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Health care CEOs see decline in compensation

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4 Aug 2009

Obama really does have best health care in the world!

"When President Barack Obama said at a recent news conference that he has the best health care in the world, he wasn't exaggerating," The Chicago Tribune reports.

4 Aug 2009

Public baffled by health care arguments

As members of Congress head home for the summer recess, they will use the time to either sell to their constituents the national health care and insurance overhaul being fiercely debated in Washington, or deep-six it.

4 Aug 2009

Will emphasis on prevention bring health costs down?

If there is one thing that both parties can agree on in the health overhaul debate, it’s the need to build a health system that promotes prevention rather than just manages disease.

4 Aug 2009

Insurance and a medical provider is not enough to improve asthma control

It is widely believed that providing better access to medical care can improve the health of Americans. New research at National Jewish Health indicates, however, that having insurance and a medical provider is not enough to improve asthma control among elementary and middle school students.

3 Aug 2009

Doctor shortage and disparities after reform examined, nurses prepare for changing role

A former Clinton administration official said last week that there aren't enough doctors in America to handle the increase in patients if health reform covers more uninsured, NPR reports.

3 Aug 2009

Lawmakers, officials distort the facts to support or oppose health overhaul

"Confusing claims and outright distortions have animated the national debate over changes in the health care system," the Associated Press reports.

3 Aug 2009

House recesses, Democrats reflect on accomplishments and what's ahead

House Democrats celebrated late last week the passage of a health reform bill out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but they still face a lot of work when they return in September, Roll Call reports.

3 Aug 2009

White House retools message as GOP opposition, public opinion push back

"[T]he White House team is retooling its message and strategy, hoping a more modest approach will reinvigorate Obama's signature domestic policy initiative and give him a first-year victory for Democrats to carry into the 2010 midterm elections," the Washington Post reports.

3 Aug 2009

Health care industry increases lobbying spending

Drug companies "boosted their lobbying in Washington during the three months (that) ended June 30 amid a flurry of congressional action on health care," while overall, "Washington's lobbying business continued to slump as the economy pinched budgets at some big companies and trade associations," The Wall Street Journal reports.

3 Aug 2009

Number of uninsured California kids may double

A new deal to balance California's budget may have serious repercussions for the health of the state's children, while South Carolina grapples with health cuts of its own. Meanwhile, New Jersey may become one of the first states to publically disclose hospital errors.

3 Aug 2009

California's struggle with insurance exchanges offers lesson for national reform

California's experience with insurance exchanges could prove a valuable lesson for the nation's flirtation with such pools for covering large numbers of people, The Wall Street Journal reports.

3 Aug 2009

Democrats hone August health care message, Republicans plan counter-offensive

Democrats are finding points they agree on in a tenuous accord for the message they want to relay to constituents during the August recess: The health insurance industry is the bad guy, The Washington Post reports.

3 Aug 2009

Senate Finance Committee won't vote on reform bill before recess

Just one day after it appeared negotiators were on the cusp of a deal, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus said Thursday that his committee will not vote on a health reform bill before the August recess, Politico reports.

31 Jul 2009

Blue Dogs' bargain blasted as centrists' role questioned

Kaiser Health News reports that an agreement by House Democrats with fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats has a cadre of detractors, including "state officials worried about increased Medicaid costs and liberal lawmakers upset about a proposed reduction in subsidies for low-income families to buy insurance."

31 Jul 2009

House energy and commerce Democrats vote for public plan, Republicans balk

"The House Energy and Commerce Committee resumed work Thursday on major health care legislation, voting to establish a government-run health insurance plan, as top Republicans stepped up their criticism of the ambitious legislation," The New York Times reports.

31 Jul 2009