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GOP to stall confirmation of HHS nominees, due to flap over insurers' letters to seniors

Debate continues about the administration's reaction to letters sent by insurers to seniors about health overhaul.

25 Sep 2009

On quality of care, U.S. is not always best

The Washington Post interviewed Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., about other developed nations' health care systems: "We won't adopt the German system or French system or anything of the like. But I think we can get clues on the fundamental differences of various systems," he said. Conrad added that the system that has "largely been adopted in France, Germany, Japan, Belgium and Switzerland, is not government-run.

25 Sep 2009

CBO scores on health bills raise questions

Various news outlets are examining the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the cost of health bills.

25 Sep 2009

Finance committee agonizes over Medicare cuts

Politico reports: "The top Senate Republican says Democratic cuts to Medicare will cost them in the 2010 elections, warning that the hundreds of billions in reductions to the senior citizen health program is 'Orwellian.' Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate minority leader, criticized Democrats for insisting that a half-trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare as part of the health care overhaul, well, aren't exactly cuts to Medicare.

25 Sep 2009

Poll: More approve of Obama's handling of health care, but many still confused

The latest CBS News/New York Times poll finds that Americans are still confused and anxious about a health care overhaul.

25 Sep 2009

House passes bill to stop some Medicare premium increases

The House voted overwhelmingly to stop premium increases in Medicare Part B— which covers doctor visits — from taking effect next year.

25 Sep 2009

Labor chief asks for probe into health insurance lobbying

The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones reports: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Thursday urged some state insurance commissioners to investigate how the costs of insurers' lobbying to defeat health-insurance reform are affecting premiums."

25 Sep 2009

Hamilton Health Sciences contravening the collective agreement: Registered nurses of ONA

Thirty-seven registered nurses, members of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) will attend an arbitration hearing in Hamilton tomorrow that will decide whether Hamilton Health Sciences will be allowed to continue to arbitrarily reassign nurses to other vacant positions within the hospital.

25 Sep 2009

Schumer's amendment to the health bill will benefit people with disabilities: United Spinal Association

United Spinal Association praised New York Senator Charles Schumer for introducing an amendment to the Senate Finance Committee health care reform bill to enact the Community Choice Act benefiting people with disabilities.

25 Sep 2009

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to raise public awareness about breast cancer

A sea of pink t-shirts will stretch from Athens to Bologna to Frankfurt to Zurich to Antwerp today in an effort to raise public awareness about breast cancer. In five cities across Europe, breast cancer survivors, their families, friends, supporters and advocates will join forces in a show of strength, courage and solidarity.

25 Sep 2009

Free online guide for health care organizations to improve patient care

Lilly USA and the National Committee for Quality Assurance have collaborated to release a free online guide and resource library for health care organizations that wish to undertake quality improvement initiatives to improve culturally and linguistically appropriate services and reduce disparities in care.

25 Sep 2009

10th Annual Clinical Team Conference to focus on clinical care

More than 1,400 hospice and palliative care professionals and researchers have gathered in Denver for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's 10th Annual Clinical Team Conference that begins today at the Hyatt Regency Denver.

25 Sep 2009

First Edition: September 25, 2009

Today's headlines reflect the continuing action in the Senate Finance Committee and around Congress, focusing on legislative strife related to the White House deal with drug companies and the debate over the public plan.

25 Sep 2009

Baylor Health Care receives $20 million donation from Sammons Enterprises

Today the Baylor Health Care System Foundation announced gifts exceeding $20 million for what will be North Texas' largest outpatient cancer center and first dedicated hospital focusing on cancer patients.

25 Sep 2009

Vermont Information Technology Leaders to collaborate with Allscripts

Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., the non-profit organization facilitating the expanded use of health information technology in Vermont, and Allscripts, the leading U.S. health information technology provider with a major facility located in South Burlington, Vermont, today announced their intention to enter into a strategic alliance.

25 Sep 2009

House passes bill to eliminate Medicare premium hike

"The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to eliminate monthly premium increases for millions of Medicare patients next year," The Associated Press reports. "It voted 406 to 18 to send the bill to the Senate, which is expected to act soon. Lawmakers said older Americans shouldn't have to pay higher Medicare Part B premiums because they are not expected to get a cost of living increase from Social Security."

25 Sep 2009

Democrats face high stakes, GOP seeks advantage

As Democrats struggle with the health reform proposal from Sen. Max Baucus, the GOP is hoping to seize the advantage.

25 Sep 2009

Survey reveals that cardiologists are seeing more patients than ever before

The healthcare crisis that has affected millions of Americans has hit the nation's cardiologists as well, according to a new survey: they are seeing more patients than ever and performing more tests on those patients. But they are being reimbursed less for those services by Medicare and insurance firms, in what one cardiologist called "a revenue roller coaster of uncertainty," even as their costs continue to increase steadily.

25 Sep 2009

NIH to award $348 million for investigators to speed the translation of research into improved health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it is awarding $348 million to encourage investigators to explore bold ideas that have the potential to catapult fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health.

25 Sep 2009

Profile of Grady Memorial Hospital highlights the difficulties faced by safety net facilities

The New York Times: Illegal immigrants say an effort to close the dialysis center at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta could synch their only source of care. The closure may foreshadow broader problems "safety-net" hospitals could face under the health care overhaul.

25 Sep 2009