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Recession exacerbates financial problems at California community health clinics

California community health clinics are struggling to meet an increased demand from new patients who have lost their jobs and health insurance, the Los Angeles Times reports.

24 Mar 2009

Local, state health departments forced to cut services for undocumented immigrants amid economic recession

Reductions to public health and nonemergency services by state and county health departments in response to the economic recession have resulted in limited access to care for undocumented immigrants, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

24 Mar 2009

One in five U.S. workers uninsured

One in five U.S. workers is uninsured, a statistically significant increase from fewer than one in seven during the mid-1990s, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study released on Tuesday, the AP/Detroit News reports.

24 Mar 2009

Speakers at White House-sponsored forum discuss possibility of public health coverage option, preventive care

Congressional Democrats intend to pass health care reform legislation by "August or September" that could include an option allowing uninsured U.S. residents to buy into a government-run health care plan, Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said on Monday, Kansas Health Institute News reports.

24 Mar 2009

U.S. health reform should not be modeled on Massachusetts health insurance law, according to report

Efforts to overhaul the U.S. health care system should not be modeled after the 2006 Massachusetts health insurance law because the law does not include cost controls, according to a report released on Tuesday by researchers at the Institute for America's Future, the Boston Herald reports.

23 Mar 2009

U.S. Labor Department releases more details about COBRA subsidie

The Department of Labor on Thursday released guidelines to employers on how to implement federal subsidies included in the economic stimulus package to help newly unemployed workers cover the cost of health insurance premiums under COBRA, the Detroit Free Press reports (Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 3/19).

23 Mar 2009

House Veterans' Panel approves bill that would cover emergency treatment at non-VA facilities

The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health on Thursday by voice vote approved a bill (HR 1377) that would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide reimbursement for emergency treatment received at hospitals not affiliated with VA, CQ Today reports.

23 Mar 2009

Sen. Grassley says compromise on public-private option health care system will be difficult

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday at the Kaiser Family Foundation told reporters that although congressional Democrats and Republicans likely will not reach an agreement on health care reform legislation with a provision that would establish a public health plan to compete with private plans, he could not dismiss the possibility, the Wall Street Journal reports (Yoest, Wall Street Journal, 3/19).

23 Mar 2009

Iowa Senate approves bill to expand health insurance to more children

The Iowa Senate on Thursday voted 30-18 to approve a bill (SF 389) that would extend health insurance to 30,000 children and set up a commission to help residents obtain affordable coverage, the Des Moines Register reports.

23 Mar 2009

Kansas House Committee approves bill that would require HIV testing among pregnant women

The Kansas House Committee on Health and Human Services last week approved a bill (S.B. 147) that would require doctors to test pregnant women and some infants for HIV, the Kansas Health Institute News reports.

23 Mar 2009

3 million people at risk with out of date European Health Insurance Cards

UK travellers facing hefty medical bills for treatment in Europe

20 Mar 2009

President Obama's insurance for children - shouldn't we at least talk about it?"

Democrats are moving quickly to socialize American health care with the SCHIP expansion. Michael Tanner of the CATO Institute whined, "Shouldn't we at least talk about it?"

16 Mar 2009

Obama advisers suggest President might not oppose taxing some employer-sponsored health benefits

The Obama administration is "signaling to Congress" that President Obama "could support taxing some employee health benefits" to help offset the cost of health care reform, a move supported by "several influential lawmakers and many economists" but "opposed by union leaders and some businesses," the New York Times reports (Calmes/Pear, New York Times, 3/15).

16 Mar 2009

Lexington Herald-Leader examines funding issues in Kentucky HIV/AIDS clinic

The Lexington Herald-Leader on Thursday examined funding issues faced by the Bluegrass Care Clinic, a Kentucky-based HIV/AIDS clinic that has seen a twofold increase in the number of patients over the last eight years, despite receiving no federal funding increases.

16 Mar 2009

FDA approves new version of St. Jude Medical internet-based remote care system for implanted medical devices

St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the newest version of the Merlin.net Patient Care Network (PCN), a secure, Internet-based remote care system for patients with implanted medical devices.

16 Mar 2009

Health insurance status associated with frequency of eye care visits

Individuals with no or inconsistent health care coverage appear less likely to regularly seek eye care, even if they are visually impaired, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

10 Mar 2009

Freezing kidney cancer - interventional cryoablation

Freezing kidney tumors - using a safe minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment that kills the cancer 100 percent effectively without surgery - should be the gold standard or first treatment option for all individuals with tumors that are 4 centimeters in size or smaller.

10 Mar 2009

Extra medicare charges for the rich a slippery slope, expert says

A growing trend toward higher Medicare premiums for the richest Americans could ultimately creep into the retirement income of less-wealthy seniors, a University of Illinois expert on federal health insurance warns.

10 Mar 2009

More companies offering 'telehealth' consultations

Various "telehealth" services -- allowing consumers access to health care via telephone, Internet or other telecommunications devices -- have cropped up in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Mar 2009

Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

One-third of U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years, according to a report released on Wednesday by Families USA, Reuters reports. The report examined data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

5 Mar 2009

Health Insurance News and Research

Recession exacerbates financial problems at California community health clinics

Local, state health departments forced to cut services for undocumented immigrants amid economic recession

One in five U.S. workers uninsured

Speakers at White House-sponsored forum discuss possibility of public health coverage option, preventive care

U.S. health reform should not be modeled on Massachusetts health insurance law, according to report

U.S. Labor Department releases more details about COBRA subsidie

House Veterans' Panel approves bill that would cover emergency treatment at non-VA facilities

Sen. Grassley says compromise on public-private option health care system will be difficult

Iowa Senate approves bill to expand health insurance to more children

Kansas House Committee approves bill that would require HIV testing among pregnant women

3 million people at risk with out of date European Health Insurance Cards

President Obama's insurance for children - shouldn't we at least talk about it?"

Obama advisers suggest President might not oppose taxing some employer-sponsored health benefits

Lexington Herald-Leader examines funding issues in Kentucky HIV/AIDS clinic

FDA approves new version of St. Jude Medical internet-based remote care system for implanted medical devices

Health insurance status associated with frequency of eye care visits

Freezing kidney cancer - interventional cryoablation

Extra medicare charges for the rich a slippery slope, expert says

More companies offering 'telehealth' consultations

Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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