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While GOP pledges austerity, Democrats rebuff efforts to restructure Medicare, Medicaid

Health care continues to play a major role this political season. News outlets look at the parties' differences on spending, Sen. Baucus' early reelection calculations and a protest against Rep. Steve King.

25 May 2012

New ad touts Obama's commitment to Medicare

President Barack Obama's campaign rolled out ads pitched to seniors and veterans Wednesday. Meanwhile, Politico analyzes Mitt Romney's decision to emphasize his record as a businessman rather than as Massachusetts governor when he helped pass that state's health reform law.

25 May 2012

Union reaches contract agreement with Minn. hospitals

Union workers have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year contract that averted a strike at eight Twin Cities hospitals. The union represents 3,500 nursing assistants, technicians and support staff. The agreement was reached last week after union members voted to authorize a 2- to 5-day strike. The union says the new contract holds back on increases in health benefit premiums, retains overtime benefits and includes small wage increases.

25 May 2012

Viewpoints: Politics of the Medicare debate; Measuring the impact of Catholic bishops' legal challenge

So don't expect the Obama administration to agree to any cuts in Medicare between now and Election Day. And don't expect them to show any support for Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare. Holding strong on Medicare is the silver bullet for Obama. It may offset some of seniors' concerns about low interest rates on their savings.

25 May 2012

Viewpoints: The promise and perils of prostate screening; Presidential candidates shy away from frank discussion of spending

After an exhaustive process, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has announced its final recommendation on PSA-based prostate cancer screening. It finds that the known harms of screening outweigh the potential benefits for men who have no cancer symptoms. It notes that all screening studies have demonstrated considerable harms associated with screening, but only one major study found evidence that screening saves lives -- and that study has some internal inconsistencies.

24 May 2012

Progress report on health law's risk adjustment rule; Status check on state-based exchanges

News outlets offer updates regarding state progress related to developing the health law's insurance exchanges, the timing for risk adjustment rules and the release of the final federal rule on the health insurance premium tax credit.

23 May 2012

Congress weighs change in survey for Medicaid payments; Expansion of Colo. program slower than expected

Also in state Medicaid news is a report on a proposal to cut Illinois' costs and the controversy over funding in Minnesota's program.

23 May 2012

Leader of UK GPs warns ‘Ordinary GPs’ must not be cut out of involvement in NHS reforms

The development of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) is happening without the involvement of many ordinary GPs, the leader of the UK’s GPs warns today in his speech to the annual GPs’ conference.

22 May 2012

U.S. bishops make official their opposition to birth control mandate

The Catholic bishops said that, without quick congressional action, their organization will sue the Obama administration for requiring insurance plans to provide birth control to women without a co-pay.

17 May 2012

Comcast, UnitedHealth Group completes enrollment in VOD study for type 2 diabetes

UnitedHealth Group and Comcast Corporation announced they have met enrollment targets for an innovative pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of using video on demand (VOD) to deliver the Diabetes Prevention Program.

16 May 2012

New guidelines require insurers to credit health law when issuing consumer rebates

The rule, which was finalized Friday, will result in an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates for nearly 16 million Americans.

15 May 2012

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

For about 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has charged pharmaceutical companies "user fees" for reviewing drug-approval applications. The revenue allows the FDA to hire more evaluators, which allows useful drugs to reach patients faster. Now the Prescription Drug User Fee Act needs reauthorization, as it does every five years. Legislators should not dillydally.

15 May 2012

First Edition: May 14, 2012

In today's headlines, a report about how the Ryan budget plan -- specifically, its Medicare changes -- is playing in congressional races.

14 May 2012

N.J. Gov. vetoes bill creating health insurance exchange

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is often rumored as a possible running mate for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said the state should wait to see how the Supreme Court rules on the federal health law.

11 May 2012

With Medicare, other health issues in flux, lawmakers and lobbyists struggle to decide next steps

Six health care lobbyists told Politico Pro that much of their strategic planning depends on the Supreme Court's upcoming health law decision and the November elections. But some lawmakers are signalling hope that this is the year to address Medicare's "doc fix" problem.

11 May 2012

Drug manufacturers draw attention for politics and pain killers

Politico examines the relationship between industry-group PhRMA and congressional Republicans in the post-health-reform-debate landscape.

11 May 2012

Iowa legislature approves revamping state mental health system; Texas officials spotlight gaps

The Iowa plan had been held up by funding concerns. In other news on mental health issues, North Carolina is also weighing major changes in its system.

11 May 2012

Mass. Senate to release plan to revamp health payments

The proposal, which will be formally unveiled today, follows suggested blueprints from the governor and the House on cutting the growth rate of health care costs.

10 May 2012

ACOEM honors JNJ with 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services for the consumer and pharmaceutical and medical devices and diagnostics markets, has been awarded the 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

10 May 2012

Public Service Pensions Bill would be damaging, warns BMA

Ministers must urgently rethink their damaging plans to make changes to the NHS Pension Scheme following the publication of a new Bill in the Queen’s Speech, the BMA warned today (Wednesday, 9 May 2012).

9 May 2012

Health Reform News and Research

While GOP pledges austerity, Democrats rebuff efforts to restructure Medicare, Medicaid

New ad touts Obama's commitment to Medicare

Union reaches contract agreement with Minn. hospitals

Viewpoints: Politics of the Medicare debate; Measuring the impact of Catholic bishops' legal challenge

Viewpoints: The promise and perils of prostate screening; Presidential candidates shy away from frank discussion of spending

Progress report on health law's risk adjustment rule; Status check on state-based exchanges

Congress weighs change in survey for Medicaid payments; Expansion of Colo. program slower than expected

Leader of UK GPs warns ‘Ordinary GPs’ must not be cut out of involvement in NHS reforms

U.S. bishops make official their opposition to birth control mandate

Comcast, UnitedHealth Group completes enrollment in VOD study for type 2 diabetes

New guidelines require insurers to credit health law when issuing consumer rebates

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

First Edition: May 14, 2012

N.J. Gov. vetoes bill creating health insurance exchange

With Medicare, other health issues in flux, lawmakers and lobbyists struggle to decide next steps

Drug manufacturers draw attention for politics and pain killers

Iowa legislature approves revamping state mental health system; Texas officials spotlight gaps

Mass. Senate to release plan to revamp health payments

ACOEM honors JNJ with 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award

Public Service Pensions Bill would be damaging, warns BMA

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