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AIDS advocates ask White House to send money south

WLBT: "The White House Office of National AIDS Policy chose Jackson [Mississipppi] to host an HIV/AIDS town hall meeting Monday night. The community discussion allowed Mississippians to give feedback that will be included in a national strategy to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ... Many asked for sex and STD education in the schools, more doctors and transportation funding in rural areas and health insurance" (Anderson, 11/17).

17 Nov 2009

Illinois AARP members support health care reform plan

A new poll of Illinois AARP members released today finds strong support across party and ideological lines for elements of health care reform included in the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives.

17 Nov 2009

Global financial crisis has major long-term health implications for Australia

One in four Australian adults has taken an action that puts their health at risk as a result of the global financial crisis (GFC), according to a new MBF Healthwatch poll.

17 Nov 2009

Benenden selects Databarracks for online backup service

Benenden Hospital was founded in 1907 and became the centre for hospital treatment for members of Trade Unions and Friendly Societies and subsequently large numbers of public sector employees who joined what is now the Benenden Healthcare Society. The Society has over 900,000 member and nominee subscribers.

16 Nov 2009

First Edition: October 16, 2009

News reports continue to focus on the landmines that exist within health reform proposals.

16 Nov 2009

HealthPartners' health plans ranked top in Minnesota

HealthPartners is among the top 25 best private health plans in the nation and the top ranked plan in Minnesota according to U.S. News & World Report/NCQA “America's Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10.” The report measures how well health plans perform on 50 measures of health care and member satisfaction. Two hundred thirty nine health plans from across the nation are included in the report. The top 50 health plans, including HealthPartners, are listed in the Nov. 16, 2009 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.

16 Nov 2009

CCH issues a special Briefing on employer and Medicaid-related provisions

CCH has issued a special Briefing on the employer and Medicare- and Medicaid-related provisions in the House version of health care reform, detailing provisions of the legislation approved on November 7.

16 Nov 2009

Health reform: Senate prepares for CBO estimate; GOP on attack

News outlets covering the health reform debate noted that Republicans are continuing their arguments against Democratic legislation and outlined what might happen in the coming week in the Senate.

16 Nov 2009

Democrats finding little common ground on abortion language in health legislation

Reaction to the amendment restricting abortion in the House health reform bill, passed more than a week ago, continued to reverberate through news outlets today.

16 Nov 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Unless you find more realistic ways of paying for the promises included in the bill, you are simply setting up the public for more frustration -- and yourselves for a political backlash (David Broder, 11/13).

13 Nov 2009

Rural thoughts on improving the health care system; plus other state news

Kaiser Health News examines rural health care in Kentucky and finds that models for community health care that operate there could benefit the nation's health care system despite. The article notes that Hazard, Ky., was labeled as one of the worst health care regions in America by the 2008 American Human Development Report, but "there are enduring models in places like Hazard that could prove instructive to rebuilding healthy communities across the nation, both rural and urban."

13 Nov 2009

Health reform: Senate facing controversies on coverage numbers, abortion language

The Wall Street Journal: "When the Senate unveils its health-care bill, all eyes will be on the price tag. But an equally significant number may be how many people get health insurance under the legislation."

13 Nov 2009

Health policy research round up - Medicare and Massachusetts

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The Secrets of Massachusetts' Success - "By the summer of 2008, less than two years after Massachusetts' health reform law became effective, only 2.6 percent of state residents were uninsured—the lowest proportion ever recorded for any state." This study by the RWJF-funded State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) initiative "explains how national reforms can use similar methods to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued other coverage expansions."

13 Nov 2009

Business and insurers' groups back health reform, but not all legislation

A group of CEOs, the Business Roundtable and America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry group, separately expressed qualified support for health overhaul efforts Thursday.

13 Nov 2009

Membership for leading health insurers decline for the first six months of 2009

The nation’s leading health insurers saw an aggregate decline of 836,000 members for the first six months of 2009. Declining commercial enrollment was offset primarily by gains in products offered to seniors and growth in Medicaid business. Administrative Services Only (ASO) enrollment experienced its first quarterly decline since June 2007.

13 Nov 2009

Zynex signs lease to rent a 75,000-square-foot building

Zynex, Inc., a provider of pain management systems and electrotherapy products for medical patients with functional disability, announces it has signed a lease to rent a 75,000-square-foot building in Lone Tree (Littleton), Colorado. Zynex currently leases 16,553 square feet in Littleton, Colorado and the new building will house its headquarters, office, plant and warehouse.

13 Nov 2009

Senate aides: Reid considering Medicare payroll tax increase on wealthy

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pondering a proposal to increase the Medicare payroll tax on high earners "to help offset the costs of providing health insurance to millions of Americans, Senate aides said Thursday," The New York Times reports.

13 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 13, 2009

On this Friday the 13th, the headlines offer an array of health policy views -- from the possibility of including a Medicare payroll tax in health reform legislation to continuing analysis of the overhaul's winners and losers as well as the CDC's new estimate of the far-reach of the swine flu.

13 Nov 2009

VIIAD Systems launches web based PPO Directory tool for the workers’ compensation marketplace

VIIAD Systems, an innovative technology company that provides claims communication tools to the workers’ compensation marketplace has launched Compass, a new web based product for the industry.

13 Nov 2009

Health Insurer tells its employees to directly lobby U.S. Senators for weaker health reform and higher insurer profits

The nation's largest health insurance company, United Healthcare, launched a new push this week to get employees to directly lobby U.S. Senators for weaker health reform and higher insurer profits. The new campaign, in an e-mail sent to all employees Nov. 10, offers employees template letters to send from company computers on company time and urges them to write grassroots-style letters to the editor to local newspapers. Consumer Watchdog, which obtained the letters, called on the Senate and newspapers to reject this deceptive corporate-directed campaign.

13 Nov 2009