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KFHP/H reports net income of $2.1 billion for 2009

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries (KFHP/H) reported today a combined total operating revenue of $10.6 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, compared to $10.0 billion in the same period in 2008. Operating income was $214 million, equal to two percent of revenue, in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to $108 million in the same quarter of the prior year. Net non-operating income was $276 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to a net non-operating loss of $1.1 billion in the same quarter of 2008.

15 Feb 2010

Federal health care tax credits going unclaimed

"Federal healthcare benefits are going unclaimed by an estimated 17,000 Californians whose jobs were moved overseas or retirees whose pensions are being paid by the government after their former employers terminated their retirement plans," the Los Angeles Times reports."

15 Feb 2010

GOP looks to make its case at health summit while Democrats remain skeptical

Politico reports that the White House's Feb. 25 health care summit with Democrats and Republicans "gives the GOP a venue to accomplish something it hasn't been able to do since President Barack Obama took the oath of office: Sell voters on Republican solutions to big problems." But Republicans have so far failed to capitalize because of the lack of a visible figure to champion their causes.

14 Feb 2010

Both parties see benefit of selling insurance across state lines, but they disagree on how to do it

With efforts to pass a national health care bill at a stalemate in Washington, two newspaper explore some of the options. The New York Times reports: "As Republicans and Democrats claim to be searching for common ground in the health care debate, one idea that lawmakers on both sides seem to agree on is that health insurance should be sold across state lines.

14 Feb 2010

Biden promises to listen to GOP's health care ideas, but some Republicans are not convinced

The health care reform legislation may have been eclipsed recently by the jobs bill and the war in Afghanistan for top billing on the Sunday morning news shows. But Democrats and Republicans still found time to push their positions on health policy Sunday.

14 Feb 2010

Anthem Blue Cross postpones California rate hike

The Los Angeles Times: - "Under pressure from state regulators, Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to postpone its controversial rate increases of up to 39% for individual health insurance policies set for March 1. In an unusual conference call, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said Anthem executives told him Saturday morning that its March rate hike would not take effect before May 1 for 800,000 individual policyholders in the state" (Lifsher, 2/13).

14 Feb 2010

Today's OpEds: Republicans and Medicare, small business health costs and changes to FEHBP

Republican leaders are now saying they will not participate in the meeting unless the president takes his health reform plan off the table to start over. I understand their concerns with a variety of issues in the current bills, but where you start is not nearly as important as where you finish. After all, fees continue to skyrocket and millions remain uninsured, costing our country in many ways. ... There is no time like the present for Washington to show America that it is interested in governing, not just in campaigning. The cameras will be rolling, and we will be watching (Christine Todd Whitman, 2/12).

14 Feb 2010

American HomePatient signs eighth forbearance agreement with NexBank, SSB

American HomePatient, Inc., one of the nation’s largest home health care providers, today announced that it has entered into an eighth forbearance agreement with NexBank, SSB, the agent for its senior debt (the “Agent”), and the holders in interest of a majority of the senior debt (the “Forbearance Holders”).

14 Feb 2010

New book on hospitalist recruitment and retention

Recruitment and retention of physicians in all specialties is a national challenge, and it is expected to become even more difficult due to an impending physician shortage. As relative newcomers to the long line of medical specialists, hospitalists pose special challenges. What will convince a hospitalist to join one organization over another? What might prevent a hospitalist from considering a certain assignment?

12 Feb 2010

Rate of seasonal flu vaccination doubles national average at Johns Hopkins East Baltimore medical campus

A campaign that makes seasonal flu vaccinations for hospital staff free, convenient, ubiquitous and hard to ignore succeeds fairly well in moving care providers closer to a state of "herd" immunity and protecting patients from possible infection transmitted by health care workers, according to results of a survey at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

12 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 12, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the continuing flap over Anthem Blue Cross' planned rate hike as well as GOP and Democratic responses to President Obama's proposed health summit.

