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79 million adults with medical bill problems or medical debt in U.S.

The proportion of working-age Americans who have medical bill problems or who are paying off medical debt climbed from 34 percent to 41 percent between 2005 and 2007, bringing the total to 72 million, according to recent survey findings from The Commonwealth Fund. In addition, 7 million adults age 65 and over also had problems paying medical bills, for a total of 79 million adults with medical bill problems or medical debt.

20 Aug 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss health care proposals during online debate

Advisers to the two major presidential candidates during an online debate on the Wall Street Journal Web site discussed the effect that their health care proposals would have on the employer-sponsored health insurance market, the Journal's "Health Blog" reports.

13 Aug 2008

More than a quarter of Hispanics in U.S. have no regular health care provider

Twenty-seven percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. do not have regular health care providers, although many of those adults have health insurance and speak English, according to a study released on Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

13 Aug 2008

22% of survey respondents have reduced number of physician visits to save money, survey finds

Twenty-two percent of respondents to a survey have reduced the number of times they visit their physician because of the current economic climate in the U.S., according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

13 Aug 2008

Associations, trade groups offer members group-like health insurance

An increasing number of small-business owners that do not provide health insurance to their employees and individuals without employer-based health coverage are looking to professional organizations and trade groups that offer "group-like" coverage to their members, the Wall Street Journal reports.

13 Aug 2008

California, health insurers reach agreement to reinstate coverage for some former members

About 3,400 California residents whose health insurance was canceled by Kaiser Permanente, Health Net and PacifiCare soon will be notified that they might be eligible for new coverage and compensation for medical bills incurred while they were uninsured, the Los Angeles Times reports.

13 Aug 2008

Study to look at health care system trust among Hispanics with HIV

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in September will begin a two-year study to determine whether a lack of trust of the U.S. medical system is a factor behind a higher mortality rate among Hispanics with HIV/AIDS, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.

13 Aug 2008

Convenience, cost driving more kids to retail clinics for care

Convenience and lower costs are driving even more parents to seek routine health care for their children - including vaccinations and physicals - at retail clinics in their communities.

11 Aug 2008

Racial disparities in PSA screening

In one of the first examinations of PSA screening in younger men, a study published by researchers at Duke Medicine's Prostate Center finds that one-fifth of men under age 50 reported undergoing a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test to detect prostate cancer in the previous year, yet only one in three young black men reported ever having a PSA test in the previous year.

11 Aug 2008

PSA screening among young men in the United States

A new analysis finds that one in five men in their 40s has had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test within the previous year and that young black men are more likely than young white men to have undergone the test.

11 Aug 2008

Survey details New Orleans residents experiences three years after Hurricane Katrina

A comprehensive new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of the experiences of New Orleans residents - the second since Hurricane Katrina - reveals a still-struggling population that gives very mixed reviews in key areas of the recovery efforts. Most residents feel forgotten by the nation and its leaders, yet are still optimistic about their city's future.

10 Aug 2008

House votes to extend medical leave coverage for college students

The House on Wednesday by voice vote approved a bill (HR 2851) that would allow college students who take medical leave to continue to receive health insurance under the policies of their parents, the AP/Boston Globe reports (AP/Boston Globe, 7/30).

3 Aug 2008

Participation in Connecticut Charter Oak Health Plan off to slow start

Fewer than 3,000 primary care physicians and one hospital are currently participating in Connecticut's Charter Oak Health Plan for uninsured adults, which began accepting applications in July, the Hartford Courant reports.

3 Aug 2008

Kaiser roundup of health policy-related blog posts

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

3 Aug 2008

Presidential candidate Nader promotes single-payer health care plan

Presidential candidate Ralph Nader (I) on Thursday criticized the U.S.'s two-party political system, which he says has been beholden to corporate interests that are preventing residents from accessing health care through a universal health care system, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

3 Aug 2008

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS among Hispanics in U.S.

HIV/AIDS among the Hispanic community in the U.S. is reaching what some public health experts are calling a "simmering public health crisis," the Washington Post reports.

24 Jul 2008

Schwarzenegger signs law that bans insurers from linking employee bonuses to health insurance coverage limits, cancellations

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday signed legislation (AB 1150) that prohibits health insurance companies from rewarding employees who cancel or limit an enrollee's coverage, the Los Angeles Times reports.

24 Jul 2008

NYT examines potential for cost savings in Obama's health plan

A promise from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) that his health care proposal would reduce health insurance premiums for the average family by $2,500 "is one of the most audacious promises in a campaign that has been thick with them," the New York Times reports. In addition, Obama has promised to implement a health plan by the end of his first term as president.

24 Jul 2008

America's Health Insurance Plans launches campaign in Ohio for nationwide universal health

America's Health Insurance Plans on Tuesday launched a new grassroots campaign designed "to build support for workable health care reform based on core principles shared by the American people: coverage, affordability, quality, value, choice and portability," the organization said, CQ HealthBeat reports.

24 Jul 2008

ACLU urges Congress to define medical privacy as patient control of electronic health records

The American Civil Liberties Union today urges the House Energy and Commerce Committee to require patient control of medical records and compensation for privacy breaches to be a part of the standards set for converting to electronic patient records.

23 Jul 2008