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Crossover vote or lost cause? Maine Sen. Collins reform vote examined

Sen. Susan Collins, Maine's junior senator, has a lot of people asking her which way she's leaning on supporting health care reform. And she's remaining mum.

23 Oct 2009

House leaders commit to permanent reform in the Medicare physician payment formula

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and the chairs of the three committees leading the health reform effort, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Charles B. Rangel, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Rep. George Miller, Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor, reaffirmed their commitment today to permanent reform of the Medicare physician payment formula (the "sustainable growth rate" or SGR formula).

22 Oct 2009

Independent panel to rein in health costs gaining support

"As Congress grapples with how to rein in the high cost of healthcare in America, the option of outsourcing hard decisions to a new, independent commission is gaining momentum," the Christian Science Monitor reports.

22 Oct 2009

Lake Health opens TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township

Lake Health, formerly Lake Hospital System, today is celebrating the grand opening of its $155 million TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township. A state-of-the-art digital hospital, TriPoint Medical Center is redefining the health care experience for patients, families and the community.

22 Oct 2009

Health Impact Project to promote the use of health impact assessments

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) today announced the launch of the Health Impact Project, a national initiative designed to promote the use of health impact assessments (HIAs) as a decision-making tool for policymakers.

21 Oct 2009

California Association of Psychiatric Technicians rally against state budget cuts

The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians is continuing a series of weekly informational pickets at state hospitals, developmental centers and prisons, this time at Patton State Hospital and Fairview Developmental Center. The events will draw attention to ongoing state budget cuts that are not only hurting employees, but also the vital services Psych Techs provide to Californians in their care.

21 Oct 2009

New public health tool to identify all Tier 1 candidates for H1N1 vaccination

Practice Fusion Inc. (www.practicefusion.com), the free, web-based electronic health record (EHR) for physicians, today implemented a first-of-its-kind tool that allows its physician-users to immediately and accurately identify all Tier 1 candidates for H1N1 vaccination from their patient populations using criteria published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

21 Oct 2009

CHA urges California Nurses Association to promote vaccinations to all health care workers

The California Hospital Association (CHA) is engaged with hospitals and state and local public health officials in a voluntary statewide effort to ensure that all hospital workers -- including registered nurses -- are vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus.

21 Oct 2009

Reid: No comment on public option, bill will be ready 'soon'

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declined Tuesday afternoon to predict when negotiations on a final health care reform bill would be complete, saying only that he hopes to have legislation in hand 'soon,'" Roll Call reports

21 Oct 2009

Women without HOXA13 gene mutation need not be subjected to X-rays

Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale, and colleagues have found that women without mutations of the HOXA13 gene do not need to be subjected to x-rays and other tests for a rare condition called hand-foot genital syndrome. The research is presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) scientific meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, October 17-21.

20 Oct 2009

Unemployment for people with disabilities has reached its highest rate since January, says study

Unemployment for people with disabilities has reached its highest rate since January, according to a quarterly study by Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare services.

20 Oct 2009

OrSense presents data on its NBM-200MP system for hemoglobin and blood oximetry measurements

OrSense Ltd., developer of monitors for non-invasive measurements of various blood parameters, presented today at the American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meeting, in New Orleans. The results from a multi-center study indicate that NBM-200MP, a continuous, non-invasive monitoring system, measures levels of oxygen saturation and hemoglobin accurately and reliably in comparison to accepted methods.

20 Oct 2009

Minnesota Governor proposes to let residents buy out-of-state insurance and other state headlines

News outlets report on a variety of state health stories including insurance in Minnesota, premiums and out-of-pocket costs in Massachusetts and high premiums for Blue Sheild in California.

19 Oct 2009

Pelosi raises banner of public plan in response to insurers' attacks

The health insurance industry's recent attacks on health-overhaul legislation only strengthens the case for the federal government to offer a competing health plan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

19 Oct 2009

Senate Democratic leaders say party will unite on health reform vote

Sens. Max Baucus and Harry Reid are predicting that a health care overhaul in the Senate will attract the votes of all Democrats in the Senate — and maybe even more than one Republican.

19 Oct 2009

Lawmakers wrestle with health reform details - publicly and behind closed doors

Reporters examine which provisions - such as the public option or cost control provisions - may be included as House and Senate negotiators try to meld various Democratic health reform bills.

19 Oct 2009

Hearings focus on gender discrimination in health coverage and the underinsured

During a hearing before a subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, several women shared stories of gender discrimination in health care coverage.

19 Oct 2009

Wellness provisions advance in reform legislation

Employers could incentivize wellness if provisions passed by the Senate finance and health committees become law. The Washington Post reports: "By more than doubling the maximum penalties that companies can apply to employees who flunk medical evaluations, the legislation could put workers under intense financial pressure to lose weight, stop smoking or even lower their cholesterol."

19 Oct 2009

Power coalesces among a few Senate players, not all elected

Some key personalities in the Senate and White House are gaining influence over the health care debate. One obvious group of negotiators are those who shaped the committee bills and the leader of the Democratic majority, who will negotiate a final version of the Senate bill, Roll Call reports.

19 Oct 2009

Democratic lawmakers seek momentum, Republican votes as two versions of reform bills are combined

Democrats are seeking momentum and votes -- from both Democrats and Republicans -- as leaders work to combine the two versions of reform approved by Senate committees.

19 Oct 2009