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White house offers $25 million for medical malpractice projects

The Obama administration announced $25 million in new grants for pilot programs to explore alternatives to the medical malpractice system.

21 Sep 2009

A new study links 45,000 deaths a year to lack of insurance

Researchers find that 45,000 deaths a year can be linked to the lack of health insurance. But, some question the study's merits. CBS News reports that the study was conducted by a team "that tracked more than 9,000 people for up to 13 years, comparing the health of those with insurance to those without. After factoring in education and income, smoking, drinking and obesity, researchers found that the uninsured had about a 40 percent higher risk of death, linking 45,000 American deaths a year to lack of insurance. In 1993 it was 25 percent" (Axelrod, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

Study reveals that GI cancer can be diagnosed using blood tests

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21 Sep 2009

Center for Hip Pain and Preservation focuses on improved understanding of hip abnormalities

Recent improved understanding of hip abnormalities, combined with advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and minimally invasive surgical treatments are giving many patients new hope for relieving chronic, misdiagnosed hip pain.

21 Sep 2009

Doctors discuss defensive medicine and primary care pay

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21 Sep 2009

Mark Farrah develops new database tool for comparative analysis of Medicare Advantage and PDP benefit packages

In a recent customer update, Mark Farrah Associates confirmed that Medicare Advantage membership continues to climb, prior to the 2010 open enrollment season.

19 Sep 2009

Survey reveals that patients face problems with mail order pharmacies

Many patients go without their prescribed medicine due to the slow or ineffective service of mail order pharmacies, according to a survey of just over 400 patients conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The findings both raise troubling questions about the impact mail-order programs have on patients and contradict two purported benefits of mail order: increased convenience and lower costs.

19 Sep 2009

My Insurance Expert in support of the AIDS Walk Detroit 2009

My Insurance Expert, one of the nation leading online services to compare and secure affordable health insurance, is supporting AIDS Walk Detroit 2009 with a corporate donation and encouraging employees and friends to participate in the annual fund-raiser.

19 Sep 2009

First edition: September 18, 2009

Today's coverage shows that all sides of the health overhaul debate are breaking down the specifics of the Baucus reform bill and developing their strategies and plans for next steps.

18 Sep 2009

With Baucus Bill no longer a mystery, party leaders contemplate strategy

Now that the long-awaited Baucus health overhaul is out, Democratic leaders are pondering how they will collect the votes and support necessary to move a bill through Congress.

18 Sep 2009

Chairman Baucus' effort on health care reform applauded

"We are pleased that Chairman Baucus' bill is a meaningful step forward toward health insurance coverage for all Americans. We look forward to working with the chairman and senators to ensure the very best enrollment strategy for connecting to coverage all those who need it.

18 Sep 2009

U.S. healthcare system fraught with racial inequalities

Racial inequalities in health care access and quality added more than $50 billion a year in direct U.S. health care costs over a four-year period according to a study released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

18 Sep 2009

Health care leaders urge Congress to act on meaningful health reforms

More than 400 of the nation's most respected health care leaders today issued a joint Open Letter to Congress declaring that the health care system is in crisis and is unsustainable and calling on Congress to act now on meaningful reforms. They state that Congress has a moral and ethical obligation to improve healthcare for all our citizens now.

18 Sep 2009

National Health Partners to provide cross-border healthcare program

National Health Partners, Inc. (National Health) (OTCBB:NHPR), a leading provider of unique discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with a major international healthcare company in furtherance of its goal of creating a cross-border healthcare program.

18 Sep 2009

CCS Advantage program's performance measures validated by Milliman

MedAssurant, Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, announced today that Milliman, Inc., has validated the calculations of several performance measures for MedAssurant’s CCS Advantage program, and confirmed the calculated values of medical cost for Medicare patients with chronic illness in the study population.

18 Sep 2009

Leahy bill pushes antitrust laws

CQ Politics reports on new legislation to subject insurers to antitrust laws: "The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday introduced legislation to repeal health and medical malpractice insurers' exemption from federal antitrust laws.

18 Sep 2009

Many industry groups favor Baucus plan

Media reports find a generally positive response from industry to the health overhaul bill released Wednesday by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

18 Sep 2009

Summa Health System responds to healthcare reform

As the health insurance reform debate continues in Washington, D.C. and around the country, Summa Health System provides the following response to the latest developments in the debate and the potential impact on Summa. As a system, Summa continues to inform the debate by sharing its perspective on various policy changes and urges adoption of policies that would impact its patients' health in a positive way, including efforts to expand affordable health insurance to those without coverage.

18 Sep 2009

Parents' insurance status affects their children's health care--even when the children are insured

Insured children are less likely to have necessary health-care services if their parents are uninsured, according to a study published in the September/October issue of Annals of Family Medicine.

18 Sep 2009

Debate focuses on cost for coverage mandates

The Democratic reform proposals in Congress mandate that people have health insurance and provide for different levels of government subsidies, which causes debate on how much people should pay for their health care. NPR reports on the bill released Wednesday by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus: "The latest bill, however, provides less generous subsidies, which could make it harder for middle-class families to afford the mandatory insurance."

18 Sep 2009