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Republicans start new effort to advance greater federal abortion funding restrictions

The Hill: House Minority Leader John Boehner will introduce legislation that would stop Congress from using taxpayer money to support abortions or abortion coverage.

28 Jun 2010

Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network awarded HRSA grant for placement of AEDs in 14 rural communities

The Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network, a network service provided by Saint Thomas Health Services, was recently awarded a $100,000 Health Resources and Services Administration grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for the placement of full-rescue Automated External Defibrillators in 14 rural communities throughout the network.

28 Jun 2010

Hospital for Special Surgery announces receipt of $5M commitment from CA Technologies

Hospital for Special Surgery announced the receipt of a $5 million commitment from CA Technologies, an IT management software and solutions company, at its 27th Annual Tribute Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on June 21, 2010.

28 Jun 2010

High-risk health insurance pools opening soon

News outlets examine how states are coping with covering hard-to-insure people, confusion about insuring young adults and a COBRA subsidy extension.

28 Jun 2010

Mass. panel overturns cap on insurer's premiums; Calif. finds 'substantial' errors in planned premium increase

A Massachusetts "insurance appeals board yesterday overturned the state's cap on health premium increases for small business and individual customers covered by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care." The panel "found that rate increases Harvard Pilgrim initially sought in April are reasonable given what it must pay to hospitals and doctors. That ruling trumped the Insurance Division's earlier finding that the requested increases were excessive, a view that reflects Governor Deval Patrick's campaign to curb health costs. Insurers yesterday cheered the ruling" (Abelson and Wallack, 6/25).

25 Jun 2010

HHS Secretary to speak about benefits of Affordable Care Act for women

Today, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will speak to the National Partnership for Women and Families about how the Affordable Care Act will benefit women.

25 Jun 2010

SAMHSA study: Only 6% of substance abuse treatment facilities offer special programs for gays, lesbians

A new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reveals that only 777 of 13,688 (6 percent) substance abuse treatment facilities surveyed across the nation offer special programs for gay and lesbian clients.

25 Jun 2010

Thomson Reuters names Mayo Clinic as one of top 10 hospital systems in the country

Mayo Clinic, for the second year in a row, has been a named a top U.S. health system, according to a Thomson Reuters survey that analyzed the quality and efficiency of 255 health systems across the country. Mayo Clinic, as an enterprise organization operating in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, was ranked among the 10 top performers.

25 Jun 2010

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

A judge approved a $712 million health settlement for thousands of emergency workers who responded after the Sept. 11 attack, in spite of objections from some who complained that the deal was unfair. Some workers who say they got sick working at the Ground Zero site argued Wednesday that the settlement shortchanged those suffering from certain types of diseases. One of the key factors in how much workers get paid under the settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, depends on the type of disease the person contracted.

25 Jun 2010

Details emerge on young adults coverage, small business health law provisions

More details are emerging on what aspects of the new health reform law mean for coverage for young adults and how small businesses will be affected by the changes.

25 Jun 2010

Workers in small businesses more likely to have high premium for employer-sponsored health plans: AHRQ

Nearly 13 percent of workers with employer-sponsored health plans who worked in firms with 10 or fewer employees had premiums of $7,200 or more a year for single-coverage plans in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This amount is much higher than the $4,704 average, national premium for employer-sponsored single-coverage health plans in 2008.

25 Jun 2010

ACF, HRSA accept applications for Tribal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, in partnership with the Health Resources and Services Administration, is accepting applications for fiscal year 2010 for the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program.

25 Jun 2010

LTCFP announces publication of revised guidebook, Long Term Care Insurance at the Worksite

Many companies seem conflicted by a key part of the recent Health Reform legislation, the CLASS Act, which will offer a form of long term care insurance for working people who may become disabled. "CLASS" stands for Community Living Assistance Services and Supports; and the program, a legacy of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, is intended to offer new choice and security for millions now at risk. But, "we find that those who manage employees or employee benefits don't know how to react," says Denise Gott, Chairman of the Board of LTC Financial Partners LLC, one of the nation's most experienced long term care insurance agencies.

24 Jun 2010

Secretary of Labor issues statement on mental health and substance abuse benefits, services

We are very pleased that the court ruled in favor of the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services, thereby allowing us to continue a regulatory process designed to benefit vulnerable members of our society. It will make mental health benefits more affordable by putting the cost on par with other health benefits.

24 Jun 2010

Study examines relationship between SCIP measures and postoperative infection

A study by investigators at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine published in this week's issue of JAMA found that public hospital comparison data reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services does not accurately correlate with a patient's risk for surgical postoperative infection.

24 Jun 2010

New poll illustrates difficult situations cancer patients face in affording needed health care

A new poll illustrates the difficulty that cancer patients, survivors and their families face in affording needed health care and paying for other basic necessities such as food and heat, underscoring the need to strongly implement the Affordable Care Act so that it works for people with cancer.

24 Jun 2010

Minn. Gov. decides to not expand Medicaid early; Ohio wrestles with increased Medicaid costs in overhaul; Kansas officials worry about 25% cut in health policy operating budget

"As expected, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has declined the opportunity for Minnesota to get an early shot at expanding Medicaid eligibility. The federal health plan calls for all states to expand Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults without children in 2014, but Minnesota was among a few states offered a chance to do it earlier." The legislature, however, passed a measure that would allow Pawlenty's successor next year to reverse his ruling (Kimball, 6/22).

24 Jun 2010

White House unveils consumer protections in health law

New health-law-prompted regulations were released Tuesday, Kaiser Health News reports. The regulations could likely affect a small fraction of the country, but address key insurance concerns.

24 Jun 2010

Obama to insurers: Health reform no excuse for big rate hikes

President Barack Obama warned a dozen large insurers not to use the new health law as an excuse for boosting premium rates at a White House meeting Tuesday, The Washington Post reports. After acknowledging that insurers weren't solely responsible for rising medical costs, the president said, "we've got to make sure this new law is not being used as an excuse to simply drive up costs.

24 Jun 2010

How new health insurance regulations could affect some premiums, coverage

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "As he trumpeted what he called a new 'Patient's Bill of Rights' Tuesday, President Barack Obama tried to calm fears that the new health law would increase insurance costs.

23 Jun 2010

Health and Human Services News and Research

Republicans start new effort to advance greater federal abortion funding restrictions

Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network awarded HRSA grant for placement of AEDs in 14 rural communities

Hospital for Special Surgery announces receipt of $5M commitment from CA Technologies

High-risk health insurance pools opening soon

Mass. panel overturns cap on insurer's premiums; Calif. finds 'substantial' errors in planned premium increase

HHS Secretary to speak about benefits of Affordable Care Act for women

SAMHSA study: Only 6% of substance abuse treatment facilities offer special programs for gays, lesbians

Thomson Reuters names Mayo Clinic as one of top 10 hospital systems in the country

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

Details emerge on young adults coverage, small business health law provisions

Workers in small businesses more likely to have high premium for employer-sponsored health plans: AHRQ

ACF, HRSA accept applications for Tribal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program

LTCFP announces publication of revised guidebook, Long Term Care Insurance at the Worksite

Secretary of Labor issues statement on mental health and substance abuse benefits, services

Study examines relationship between SCIP measures and postoperative infection

New poll illustrates difficult situations cancer patients face in affording needed health care

Minn. Gov. decides to not expand Medicaid early; Ohio wrestles with increased Medicaid costs in overhaul; Kansas officials worry about 25% cut in health policy operating budget

White House unveils consumer protections in health law

Obama to insurers: Health reform no excuse for big rate hikes

How new health insurance regulations could affect some premiums, coverage

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 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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