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Baucus Bill garners no Republican support

Sen. Max Baucus is unveiling his health overhaul bill today at noon and news outlets noted it will not have any Republican support.

16 Sep 2009

First Edition: September 16, 2009

Today's biggest story -- Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., will unveil his health reform proposals. Who will support it? And won't?

16 Sep 2009

Speaker Pelosi's remarks at the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee forum on health insurance reform

Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered opening remarks this morning at a forum held by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee that highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive health insurance reform.

16 Sep 2009

ANCIR poll: High immigration levels affect the cost of the health care system

The American Council for Immigration Reform (ANCIR) national poll on immigration and its impact on health care issues conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, of 1,000 likely voters on August 26, 2009 found that 78% of Americans believe that high immigration levels have had an adverse impact on the quality and cost of our health care system. Republicans (89%) felt more strongly on the issue, but Democrats (69%) were not far behind.

16 Sep 2009

American consumers largely unsure of their health benefit plans

A survey released today from Plan for Your Health, the health benefits public education program launched in September 2004 by Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA), found that less than 20 percent of insured adults surveyed consider themselves very knowledgeable about their health benefits plan.

16 Sep 2009

Insurance and HMO interests fighting health care reform with huge money

A campaign finance watchdog's analysis of insurance and HMO political contributions and lobbying expenses found the industries spent $126,430,438 over the first half of 2009 and $585,725,712 over the past two and a half years to influence public policy and elected officials.

16 Sep 2009

State news round-up: Insurance coverage, infection reporting, immigrant health

News outlets report on a range of state health stories including infections in New Hampshire, children's insurance in Michigan, increased insurance coverage in North Carolina, immigrant health in Texas and long-term financial planning on Florida.

16 Sep 2009

Medicare Advantage's preventive health care strategy keeps seniors out of the hospital

Seniors in Medicare Advantage spent fewer days in a hospital, were subject to fewer hospital re-admissions, and were less likely to have "potentially avoidable" admissions, for common conditions ranging from uncontrolled diabetes to dehydration, according to a new analysis of publicly available AHRQ data released today by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

16 Sep 2009

Some Senate Dems voice concerns with Baucus bill

Sen. Max Baucus' pursuit of a bipartisan health care reform bill is being met with increasing skepticism from his own party.

16 Sep 2009

Public option politically charged on both sides of aisle

Alternatives to the government-run public option for health insurance are part of a long list of policy and politics considerations that officials are pondering in the run down to the final health care reform bill this week.

16 Sep 2009

Primary care shortage could worsen under reform

The shortage of primary care physicians could prove a major challenge to health reform. To make matters worse, some doctors are considering early retirement because of the high cost of practicing medicine.

16 Sep 2009

House Democrats hold 'friendly' heartings in an effort to refocus health bill debate

House Democrats tried Tuesday to reframe the debate over health care legislation. Meanwhile, a key House committee chairman says that some of the president's proposals from last week's health care speech are complicating efforts to finalize House legislation.

16 Sep 2009

Effective health care reform needed to curtail escalating employee health care costs: Business Roundtable

A new report released today by Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, finds that annual per employee health care costs will triple to nearly $29,000 over the next decade without significant marketplace reforms that reduce costs, expand coverage and improve delivery.

16 Sep 2009

Workers face higher costs for employer-sponsored insurance

Kaiser Health News reports that "employers struggling with the steady rise of health insurance costs -- which in 2009 increased 5 percent to an average of $13,375 for family coverage -- are passing on more of the expense to their workers through higher deductibles and co-payments, according to survey released today." The survey was by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (Galewitz and Villegas, 9/15).

16 Sep 2009

Today's Op-Ed selections: Medicare, Medicaid and the Constitution

My patient had just been the recipient of a rare and highly valued medical commodity, a treatment that is as quantifiable in its effects as the milligrams of a medication or the number of stitches in a wound: Time (Daphne Miller, 9/15).

16 Sep 2009

Baucus works to iron out Medicaid, abortion and costs in health reform bill

Sen. Max Baucus is addressing the final questions in his Senate Finance Committee health care reform bill and plans to offer it Wednesday, opening the way for a committee vote next week and a floor vote the week after.

16 Sep 2009

Aviva Select series of Disease Management and Wellness programs launched

Avivia Health announces Avivia Select, a new series of affordable Disease Management and Wellness programs specifically designed to help companies provide important new benefits to their employees. Avivia Health is the only national provider of Disease Management and Wellness Solutions based on 60 years of evidence-based care by parent organization Kaiser Permanente.

16 Sep 2009

CMRG achieves 12% healthcare cost savings with Verisk Health’s D2Explorer

Verisk Health, Inc., a global leader in healthcare data analytics, announced today that Core Management Resource Group (CMRG), a benefit-management company for self-funded health insurance programs, successfully implemented care management interventions and individual health risk assessments using Verisk Health’s D2Explorer and achieved 12% healthcare cost savings for one of its employer group clients.

16 Sep 2009

eHealthInsurance's key questions to help women purchase health insurance plans

eHealthInsurance, the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses, today released a list of answers to questions frequently asked by women who call its customer care center. The customer care center includes a call center staffed with licensed insurance agents.

15 Sep 2009

Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority wins 2009 Innovations award

The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University today announced the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority as a 2009 Innovations in American Government Award winner.

15 Sep 2009