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GOP criticizes House Dems likely 'self-executing rule' for health reform consideration

"House Republicans say they cannot block a Democratic maneuver that would allow Members to avoid a separate vote on the Senate health care bill. 'There is nothing that can prevent it,' said Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the Rules Committee."

16 Mar 2010

Health care sparks battles between state, federal legislation

USA Today: "In a backlash against President Obama's health care legislation that stretches from Virginia to California, lawmakers in more than two-thirds of the states are scrambling to undercut the bill before it even passes Congress." Legal scholars say that state legislation isn't the final word, however. "The state measures are likely to be challenged in court, setting up new legal battles over whether federal law can trump state laws.

15 Mar 2010

Issues over abortion, reconciliation rules remain in the path of health reform vote

A host of political challenges and possible pitfalls awaits lawmakers as they push toward a final vote on health reform -- among them, abortion, reconciliation rules and immigration.

15 Mar 2010

Gardasil vaccine: Two complaints filed in Washington Federal Claims court

Anapol Schwartz attorneys Lawrence Cohan and Melissa Fry Hague recently filed two Gardasil vaccine complaints – one on behalf of a Kensington, Calif., family, whose 15-year old daughter died after suffering from severe adverse reactions, and another on behalf of a 19-year old Lapeer, Mich., woman, who has a chronic, autoimmune disorder. The cases, filed in The Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., seek recovery under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

15 Mar 2010

Experts discuss PEPFAR funding in congressional hearing

At a recent hearing of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, "[i]nternational health organisations working to help check the spread of AIDS in Africa said meagre increases in funds from the U.S. government this year would be a step backwards. Some experts also emphasised that prevention must get appropriate attention in any fight against the disease," Inter Press Service reports.

15 Mar 2010

Economists, Dems differ on who's to blame for insurers' rate hikes

Democrats assailed health insurers for hiking rates in recent weeks to gain popular momentum for their health overhaul, but health economists say insurers did cause high health costs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The economists "contend that insurance companies, while often meriting criticism for their practices, aren't to blame for high health care costs."

15 Mar 2010

Also in Global Health News: East Africa food security; Issues with humanitarian aid; Texting to fight counterfeit drugs

The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) meeting this week in Kigali, Rwanda "will provide a forum for experts, government ministers, regional economic communities and other stakeholders to discuss how best to handle the food security issue in" East Africa, New Times/allAfrica.com reports. The U.N. Economic Commission for Africa's Sub-Regional Office, East Africa (SRO-EA) will host the meeting. "East Africa is the sub-region most affected by food insecurity," according to an SRO-EA report, New Times/allAfrica.com writes (3/13).

15 Mar 2010

States struggle to balance budgets, health programs face cuts

National Journal: States are aware of the "lingering effects of recessions" on the enrollment in their Medicaid programs. "Because it takes time for people to re-enter the workforce and get insurance, it can take years for Medicaid rolls to shrink to prerecession levels and for states to restore program and funding cuts." According to a February report by the National Governors Association, states are "facing budget gaps totaling $136 billion for fiscal 2010 through 2012 and that Medicaid enrollment would grow 6.6 percent in fiscal 2010" (Werber Serafini, 3/13).

15 Mar 2010

Health on The Hill: March 15, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey talks with KFF's Jackie Judd and Edward Epstein from Congressional Quarterly about the weekend's health reform action on Capitol Hill.

15 Mar 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials

After a year of national debate, a handful of House Democrats who oppose abortion may be the ones to decide whether health care reform goes forward or not. ... We are puzzled and dismayed that these legislators are willing to waste that opportunity because they say the onerous anti-abortion provisions in the Senate's bill are still not onerous enough (3/14).

15 Mar 2010

Insurers describe coverage of abortion in states with separate premiums

The Washington Post explores the use of riders on health insurance policies to cover abortion, a proposal that has sparked controversy in the national health overhaul debate. "In North Dakota, where insurers can cover abortions if customers pay a separate premium, the state's largest provider says it sells no abortion policies because no one has asked to buy one," The Post reports.

15 Mar 2010

Democrats confident health overhaul bill will pass despite hurdles

Democrats spent Sunday trying to pull enough votes together in the House to pass a health care reform bill later this week but said they were optimistic that they can get the support they need.

15 Mar 2010

FDA questions third-party review of medical devices

The Wall Street Journal: The FDA is considering ending a program that allows medical-equipment makers to have their products reviewed by third-party companies instead of by FDA officials.

15 Mar 2010

Advertising on heath overhaul picks up again

"A slew of interest groups lobbying on the health care overhaul is cranking up the volume of advertising spots and grass-roots organizing this week as Congressional leaders race to put the finishing touches on controversial legislation to remake the nation's medical system," Roll Call reports.

15 Mar 2010

Stimulus funds spur Indiana doctors, hospitals to switch to electronic records more quickly

The offer of federal stimulus funds is spurring Indiana health care providers to convert to electronic medical records, The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette reports.

15 Mar 2010

COBRA health insurance program changes confuse consumers

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold writes about the confusion currently surrounding consumers. "Every day, dozens of confused, laid-off workers call the COBRA Help Center in Long Island, N.Y., a small private company which administers COBRA group health insurance plans.

15 Mar 2010

Program to obtain transplant organs from ER patients creates controversy

The Washington Post: "In the hope of expanding a controversial form of organ donation into emergency rooms around the United States, a federally funded project has begun trying to obtain kidneys, livers and possibly other body parts from car-accident victims, heart-attack fatalities and other urgent-care patients.

15 Mar 2010

Z-Medica announces the launch of QuikClot Grant for U.S. military veterans attending Marietta College

Z-Medica Corporation, a medical device company developing innovative hemostatic agents, today announced the launch of its QuikClot Grant for U.S. military veterans attending Marietta College. The $25,000 grant will support Marietta College’s Yellow Ribbon Program, which allows qualified veterans to attend the college as undergraduate students and receive full tuition scholarships.

From Medica Corporation 15 Mar 2010

MBGH conduct national survey to improve employer-based health improvement and management programs

To better understand and improve the effectiveness of employer-based health improvement and management programs, the Midwest Business Group on Health, conducted a national survey of physician views on employers' health management programs.

15 Mar 2010

Healthways, Blue Zones establish Healthways-Blue Zones Vitality Quest to improve community well-being

Today, Healthways, Inc. and Blue Zones, LLC, announced the establishment of Healthways-Blue Zones Vitality QuestSM, an exclusive, strategic relationship to create, support and sustain a national movement to improve community health and well-being, initially for cities in the U.S.

15 Mar 2010