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Health Policy Research Roundup

UCLA Center For Health Policy Research: Health Disparities Among California's Nearly Four Million Low-Income Nonelderly Adult Women - Using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, the authors of this policy brief compare low-income women, ages 18-64, to others. The report finds the low-income women are four times more likely to report fair or poor health and are more likely to report a health condition that interferes with basic physical activities, such as walking or climbing stairs.

4 Dec 2009

Democrats stress 'doughnut hole' provisions to woo senior support for reform

The Associated Press: "Lawmakers have wooed seniors skeptical of the health care overhaul by emphasizing the plan would close the 'doughnut hole' — a gap in Medicare drug coverage that can cost thousands of dollars a year. But getting support for the entire overhaul from this powerful voting bloc has been difficult, despite Democrats repeated town hall meetings, interviews and congressional hearings."

4 Dec 2009

Democrats debate public option: Publicly with GOP, and privately among themselves

Democrats are engaged in an urgent debate behind closed doors about a government-run health insurance plan, known as the public option, according to The Associated Press. "Our caucus is now in the process of negotiating with ourselves because we need all 60 of us to get this done," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a moderate who has not yet embraced the public option concept.

4 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

In short, if the changes that are proposed for employer subsidies in the current Medicare Part D program are enacted, everyone will lose (Tom Scully, 12/3).

4 Dec 2009

Cosmetic surgery industry lobbies against the 'Botax' in Senate health bill

"Leading makers of antiwrinkle drugs, breast implants and other appearance-related products are trying to derail a proposed tax on elective cosmetic surgery in the Senate's health-overhaul bill," The Wall Street Journal reports. "The proposed 5% levy -- dubbed the 'Botax' after the antiwrinkle treatment product Botox -- would raise an estimated $5.8 billion over 10 years."

4 Dec 2009

Geisinger Health System's diabetic bundling program pays dividends

Diabetes is one of the nation's most prevalent chronic diseases, and Geisinger has created a "bundle" of best practice measures to improve the quality of diabetes care and outcomes.

4 Dec 2009

Surgeon General Benjamin: U.S. needs more minority doctors

The new U.S. Surgeon General called for an increased effort to recruit more minority doctors Thursday in a speech in Atlanta.

4 Dec 2009

Public Campaign Action Fund names Sen. Richard Burr as its final 'Insurance Puppet'

Public Campaign Action Fund, a national campaign finance watchdog group, named Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) its final "Insurance Puppet" in an online advertising campaign targeting North Carolina and Washington, D.C.

4 Dec 2009

Some Doctors' groups breaking with AMA to oppose health bill

Doctors are divided over health care reform with an increasing number of them expressing opposition.

4 Dec 2009

Senate's efforts on health care being slowed by other issues

The Wall Street Journal: "The Senate's slow-moving health bill is colliding with other legislative priorities on the economy, raising chances that Democrats won't meet their goal of pushing a health-care overhaul through the chamber this month." Though some forward progress was evidenced on Thursday when the chamber, for the first time since floor consideration of the health bill began, voted on amendments.

4 Dec 2009

Surgeon General calls for more minority doctors to join physician workforce

The new U.S. Surgeon General called for an increased effort to recruit more minority doctors Thursday in a speech in Atlanta.

4 Dec 2009

Fact checking lawmakers' claims about health bills

NPR began a series called "Is That So?": "As the debate about the health overhaul bill goes on (and on and on) you might find that sometimes what one Senator says seems to be the exact opposite of the next." In the first installment, NPR's Julie Rovner examined Sen. Christopher Dodd's statement: "On the day this bill is enacted, health insurance becomes a buyer's market, not a seller's market. And that's as American as apple pie," and found that "it may be so eventually, but definitely not on the day the bill is enacted."

4 Dec 2009

Watchdog group names Sen. Chuck Grassley as third 'Insurance Puppet'

Public Campaign Action Fund, a national campaign finance watchdog group, named Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) its third "Insurance Puppet" in an online advertising campaign targeting Iowa and Washington, D.C.

4 Dec 2009

Campaign for legislation to protect adult film industry performers

On Friday, a broad coalition of health groups will unveil a campaign to press for California legislation to protect adult film industry performers. The legislative push will be formally announced in conjunction with a strategy symposium for the effort being held Friday, December 4th at UCLA (Public Affairs Building, North Campus).

4 Dec 2009

HHS Secretary highlights the benefits of health insurance reform for businesses

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today highlighted the benefits of health insurance reform for businesses and released a new fact sheet regarding a recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.

4 Dec 2009

Public Campaign Action Fund names Sen. Joe Lieberman its second 'Insurance Puppet'

Public Campaign Action Fund, a national campaign finance watchdog group, named Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) its second "Insurance Puppet" in an online advertising campaign targeting Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

4 Dec 2009

U.S. Court grants preliminary approval of $350M settlement in lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced today that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted preliminary approval of the previously disclosed $350 million settlement that would resolve a class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group.

4 Dec 2009

Sudbury & District Public Health Unit nurses reach tentative settlement with employer

Following a long and difficult negotiations process, public health nurses with the Sudbury & District Public Health Unit have reached a tentative settlement with their employer.

4 Dec 2009

2010 American Occupational Health Conference to be held in Orlando

The Nation's largest occupational and environmental medicine conference, the 2010 American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC®) will be held May 2-5 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla. AOHC is the annual meeting of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), an international medical society of more 4,000 occupational and environmental physicians and other health care professionals.

4 Dec 2009

Family Research Council responds to Senate's approval of Mikulski amendment

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins responded today to the U.S. Senate's approval of an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to authorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to include abortion as "preventive care" in their guidelines.

4 Dec 2009