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Sen. Kennedy circulates draft of health reform legislation

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is circulating an outline of health care overhaul legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain coverage and requires contributions from employers, the Washington Post reports.

31 May 2009

Massachusetts health insurance law has increased access to care, though residents' ability to obtain treatment hampered by provider supply

Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law's successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports.

28 May 2009

Miami-Dade, Blue Cross announce low-cost PPO aimed at county's uninsured

Florida's Miami-Dade County and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida on Tuesday announced a new low-cost health plan, called Miami-Dade Blue, aimed at helping the estimated 600,000 uninsured county residents, the Miami Herald reports.

28 May 2009

Survey examines health outcomes of American Indians in Alabama

American Indians in Alabama have better outcomes than the rest of the state's population in some health indicators but are less healthy in other areas, according to a survey released by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.

28 May 2009

1 million California residents travel to Mexico annually for health care, study finds

About one million adults living in California, including 500,000 immigrants, travel to Mexico for health care each year, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Medical Care, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

27 May 2009

United Auto Workers to accept up to 20% of GM stock; agrees to concessions on retiree health care obligations, labor rules

United Auto Workers leaders on Tuesday agreed to accept up to 20% of General Motors stock, as well as concessions on labor rules and retiree health care obligations, as the automaker faces a June 1 deadline to restructure or seek bankruptcy protection, the Detroit News reports (Aguilar/Shepardson, Detroit News, 5/27).

27 May 2009

Psychiatrists begin revising diagnostic manual for mental illnesses

Over the next 18 months, psychiatrists will revise the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used to determine how U.S. residents' mental health is assessed, diagnosed and treated, the Los Angeles Times reports.

27 May 2009

Wall Street Journal examines group health insurance policies as option for uninsured

People who no longer have health insurance because of a job loss, voluntary retirement or other reasons have begun obtaining health coverage through the "little-known" option of group coverage, the Wall Street Journal reports.

27 May 2009

Pledges to reduce health care costs, spending growth could violate antitrust laws, lawyers say

U.S. antitrust laws could affect health care industry groups' efforts to work together to rein in health care costs, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 5/27).

27 May 2009

Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives adding legal twist to family health care

Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives - nearly unthinkable just a decade ago - are drawing new interest as everyday Americans wrestle with the time and expense of providing long-term health care, a University of Illinois legal expert says.

27 May 2009

Lawmakers prepare for health care reform action during Memorial Day recess; advocacy groups promote reform agendas

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been given "talking points" on health care reform to discuss with constituents during the Memorial Day recess as House and Senate committees work to develop comprehensive reform bills by mid-June, Politico reports (Budoff Brown, Politico, 5/26).

26 May 2009

Some small businesses must cut employee health benefits or lay off workers amid global downturn

Small businesses increasingly are eliminating their employee health coverage plans because of rising health care premiums and declining revenue attributed to the current economic recession, the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 May 2009

'Homework assignment' could mean success, failure for health reform legislation

How well health care industry groups follow through on their "homework assignment" from President Obama to submit specific plans by early June on how they intend to reduce health care spending growth by $2 trillion over the next decade could determine whether current attempts to develop health care overhaul legislation are successful, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Contra Costa Times, 5/25).

26 May 2009

Future cancer care, can we afford it?

When a cancer patient and his or her doctor discuss the value of a treatment option, the conversation usually centers on a consideration of the treatment's medical benefits versus its possible side effects for the patient. Increasingly, however, as the already high costs of cancer care continue to rise, a full view of the patient's welfare must also take into account the economic impact of the treatment on the patient and his or her family.

26 May 2009

Penn study shows ‘in-store’ clinics more apt to be based in higher-income neighborhoods

Since 2000, nearly 1,000 "retail clinics" -- offering routine care like sports physicals and immunizations and treatment for minor illnesses like strep throat -- have opened their doors inside pharmacies and grocery stores across the United States. Retail chain operators proposed that the new clinics would improve access to medical care among uninsured or underserved populations.

25 May 2009

New Maryland law requires insurers to provide incentives for EHR adoption

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on Tuesday signed a bill making the state the first to require private insurance companies to offer physicians financial incentives for adopting electronic health records, the Baltimore Sun reports.

22 May 2009

Connecticut House approves two health insurance pooling bills

The Connecticut House on Wednesday approved two separate measures to expand health insurance pooling in the state, the Hartford Courant reports. The first measure would create a public health insurance pool open to all residents.

22 May 2009

GM bankruptcy plan would use stock worth 39% of firm to fund half of VEBA obligation

General Motors and United Auto Workers on Thursday agreed to a tentative deal that would allow the automaker to use company stock to fund half of its obligation to a retiree health care fund, the Washington Post reports (Cho et al., Washington Post, 5/22).

22 May 2009

Sen. Baucus says health care overhaul will cover about 95% of citizens, will not cover undocumented immigrants

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Thursday said that Congress' health care overhaul plan would cover 94% to 96% of the population but not undocumented immigrants, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 5/21).

22 May 2009

Iowa Gov. signs bill that extends health insurance coverage to more children

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) on Tuesday signed into law a health care bill (SF 389) that among other provisions increases income eligibility for Hawk-I, the state's CHIP program, from 250% to 300% of the federal poverty level, the Des Moines Register reports.

22 May 2009

Health Insurance News and Research

Sen. Kennedy circulates draft of health reform legislation

Massachusetts health insurance law has increased access to care, though residents' ability to obtain treatment hampered by provider supply

Miami-Dade, Blue Cross announce low-cost PPO aimed at county's uninsured

Survey examines health outcomes of American Indians in Alabama

1 million California residents travel to Mexico annually for health care, study finds

United Auto Workers to accept up to 20% of GM stock; agrees to concessions on retiree health care obligations, labor rules

Psychiatrists begin revising diagnostic manual for mental illnesses

Wall Street Journal examines group health insurance policies as option for uninsured

Pledges to reduce health care costs, spending growth could violate antitrust laws, lawyers say

Financial contracts to care for sick or aging relatives adding legal twist to family health care

Lawmakers prepare for health care reform action during Memorial Day recess; advocacy groups promote reform agendas

Some small businesses must cut employee health benefits or lay off workers amid global downturn

'Homework assignment' could mean success, failure for health reform legislation

Future cancer care, can we afford it?

Penn study shows ‘in-store’ clinics more apt to be based in higher-income neighborhoods

New Maryland law requires insurers to provide incentives for EHR adoption

Connecticut House approves two health insurance pooling bills

GM bankruptcy plan would use stock worth 39% of firm to fund half of VEBA obligation

Sen. Baucus says health care overhaul will cover about 95% of citizens, will not cover undocumented immigrants

Iowa Gov. signs bill that extends health insurance coverage to more children

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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