, including clarifying that a small business' substantial tax credit under reform will not be reduced if they also receive a state subsidy, and allowing them to receive tax credits for add-on dental and vision coverage in addition to regular health insurance

18 May 2010

Medicaid growth in Utah slows; Arizona sees drop in CHIP beneficiaries

"Utah's Medicaid rolls grew by 405 people in April, the smallest monthly increase since March 2008, the start of an unprecedented growth streak for the low-income health program. Unemployment has also slowed, which economists believe is an early sign of economic recovery" (Stewart, 5/17).

18 May 2010

Employer-provided health insurance to remain dominant under health law

News outlets report on employer-provided health insurance and suggest that the overall number of Americans who are insured through their workplace is unlikely to change substantially under the health law.

18 May 2010

Insurance groups seek to limit health law damage with medical-loss ratio definitions

Insurance groups are wrangling with regulators on defining a few key terms that will significantly alter how they do business under the new health reform law.

18 May 2010

Democrats strategize by touting early benefits but in some areas party is facing tough fight

Democrats enlisted a reliable strategy by "front-loading their legislation with consumer-friendly, insurance industry reforms and other fixes they hope will generate support for the new law in the run-up to the pivotal midterm elections." Democrats are hoping that a skeptical public will come around to their side of the equation, but Republicans say voters will remember all the legislation, not just part of it, when they vote in November.

18 May 2010

KHN Column: The health care cost problem we refuse to see

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, Austin Frakt writes: "I agree with those who think the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act doesn't do enough soon enough to control the rate of increase in health insurance premiums.

17 May 2010

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Officials and stakeholders are examining the new health reform law for changes that the reform will mean for their organizations and industries.

17 May 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Support for Berwick and health reform's next tests

He is well-qualified to make the many crucial decisions surrounding Medicare and Medicaid, and could end up being one of the most significant appointees in the administration (5/17).

17 May 2010

IRS to announce tax credit rules for small business health premiums

The Associated Press: "Pitching President Barack Obama's health care law to skeptical business owners, the IRS on Monday will announce ground rules for small firms wishing to claim a new federal tax credit for health insurance." The tax credit, which was created by the new health overhaul law, "covers up to 35 percent of the premiums that certain small businesses pay on behalf of their workers.

17 May 2010

First Edition: May 17, 2010

Today's headlines highlight stories about efforts to advance the implementation of federal health reforms as well as the sweeping measure's political impact in primary races across the country.

17 May 2010

Fraud, waste, and abuse

The Congressional Budget Office announcement May 11, 2010, that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would cost, over the next ten years, $115 Billion more, brings the total cost over $1 Trillion. Imagine—Congress and the President spent a whole year jamming a 2,309 page monster down our throats on the pretense of “eliminating fraud, waste and abuse (in the delivery of medical care) at a lower cost”. This same Congressional Budget Office, using the contrived numbers given by Congress, had previously said Obamacare would REDUCE federal deficits by $143 Billion. I smell FRAUD.

17 May 2010

Small business lobby, others join states' lawsuit against health law

"A national business lobbying group on Friday joined 20 U.S. states in a lawsuit challenging President Barack Obama's overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system. The joint lawsuit led by Florida and now grouping 20 states was filed on March 23 by mostly Republican attorneys general." The suit claims the law "violates state government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments" (Brown, 5/14).

17 May 2010

Anti-abortion groups use health law in efforts to restrict insurance coverage

Abortion opponents fought passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul to the bitter end, and now that it's the law, they're using it to limit coverage by private insurers. An obscure part of the law allows states to restrict abortion coverage by private plans operating in new insurance markets.

17 May 2010

Research roundup: Whistleblowers, spreading best practices, Medicare's growth-limiting strategy

The Impact Of Removing Financial Incentives From Clinical Quality Indicators: Longitudinal Analysis Of Four Kaiser Permanente Indicators - The researchers found the removal of pay-for-performance incentives "was associated with a decrease in performance of about 3% per year on average for screening for diabetic retinopathy and about 1.6% per year for cervical cancer screening" (Lester et al., 5/11). More details about the study and related news coverage are in the May 12 Morning Report.

15 May 2010

CeltiCare to provide high-quality health insurance for Commonwealth Care Bridge Program members

CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts, a Centene Corporation subsidiary, today announced that the state of Massachusetts has renewed its contract to serve Commonwealth Care Bridge Program members, effective July 1, 2010.

15 May 2010

Sen. Kerry, White House push back on Berwick criticism

After Republicans levied attacks on Donald Berwick, the physician and professor President Barack Obama has nominated to lead the Medicare agency, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., came to the aide of his fellow Bay Stater, The Boston Globe reports. He said, "It's no secret that the national Republican Party has tried to crank up the attack machine and make his nomination a distorted referendum on reform.

15 May 2010

Health law raises questions about future of Florida's agencies that care for uninsured

Palm Beach County's Health Care District "hired contractors to move ahead with a $9-million purchase and renovation project for a new headquarters, even though the need that drove the district's creation in the first place -- providing health care to the indigent and uninsured -- could begin to dissolve in four years with implementation of the federal health law.

15 May 2010

Lotus Pharmaceuticals first-quarter net income up 38%

Lotus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a growing developer, manufacturer and seller of medicine and drugs in the People's Republic of China today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

15 May 2010

National study of factors related to unmet health needs among homeless people

The vast majority of homeless adults surveyed in a national study had trouble accessing at least one type of needed health care service in the preceding year, according to a study that will appear in the July American Journal of Public Health and is now available online.

15 May 2010

Democrats weary of health changes, mull new health bills, 'doc fix'

Democrats are feeling health care "fatigue" and are doubting that Congress will consider any more health-related legislation this year. "Measures in jeopardy include bills that would require more information on healthcare prices, empower federal regulators to sign off on premium increases and strip insurers of their exemption from anti-trust laws."

15 May 2010