12 Feb 2010

MSNJ participates in multi-payer health care common portal project

Health plans today launched a landmark initiative to make delivering and getting health care easier for patients and their physicians by reducing the time, effort, and expense for the "paperwork" required for each patient office visit. The initiative, which will simplify information flow between health plans and doctors' offices, and between health plans and hospitals, is comparable to what ATMs did for banks and consumers.

12 Feb 2010

Global health and public health are indistinguishable: Lancet

Global health and public health are indistinguishable, according to a commentary published by a working group of the Association of Schools of Public Health's Global Health Committee in the February 13, 2010 issue of Lancet.

12 Feb 2010

ISMPP announces opening of registration for 6th annual meeting on medical publications

The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is pleased to announce the opening of registration for its 6th annual meeting, "Delivering Value and Driving Advocacy in Medical Publications." The meeting will run from April 19 to 21, 2010, in Arlington, VA, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott.

12 Feb 2010

Healthcare thought leaders and experts to meet in MCEG 2010 Annual Forum

The Managed Care Executive Group has gathered some of healthcare's most distinguished thought leaders and experts on healthcare reform to meet March 21-24 in Fort Lauderdale Florida for their Annual Forum entitled "Reform + Evolution = Revolution".

12 Feb 2010

Harris Interactive poll: Half of U.S. adults want major reform in healthcare system

A new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll finds that reducing unemployment and creating new jobs are clearly considered the top immediate priorities for President Obama and Congress, but healthcare reform is still important. Half of U.S. adults say it will be a “bad thing” if there is no major reform of the healthcare system in the next two years.

12 Feb 2010

HHS Secretary issues statement after receiving letter from WellPoint

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued the following statement after receiving a letter from WellPoint Incorporated. The letter came after Sebelius called on Anthem Blue Cross to publicly justify its decision to raise premiums for its California customers by as much as 39 percent. WellPoint Incorporated is the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and earned $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009.

12 Feb 2010

Cuts to Texas Medicaid payment rates will hurt nursing home care providers

In testimony at a Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) hearing on possible budget reduction options, the President of the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) warned that any cuts now to Texas Medicaid payment rates for nursing home care will confront the nursing home profession with dire financial consequences.

12 Feb 2010

AHA survey: Heart disease and stroke patients fare poorly under current health care system

A new American Heart Association survey substantiates that the need for health care reform has not gone away. Many heart disease and stroke patients are faring poorly under the current health care system, with nearly two-thirds citing affordability as the top concern of those suffering from cardiovascular disease.

12 Feb 2010

Embark Health launches Advance Directive Solution to improve healthcare practices

The huge gap between current healthcare practices and patients' wishes for end of life care is finally resolved, as Embark Health today launches the Advance Directive Solution: the first easy, affordable and comprehensive system to make advance directives work the way they were intended.

12 Feb 2010

Health Care News and Research

KFHP/H reports net income of $2.1 billion for 2009

Federal health care tax credits going unclaimed

GOP looks to make its case at health summit while Democrats remain skeptical

Both parties see benefit of selling insurance across state lines, but they disagree on how to do it

Biden promises to listen to GOP's health care ideas, but some Republicans are not convinced

Anthem Blue Cross postpones California rate hike

Today's OpEds: Republicans and Medicare, small business health costs and changes to FEHBP

American HomePatient signs eighth forbearance agreement with NexBank, SSB

New book on hospitalist recruitment and retention

Rate of seasonal flu vaccination doubles national average at Johns Hopkins East Baltimore medical campus

First Edition: February 12, 2010

MSNJ participates in multi-payer health care common portal project

Global health and public health are indistinguishable: Lancet

ISMPP announces opening of registration for 6th annual meeting on medical publications

Healthcare thought leaders and experts to meet in MCEG 2010 Annual Forum

Harris Interactive poll: Half of U.S. adults want major reform in healthcare system

HHS Secretary issues statement after receiving letter from WellPoint

Cuts to Texas Medicaid payment rates will hurt nursing home care providers

AHA survey: Heart disease and stroke patients fare poorly under current health care system

Embark Health launches Advance Directive Solution to improve healthcare practices

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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