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Costs pose challenge to Massachusetts health insurance law one year after deadline for residents to obtain coverage

One year after the deadline for Massachusetts residents to obtain health coverage under the state's health insurance law, the percentage of uninsured has declined but the law "still faces a huge challenge: costs," USA Today reports.

2 Jul 2008

President Bush signs war supplemental spending bill that blocks six new Medicaid rules

President Bush on Monday signed into law a supplemental war appropriations bill (HR 2642) with a provision that will delay for one year six new Medicaid regulations proposed by his administration, CongressDaily reports (Sanchez, CongressDaily, 6/30).

2 Jul 2008

Report recommends that Washington, D.C., spend $90 million on health care services in underserved areas

Washington, D.C., should spend $90 million of the funds it received from the 1998 tobacco settlement to expand services provided by community health centers in the district's underserved areas, according to a RAND report released on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

2 Jul 2008

Bush Administration to temporarily keep Medicare physician payment rates at current levels after congress fails to pass legislation to delay scheduled cut

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday said that the agency will maintain the current Medicare payment rate for physicians because Congress was unable to pass legislation to avert a 10.6% cut scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday before lawmakers left for the Fourth of July recess, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, congressional aides said the freeze to payment rates could last 10 days (Kane, Washington Post, 6/28).

2 Jul 2008

Old order Amish, Mennonites reject health insurance, face high costs for care at not-for-profit hospitals

Old Order Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County, Pa., "suffer from endemic proportions of certain deadly genetic diseases" because they do not marry outside their communities, and, as they "seek lifesaving treatments, the uninsured in these Pennsylvania communities are struggling with escalating costs of care" at not-for-profit hospitals, the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Jul 2008

Federal Judge rejects request for injunction against Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, editorial says

U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Ricardo Urbina on Monday rejected a request for a preliminary injunction against a Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, CongressDaily reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 6/30).

2 Jul 2008

New Australian health programmes provide health checks for children and teen dental care

Three new health programmes for children and teenagers have been announced by the Australian Federal Government which include a $150 voucher for teenage dental care, free health checks for children starting school and a guide to kids' health for parents.

2 Jul 2008

New American Medical Association adverts blast Senate inaction on Medicare cuts

Reflecting physicians' frustration with a group of senators that blocked action last week on legislation that would stop harsh Medicare physician payment cuts, the AMA began airing new TV and radio ads urging opponents of H.R. 6331 to put patients' access to care before insurance profits.

1 Jul 2008

$300m earmarked to care for the elderly outside hospital in Australia

The Australian government has earmarked almost $300 million to free up public hospital beds and plans to achieve this by making it possible for frail, elderly people to move back into their homes.

30 Jun 2008

What price for a more effective Australian health care system?

The pressures from an ageing population on the rising costs of healthcare in Australia will be the subject of the third annual Menzies Oration to be held at The Australian National University tonight.

26 Jun 2008

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

The House on Tuesday voted 355-59 to approve legislation (HR 6331) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect on July 1, among other provisions, the Washington Post reports (Kane, Washington Post, 6/25).

26 Jun 2008

War supplemental spending bill that would block Medicaid rules shows 'inability' of Congress to control spending, opinion piece states

"If Congress stops" a series of proposed Medicaid rules "by amending the defense spending bill, it will have demonstrated its inability to control unnecessary spending -- and abdicated its role to set sound policy," Dennis Smith, former director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations and a senior fellow in health care reform at the Center for Health Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

26 Jun 2008

Mississippi lawmakers should pass legislation to create sustainable funding for Medicaid, Gov. Barbour writes

Mississippi's Medicaid program "has a current $90 million shortfall, but what the program really needs is a fair, permanent, sustainable funding solution for the long term," Gov. Haley Barbour (R) writes in a Jackson Clarion-Ledger opinion piece.

26 Jun 2008

New York Times Editorial, column address provision in Medicare bill to delay DME competitive bidding program

The New York Times on Wednesday published an editorial and column that addressed a provision included in a Medicare bill (HR 6331) passed by the House that would delay for 18 months a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment.

26 Jun 2008

Mailing error left 16,000 Commonwealth Care beneficiaries unaware of coverage cancellation, how to appeal decisions

Massachusetts state officials on Monday said a mailing glitch last month left 16,000 residents without proper notice that they could lose their health coverage under Commonwealth Care and information about how to appeal the decision, the Boston Globe reports.

26 Jun 2008

Senate panel approves $153.1 billion for discretionary spending in labor-HHS-education bill for FY 2009

The Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Tuesday by voice vote approved a $631 billion fiscal year 2009 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, CQ Today reports.

26 Jun 2008

GOP lawmakers, health care officials raise concerns with proposed health disparities bill at house panel hearing

Republican legislators and representatives of several minority health advocacy groups on Tuesday at a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing raised concerns over several measures within a proposed bill (HR 3014) intended to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. health care system, CQ HealthBeat reports.

26 Jun 2008

Healthcare News

Costs pose challenge to Massachusetts health insurance law one year after deadline for residents to obtain coverage

President Bush signs war supplemental spending bill that blocks six new Medicaid rules

Report recommends that Washington, D.C., spend $90 million on health care services in underserved areas

Bush Administration to temporarily keep Medicare physician payment rates at current levels after congress fails to pass legislation to delay scheduled cut

Old order Amish, Mennonites reject health insurance, face high costs for care at not-for-profit hospitals

Federal Judge rejects request for injunction against Medicare competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, editorial says

New Australian health programmes provide health checks for children and teen dental care

New American Medical Association adverts blast Senate inaction on Medicare cuts

$300m earmarked to care for the elderly outside hospital in Australia

What price for a more effective Australian health care system?

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

War supplemental spending bill that would block Medicaid rules shows 'inability' of Congress to control spending, opinion piece states

Mississippi lawmakers should pass legislation to create sustainable funding for Medicaid, Gov. Barbour writes

New York Times Editorial, column address provision in Medicare bill to delay DME competitive bidding program

Mailing error left 16,000 Commonwealth Care beneficiaries unaware of coverage cancellation, how to appeal decisions

Senate panel approves $153.1 billion for discretionary spending in labor-HHS-education bill for FY 2009

GOP lawmakers, health care officials raise concerns with proposed health disparities bill at house panel hearing

Inquest hears how overworked, exhausted doctors make mistakes

Harbor House to assist transplant and critical care patients, families

First comprehensive report on colorectal cancer care in Europe and Australia reveals need for action

Leveraging the Radian ASAP in standard casework

A journey through science, software, and innovation: Insights from the Bruker software team

CellVoyant's AI-Powered Vision for the Future of Cell Therapy

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