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APHA calls for comprehensive health care reform affordable to all Americans

"According to new Census Bureau data released today, there are now more than 46 million Americans who do not have health coverage. And alarmingly, things are only getting worse.

11 Sep 2009

46.3 million Americans uninsured reveals statistics

Physicians see firsthand the negative effects of living without health coverage. Many times uninsured patients delay getting care, often until it's too late. Our nation's 46.3 million uninsured patients live sicker and die younger. As Congress gets back to work, the plight of the growing number of uninsured should be front and center in the health reform debate.

11 Sep 2009

BCBSA supports Obama on maintaining health insurance reforms for affordable coverage

Scott P. Serota, president and chief executive officer of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), released the following statement regarding President Obama's address to the joint session of Congress:

11 Sep 2009

New uninsured number: Up to 46.3 million in mid-2008

The Associated Press: "The Census Bureau reports that the number of people lacking health insurance rose to 46.3 million in 2008. That's up from 45.7 million in 2007, due to a continuing erosion of employer-provided insurance. Still, the level remained just below the peak of 47 million who were uninsured in 2006, because of the growth of government insurance programs such as Medicaid for the poor" (Yen, 9/10).

11 Sep 2009

Routine screening is useful for identifying pregnant women with gestational diabetes

Pregnant women who develop marked increased blood sugar levels during pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain birth complications if they receive treatment. This is a prerequisite for offering all pregnant women routine screening for gestational diabetes.

11 Sep 2009

Obama: 'Time for bickering is over' on health care reform

"Obama said the changes he has in mind would cost about $900 billion over [a] decade, 'less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans' passed during the Bush administration."

11 Sep 2009

Better use of quality-of-care ratings can lead to greater consumer control

A hospital pneumonia survival rate of 93 percent may sound good, but knowing that it's actually merely "fair" can help people pick a better hospital, according to new research. A "good" survival rate would be from 95 percent to 98 percent, medical experts say.

11 Sep 2009

Democrats and Republicans take action, offer more reactions the day after President Obama's speech

Republicans are continuing to react to President Obama's Wednesday night speech while Democrats are counting votes and meeting with key groups within the caucus.

11 Sep 2009

Depression and substance dependency may be more common among people

The prevalence of anxiety, depression and substance dependency may be twice as high as the mental health community has been led to believe.

10 Sep 2009

Fact checks on Obama's health care speech

Several news organizations offered fact checks of President Obama's health care speech to Congress and the nation.

10 Sep 2009

Some insurers still back Obama after speech

"President Obama had few nice things to say about insurance companies in his speech on health care last night, but leaders of two of this region's largest private insurers -- Independence Blue Cross and Aetna Inc. -- gave him generally high marks anyway," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He did draw one line in the sand that insurers hoped for: a mandate for all Americans to have health insurance.

10 Sep 2009

Number of uninsured may jump to 50 million

"The number of people in the U.S. lacking health insurance may have grown as much as 9 percent to 50 million people last year, adding fuel to President Barack Obama's push for overhauling the system," Bloomberg reports. "The likely increase was driven by a jump in U.S. unemployment, said Ana Gupte, a Sanford Bernstein & Co. Inc. analyst in New York who follows UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc., the top two U.S. health insurers.

10 Sep 2009

Speaker Pelosi comments on President Obama's health reform address

"Tonight, President Obama made a forceful case to the Congress and the country for long-overdue health insurance reform. We are closer than ever before in history to real progress on this issue that touches the lives of every American and impacts our economy: ensuring stability and security for Americans with health insurance, and affordable coverage for those currently without.

10 Sep 2009

First edition: September 10, 2009

In response to President Obama's joint address to Congress last night, the headlines are chock full of news, analysis, fact-checkers and inventories of cheers and jeers.

10 Sep 2009

NHSA and Together Rx Access collaborate to improve prescription access

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) and Together Rx Access announced today a collaboration to launch the Together Rx Access(R) FOR HEAD START Card to help eligible uninsured individuals and families associated with Head Start access immediate and meaningful savings on prescription medicines and products right at their neighborhood pharmacies.

10 Sep 2009

Medical liability reforms will hold down defensive medicine costs

President Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress tonight, stated that “defensive medicine” does contribute to unnecessary costs in healthcare and will now explore options for medical liability reform. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) applaud the President’s inclusion of this key element as lawmakers move forward with an overall healthcare reform plan.

10 Sep 2009

President Obama’s health care address to Congress broadcasted

Today, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a radio actuality previewing President Obama’s health care address to Congress on Wednesday evening. Radio stations and Web sites wishing to download the audio for broadcast can find it on the www.healthreform.gov Web site.

10 Sep 2009

Payments to Medicare’s private plans at risk in Democrats' reform proposals

As part of their effort to find funds for universal health coverage, Democrats have targeted federal subsidies for Medicare's private plans.

10 Sep 2009

USAction urges Congress to pass quality and affordable health care reform

Responding to President Obama's address to Congress Wednesday evening, USAction President William McNary called on Congress to represent the interests of the American people - not the insurance companies - and pass quality, affordable health care reform with a public health insurance option.

10 Sep 2009

'How Much Longer' campaign for promoting autism awareness

The National Autism Association (NAA) declared today as National "How Much Longer" Day for Autism, a day of letter-writing to the media, health agencies, Department of Education, lawmakers and the Obama Administration asking for such things as health insurance coverage, federal laws to protect special-ed students from dangerous restraint and seclusion practices in schools, safer vaccines, and for autism to be declared a nation health crisis.

10 Sep 2009