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MHPA commends Congress for improving state Medicaid programs

"Congress has made a historical commitment to providing access to health care for 16 million low-income Americans through expansion of the Medicaid program. The bills also maintain and strengthen health coverage for kids through the Children's Health Insurance Program."

24 Mar 2010

President signs historic health reform measure into law

At a White House ceremony this morning, President Barack Obama signed into law the Senate version of health insurance reform.

24 Mar 2010

14 Attorney Generals challenge healthcare reform law

In a new development against the healthcare reform law that was signed by the President Barack Obama, 14 state Attorney Generals have filed lawsuits challenging it.

24 Mar 2010

State roundup: Arizona repeals CHIP program, Conn. insurance pool, Minnesota boosted by health bill

The Associated Press: "A controversial decision by Arizona lawmakers to eliminate a health insurance program for poor children puts it at risk of losing billions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding under the historic health care bill approved by Congress. Arizona last week became the first state to eliminate its Children's Health Insurance Program, removing an estimated 38,000 kids from the rolls starting in June in a budget-cutting move by Gov. Jan Brewer and the Republican-led Legislature. ... Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, told Brewer and House Speaker Kirk Adams in separate letters that eliminating the state's KidsCare program on June 15 would violate a 'maintenance of effort' requirement of the Senate health care overhaul bill approved by Congress" (Davenport, 3/22).

24 Mar 2010

Drugmakers, insurers and hospitals expected to see gains from health bill

Kaiser Health News: "Most health industry sectors are winners - some bigger than others -- under sweeping health care legislation that will expand coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans over the next decade, analysts say." Hospitals and drug makers are both winners; insurers could go either way, depending on long-term cost trends; and, doctors "got a pass," according to one expert (Galewitz, 3/22).

24 Mar 2010

Majority of Pennsylvania women do not seek treatments for chronic pain

Results of a statewide pain survey revealed that chronic pain is widespread among Pennsylvania women but often left untreated.

24 Mar 2010

Senate final fight on health reform starts, Dems hope for weekend wrap-up

Senate lawmakers will begin debate today on a reconciliation bill "fixing" the health reform overhaul that has been approved by both the House and the Senate. Democrats hope to finish consideration of the legislation by Saturday.

24 Mar 2010

Obama and Congress deliver meaningful healthcare reform

Alliance President and CEO joins President Obama, Members of Congress, and leading health advocates at President's speech marking signing of health insurance reform into law

24 Mar 2010

Health reform creates winners, losers and an interesting timeline

The health legislation creates a slew of winners and losers, as well as immediate effects and changes that will arrive slowly.

24 Mar 2010

AMA gives qualified support to health bill, Texas docs disagree

Austin American-Statesman: The Texas Medical Association split with the American Medical Association to announce its opposition to the health care bill that passed Sunday, saying: "We are disappointed and saddened that Congress and President Obama would pass a half-baked Senate proposal and call it 'Health System Reform.' The bill is simply bad medicine for patients and the state of Texas."

23 Mar 2010

Some GOP states mounting legal challenges to health bill

The New York Times: "Officials in a dozen states who oppose the health care bill say they hope to block it in court by arguing that requiring people to buy health insurance is an unprecedented intrusion by the federal government into people's lives — the equivalent of going a step beyond simply regulating automobiles to requiring people to buy a car.

23 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 23, 2010

Today's headlines cover a range of topics related to the newly passed health overhaul bill, from the surrounding opposition and next steps to some of its policy implications.

23 Mar 2010

Federal health reform bill unconstitutional, 38 states to pass legislation for stopping ObamaCare

Today the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is accelerating its nationwide effort to block the federal requirement to purchase health insurance, a key component of the health reform bill passed last night by Congress.

23 Mar 2010

Governor Rendell disappointed over lawsuit to block fair competition in Pennsylvania's health insurance marketplace

On the heels of the sweeping national legislation passed last night to reform the nation's health care system, Governor Edward G. Rendell today expressed his concern and disappointment about a lawsuit filed last week attempting to block the state Insurance Department from doing its job to ensure free and fair competition in Pennsylvania's health insurance marketplace.

23 Mar 2010

Cinergy Health expresses concern for house healthcare bill

Cinergy Health, a nationwide provider of health insurance benefit programs for the consumer market, expressed its concern for the house healthcare bill that passed Sunday, March 21st.

23 Mar 2010

Passage of health insurance reforms should spur action to ensure quality maternal care

Now that health insurance reform legislation has passed, President Obama and Congress must urgently turn their attention to ensuring quality maternal care for every American woman to reduce rising deaths and complications during pregnancy and childbirth, Amnesty International said today.

23 Mar 2010

Republicans start assault on new health bill

Almost instantly after the successful passing of the health bill by the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans have started opposing it. In Florida the legal battle is led by Attorney General Bill McCollum, who happens to be a Republican running for governor. In a statement made at a news conference Bill McCollum told the press that a lawsuit would be filed once the health care bill was signed by President Obama and turned into Law.

23 Mar 2010

Pelosi talks on Senate health insurance reform bill at enrollment ceremony

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Leaders, and Committee Chairs held an enrollment ceremony in the Capitol today to sign the Senate health insurance reform bill and send it to President Obama for his signature into law. Yesterday, the House passed the passed the Senate bill by a vote of 219 to 212.

23 Mar 2010

States ponder impacts of health bill

News outlets examine how lawmakers from different states voted and what states have to gain and loss from the national overhaul.

23 Mar 2010

Some industry groups see boon in health bill

The New York Times reports that the 32 million additional Americans who would be covered by health insurance by 2019 "would mean millions more Americans buying private health insurance and better able to pay for their hospital stays, doctors' visits, prescription drugs and medical devices. And some analysts said as the vote neared that the final legislation was shaping up as much kinder to the industry than many initially feared.

23 Mar 2010