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IRS official: If an individual fails to show insurance coverage, refund could be withheld

"The Internal Revenue Service won't audit you to make sure you have purchased health insurance under provisions of the new health-care law—but it may withhold your tax refund if you can't demonstrate that you are insured, an IRS official said Thursday," The Wall Street Journal reports. "There are tools we can use. We obviously will be notifying folks [for whom there is no record of health insurance] that we have these questions," Steven T. Miller, IRS deputy commissioner for services and enforcement, said.

16 Apr 2010

Private insurers seek to help states manage Medicaid expansion

The Wall Street Journal reports on plans by the health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. to issue a report Thursday on managed care strategies that "it says will help cash-strapped states solve budget problems and doctor shortages that hobble the government health-care programs for the poor."

16 Apr 2010

Rudd announces funds for north coast NSW cancer centers

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had announced a regional cancer center in the mid-north coast on Tuesday at Port Macquarie. He says plans are underway to invest almost $5 million for a second linear accelerator at the Port Base Hospital.

16 Apr 2010

Worry over unmanned ambulances: Plans for extra manpower at Geelong call center for emergency calls

According to a recent statement of the paramedic’s union, Moe’s ambulances are often unmanned putting the lives of all the residents at risk.

16 Apr 2010

Investigations and attempts to fix the major QH staff pay bungle

After the recent mistake in payment of the Queensland Health staff much has been debated. In this huge error nearly 3000 people working for QH have been left un-paid or underpaid.

16 Apr 2010

PPA helps qualified patients save money on their medicines

As recently noted in the Queens Chronicle, a nationwide partnership, consisting of more than 475 public and private assistance programs, is helping qualified patients save money on their medicines.

16 Apr 2010

Drugstores try to increase their presence with in-store clinic market

Drugstores are trying to bolster their presence in the in-store clinic market, even though the concept has thus far not been a particularly profitable one.

16 Apr 2010

Mass. insurers to revise rates or face fines; In Conn., a lawmaker hopes to help with insurance denials

"State regulators [Tuesday] demanded that health insurers submit revised April 1 premium rates for tens of thousands of individuals and small businesses by 3 p.m. [Thursday] or face stiff fines," The Boston Globe reports.

16 Apr 2010

Low income and lack of health insurance result in fewer rate of colorectal cancer screening

High out-of-pocket costs, lack of health insurance and limited access to care contribute to a relatively low rate of colorectal cancer screening in the United States, according to a new systematic review by researchers at the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.

16 Apr 2010

States continue budget struggles; Oklahoma nursing homes brace for funding cuts

Three Minnesota Democratic legislators are proposing that the state spend $1 billion from the state's special health care fund in an effort to get $1 billion in federal money. "A spokesman for Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty says the plan won't work because the special fund is already scheduled to run a deficit" (4/14).

16 Apr 2010

Poll: Opposition to health law grows

The Associated Press: "A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds Americans oppose the health care remake 50 percent to 39 percent. Before a divided Congress finally passed the bill and Obama signed it at a jubilant White House ceremony last month, public opinion was about evenly split. Another 10 percent of Americans say they are neutral."

16 Apr 2010

Tougher times ahead for older Americans

It's popular to assume retiring baby boomers will benefit from Social Security and Medicare at the expense of younger generations, as analysts estimate that these government-run programs will pay out more than they collect in payroll taxes by 2017.

16 Apr 2010

CINJ celebrates National Library Week

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) joins communities, schools and other institutions across the nation in celebrating the contributions of their libraries and librarians during this year's National Library Week (April 11 - 17).

16 Apr 2010

New long-term care insurance will provide flexible cash benefits

Writing for Kaiser Health News, Harris Meyer explains the CLASS Act, which is a part of the new health reform law: "Millie Toda of Toledo, Ohio, takes cares of her husband Richard, 83, who is severely disabled from Parkinson's Disease.

16 Apr 2010

Federal Research Public Access Act introduced in House of Representatives

Fueling the growing momentum toward openness, transparency, and accessibility to publicly funded information, the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2010 (FRPAA) has been introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and a bi-partisan host of co-sponsors.

16 Apr 2010

Ongoing Medicare physician payment dilemma

"Because of Congress's inability to find answers to the ongoing Medicare physician payment dilemma, physicians across the country are unable to accept and treat new Medicare patients," Joseph W. Stubbs, MD, FACP, president of the American College of Physicians declared today as he considered the impending effects of the cut to the Sustainable Growth Rate.

16 Apr 2010

Expanding Canada Pension Plan will ensure adequate retirement incomes, says CCPA report

Expanding the Canada Pension Plan would be the most effective way to ensure all Canadian have adequate retirement incomes, says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

16 Apr 2010

Lawmaker cancels hearing on big corporations' tax deductions related to health reform

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., canceled a hearing set for next week that would have probed recent announcements by large firms that they are taking millions of dollars in health law-related write-downs, Kaiser Health News reports.

16 Apr 2010

Health reform affects high-risk patients, abortion and doctor practices

NPR: "Recent fights between anti-abortion groups could leave people with the impression that the new health overhaul law expands women's access to abortion. But abortion-rights groups vehemently disagree."

16 Apr 2010