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Lobbyists strike at wellness programs

Wellness programs are not faring well as a campaign is mounting to strike a provision for them from reform legislation. Roll Call reports that "innocuous sounding 'wellness programs' that many employers would like to see included as part of health care reform legislation have sparked a lobbying campaign by disease groups, consumer organizations and unions.

18 Jun 2009

Obama administration faces increasing challenges to health reform

The Obama administration is facing increasing opposition to various aspects of health reform proposals - especially the idea of a "public plan."

18 Jun 2009

Obama plan to cut hospital payments draws ire

The Obama administration has called for $200 billion in cuts for hospital reimbursements in an effort to overhaul the health care system.

18 Jun 2009

Recession and budget cuts hit children especially hard

As the recession forces more hospitals and doctors to pare costs and services, children are being especially hard hit.

18 Jun 2009

Moderates wooed in House as they cross party lines to shape health legislation

As attempts to gain support for health reform across party lines and from stoic interest groups like the American Medical Association continue, House leaders are seeking to rally centrist members of their own caucus, CQ Politics reports.

18 Jun 2009

Ex-Senate leaders craft bipartisan health care compromise

"Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell are set to join Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker on Wednesday to release a $1.2 trillion proposal that would be fully paid for with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases," the Associated Press reports.

18 Jun 2009

Insurers refuse to stop cancelling some sick patients' policies

Members of Congress grilled executives from the insurance industry's big three - UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, and Assurant - for canceling coverage of more than 20,000 paying policy holders at a hearing Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

18 Jun 2009

Case study: Paying for health care in a recession

NPR reports on the health care struggles of Howard County, Maryland, a well-off and generally liberal area with hospital fees set by the state and a county program for the uninsured. "But like the rest the country, Howard County is facing the impact of the recession: Employers have to cut back on benefits, so employees cut back on their coverage."

17 Jun 2009

Parents ask lawmakers to keep kids in mind during reform debate

A group of 50 families will ask lawmakers this week to keep in mind 9 million uninsured children and many more who are underinsured when they undertake health reform this summer, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

17 Jun 2009

Sebelius: Single-payer health care not in plans

In an interview with NPR, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stressed that talk of a public plan doesn't mean that a single-payer option is a possibility.

17 Jun 2009

New Medicare rules on oxygen suppliers worry patients

Complex new Medicare rules that seek to cut costs of home-oxygen therapy are confusing the more than one million people who rely on the federal insurer to pay for the coverage.

17 Jun 2009

Washington Post details six senators to watch on health care; politics of fear gain prominence

The battle over health care reform will happen in the Senate, even though President Obama keeps getting all the attention, The Washington Post's The Fix reports.

17 Jun 2009

GOP returns fire on comparative effectiveness, health reform

"GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, Ky., GOP Senate Whip Jon Kyl, Ariz., Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, Tenn., and House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, Ind., went on the offensive following Obama's speech in Chicago to the American Medical Association. Kyl and McConnell unveiled a bill to rival the Democratic bill, while Alexander and Pence spoke to reporters," according to the Hill.

17 Jun 2009

CBO: Proposal would pound budget, dent number of uninsured

The Congressional Budget Office has found that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee's health reform proposal would cost taxpayers about $1 trillion over the next decade and only insure 16 million people, about one-third of uninsured Americans, Politico reports.

17 Jun 2009

Obama takes public plan case to doctors, push-back continues

President Barack Obama told the American Medical Association Monday that a health care fix can't wait, The New York Times reports.

17 Jun 2009

Sebelius: insurers can't block public option; cost estimates off target

In an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, "I think there is a lot of understanding that the private market has really failed to provide affordable coverage to Americans."

17 Jun 2009

Bartering for health care rises

With no health insurance and little money, Gilberto Carrasco, a Reno, Nev., auto mechanic, didn't see much point in getting a physical. At 50, he felt healthy and couldn't afford treatment even if a doctor found a medical problem.

17 Jun 2009

HIV Medicine Association supports public plan option to ensure patients' needs are met

As Congress drafts health care reform legislation, HIV clinicians urge lawmakers to include a public plan option to ensure affordable access to comprehensive care for HIV patients - nearly 30 percent of whom have no insurance. The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) believes that a public plan option can help offer everyone the chance to benefit from early and reliable access to lifesaving HIV care and treatment.

16 Jun 2009

Access issues persist for Indians, rural Americans, immigrants

Several reports today focus on inadequate health care for certain population groups within the United States.

15 Jun 2009

Many key lawmakers hold stakes in health industry

"Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer's debate," The Washington Post reports.

15 Jun 2009