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Massachusetts employers, insurers lobby against higher employer fees for uninsured workers, support cost control efforts

Massachusetts businesses and most of the state's health insurers on Wednesday announced the formation of the Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage, a lobbying group that will work to control rising health care costs in the state and prevent cost-shifting to employers, the Boston Globe reports.

8 Jun 2008

Senate Finance Committee hears testimony on health IT, quality of care, medical liability laws in preparation for major health system overhaul efforts next year

Lawmakers should not overstate the ability of health care information technology, quality improvement efforts and medical liability reform to reduce health care costs, Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, testified on Tuesday at a Senate Finance Committee hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports.

8 Jun 2008

Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Obama criticizes health care proposal of opponent McCain

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on Thursday during a rally at a Bristol, Va., high school said that the health care proposal of presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) would not expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, the Washington Times reports.

8 Jun 2008

Kansas Health Institute News Service examines prospects for expanding health coverage in state

The Kansas Health Institute News Service on Monday in a series of articles examined prospects for expanding health coverage in Kansas this year.

8 Jun 2008

Colorado Gov. Ritter signs 11 health care bills to increase access, expand coverage

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) on Tuesday signed into law 11 health care bills, including measures to expand coverage requirements and increase children's access to care, the AP/Denver Post reports.

8 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

8 Jun 2008

FDA announces label changes for Regranex - boxed warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced the addition of a boxed warning to the label of Regranex Gel 0.01% (becaplermin) to address the increased risk of cancer mortality in patients who use 3 or more tubes of the product. Regranex is a topical cream indicated for the treatment of leg and foot ulcers that are not healing in diabetic patients.

8 Jun 2008

Number of uninsured Massachusetts residents decreased by nearly half in 2007

The number of uninsured Massachusetts adults declined by nearly half last year, according to the first major study of the state's health insurance law published online Tuesday in Health Affairs, the New York Times reports (Sack, New York Times, 6/3).

3 Jun 2008

Health insurer lobby releases plan to reduce U.S. health care costs by $145 billion

Officials from America's Health Insurance Plans have proposed a plan they estimate could reduce U.S. health care spending by $145 billion by 2015, The Politico reports. The group plans to present its findings to congressional committee chairs and ranking members and to hold a policy briefing.

3 Jun 2008

Rep. Walberg touts market-based health care legislation in Washington Times op-ed

The "one-size-fits-all, Washington-based approach" to overhauling the U.S. health care system "is wrong" and, instead, reform should focus on providing a "patient-centered health care system that gives consumers direct control and choice over their health care decisions," Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

3 Jun 2008

CMS launches campaign to enroll more low-income Medicare beneficiaries in prescription drug assistance program

CMS launched a $12 million outreach campaign last month to encourage low-income Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in the prescription drug assistance program, CongressDaily reports.

2 Jun 2008

Arizona Republic examines health insurance policy rescissions

The Arizona Republic on Friday examined how the practice of health insurers rescinding and canceling the health care policies of beneficiaries has been "scrutinized from California to Connecticut with some states passing tough measures or pursuing regulatory actions and assessing fines to restrict these retroactive health policy voids."

2 Jun 2008

Lawmakers seek to revive legislation that would eliminate COBRA coverage limits

Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) are pushing to revive legislation (HR 2047) proposed last year that would allow people to pay for health coverage from their former employers until they qualify for Medicare at age 65, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

2 Jun 2008

Some women who have had Caesarean sections have difficulty obtaining private health coverage

Some insurers are denying individual coverage to women who have given birth via caesarean section because they are likely to undergo the procedure again, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, a c-section on average costs about $2,700 more than a vaginal birth.

2 Jun 2008

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

The number of uninsured young adults in the United States rose to 13.7 million in 2006-an increase from 13.3 million in 2005-making the 19-to-29 age group one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population without health insurance. According to a newly updated report from The Commonwealth Fund, 38 percent of high school graduates who do not attend college and 34 percent of college graduates will spend some time uninsured in the year after graduation.

1 Jun 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) on Wednesday announced a health care proposal that would aim to provide health coverage for all U.S. residents using a combination of public and private plans, the Portland Press Herald reports. Allen is running against sitting Sen. Susan Collins (R).

30 May 2008

Sen. Kennedy to introduce bill to revise national cancer act

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who recently was diagnosed with brain cancer, previously had begun work on legislation that would revise the 1971 National Cancer Act, and supporters hope that the "fact that Kennedy has fallen victim to this disease will generate public support and lend new urgency to the need to update the bill," the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

30 May 2008

South Carolina House fails to override veto of cigarette tax increase that would have funded health care programs

The South Carolina House on Tuesday failed to override Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) veto of legislation that would have increased the state cigarette tax to expand health care coverage for low-income residents, the Columbia State reports (O'Connor, Columbia State, 5/28).

30 May 2008

Bilateral cochlear implants: A case when two are definitely superior to one

A study of cochlear implant patients seen by Indiana University School of Medicine physicians is the first research to show evidence that cochlear implants in both ears significantly improves quality of life in patients with profound hearing loss and that the cost of the second implant is offset by its benefits.

30 May 2008

Health Insurance News and Research

Massachusetts employers, insurers lobby against higher employer fees for uninsured workers, support cost control efforts

Senate Finance Committee hears testimony on health IT, quality of care, medical liability laws in preparation for major health system overhaul efforts next year

Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Obama criticizes health care proposal of opponent McCain

Kansas Health Institute News Service examines prospects for expanding health coverage in state

Colorado Gov. Ritter signs 11 health care bills to increase access, expand coverage

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

FDA announces label changes for Regranex - boxed warning

Number of uninsured Massachusetts residents decreased by nearly half in 2007

Health insurer lobby releases plan to reduce U.S. health care costs by $145 billion

Rep. Walberg touts market-based health care legislation in Washington Times op-ed

CMS launches campaign to enroll more low-income Medicare beneficiaries in prescription drug assistance program

Arizona Republic examines health insurance policy rescissions

Lawmakers seek to revive legislation that would eliminate COBRA coverage limits

Some women who have had Caesarean sections have difficulty obtaining private health coverage

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

Sen. Kennedy to introduce bill to revise national cancer act

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

South Carolina House fails to override veto of cigarette tax increase that would have funded health care programs

Bilateral cochlear implants: A case when two are definitely superior to one

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