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Study finds Medicare's benefits are less generous than large-employer plans

Medicare on average provides less generous benefits to seniors than they would receive under a typical large-employer health plan or the most popular plan available to federal employees – even with the program’s new drug benefit, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.

22 Sep 2008

Medicare Part B premiums in 2009 will not increase for most beneficiaries

CMS on Friday announced that monthly outpatient care premiums for about 95% of Medicare recipients will remain at $96.40 in 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/20).

22 Sep 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) have begun "reviewing their support" for prescription drug reimportation in response to recent cases of contaminated medications and other products from other nations, advisers to the candidates said on Thursday during the annual conference of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, D.C., Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

22 Sep 2008

Advocates for SCHIP expansion look to next year as Democrats, Republicans disagree over ability to pass legislation this session

Advocates of reauthorizing and expanding SCHIP "are warily training their eyes on next year with a mix of anticipation and anxiety" as it seems unlikely that there will be another vote on the legislation during the current congressional session, CongressDaily reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 9/15).

16 Sep 2008

Massachusetts' proposed rule could lead to Federal lawsuit, Partners HealthCare warns

Massachusetts' largest private employer Partners HealthCare on Friday warned that the state could face a federal lawsuit if it implements a proposed rule to increase some companies' contributions to their workers' health coverage, the Boston Globe reports.

10 Sep 2008

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

The number and percentage of uninsured U.S. residents declined in 2007 to 45.7 million people, or 15.3% of the population, according to an annual U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday, USA Today reports (Cauchon/Appleby, USA Today, 8/27).

28 Aug 2008

45 million Americans are uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report today that estimates that 45.7 million Americans were uninsured in 2007 compared to 47 million in 2006. While the report shows a slight drop in the number of uninsured, it underscores the urgent need to expand access to health coverage, according to Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

26 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

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

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

Edward Kennedy working toward bipartisan support for major health care initiative in 2009

The office of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has begun to hold a series of meetings with a number of health care experts to "begin laying the groundwork for a new attempt to provide universal health care," the Boston Globe reports.

3 Jul 2008

CBO Director Orszag says health IT holds promise, but no panacea for health care costs

Health information technology could improve health care quality, but it is not the cure-all solution to reducing U.S. health care costs, Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag said at a forum on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports. The forum was hosted by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

24 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

17 Jun 2008

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

In broader pieces on the economy and taxes, two newspapers recently addressed parts of the health care proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

17 Jun 2008

The Politico examines prospects for U.S. health care system overhaul

The Politico on Tuesday examined how "the skyrocketing cost of health care is putting everyone in a much more chatty and cooperative mood" about overhauling the U.S. health care system.

11 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blogs

11 Jun 2008

Panel discusses expanding health coverage to uninsured via 'early Medicare' program

At a panel discussion on Friday, lawmakers and health experts considered a Commonwealth Fund proposal that would provide health insurance to 44 million of the 48 million uninsured U.S. residents, CQ HealthBeat reports (Wyckoff, CQ HealthBeat, 6/6).

10 Jun 2008

Health care legislation might not top next administration's agenda, former house leader says

Legislation that would overhaul the U.S. health care system might take a back seat to other issues for the next administration, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) said Thursday at a health care policy forum, CQ HealthBeat reports. The forum was sponsored by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Diseases and Emory University's Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions.

8 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

8 Jun 2008

Study finds wide racial, geographic health care disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Race and place of residence can have a significant effect on the quality of care a Medicare beneficiary receives, according to a report released Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New York Times reports.

8 Jun 2008

Health Reform News and Research

Study finds Medicare's benefits are less generous than large-employer plans

Medicare Part B premiums in 2009 will not increase for most beneficiaries

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Advocates for SCHIP expansion look to next year as Democrats, Republicans disagree over ability to pass legislation this session

Massachusetts' proposed rule could lead to Federal lawsuit, Partners HealthCare warns

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

45 million Americans are uninsured

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

Kaiser roundup of health policy-related blog posts

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

Edward Kennedy working toward bipartisan support for major health care initiative in 2009

CBO Director Orszag says health IT holds promise, but no panacea for health care costs

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

The Politico examines prospects for U.S. health care system overhaul

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blogs

Panel discusses expanding health coverage to uninsured via 'early Medicare' program

Health care legislation might not top next administration's agenda, former house leader says

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report feature highlights recent blog entries

Study finds wide racial, geographic health care disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

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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