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Lawmakers should not reduce funds for Medicare Advantage program

While Congress has some tough budget choices to make, lawmakers must realize that Medicare Advantage funding cuts would not only disrupt care for beneficiaries, but leave Medicare woefully unprepared to manage the care for millions of people with multiple chronic conditions," Scott Serota, president and CEO of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

2 Apr 2007

Stark introduces universal health insurance bill

House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Thursday introduced a bill that would seek to provide health insurance to all U.S. residents through Medicare and employer-sponsored coverage, the Oakland Tribune reports.

2 Apr 2007

BMA comment on Conservative Party election manifesto

Responding to the Scottish Conservative Party's election manifesto launched today, Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA's Scottish General Practitioners Committee said that the Party had proposed some policies that were particularly interesting for general practice in Scotland.

2 Apr 2007

Patient safety incidents at the nation's hospitals rose three percent

Patient safety incidents at the nation's hospitals rose three percent over the years 2003 to 2005, but the nation's top-performing hospitals had a 40 percent lower rate of medical errors when compared with the poorest-performing hospitals, according to the largest annual study of patient-safety issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

2 Apr 2007

Outraged health workers consider strike

UNISON is gearing up for industrial action after the 2.5% pay award to nurses and health professionals triggered widespread anger among members.

30 Mar 2007

New retail health clinic industry group meets to discuss quality, safety standards

The Convenient Care Association, an organization representing 18 companies that operate retail health clinics, held its first general meeting on Monday at the University of Pennsylvania to discuss quality and safety standards at retail clinics, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

22 Mar 2007

New York Governor outlines possible agreement with Healthcare Association of New York State on health care budget cuts

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) on Tuesday outlined a potential compromise with the Healthcare Association of New York State on cuts to health care spending in his fiscal year 2008 budget proposal, the Albany Times Union reports.

22 Mar 2007

90% of veterans' hospital facility problems are routine 'wear and tear'

Routine maintenance issues account for 90% of the 1,100 problems found in the nation's 1,400 Veterans Affairs' health clinics and hospitals, according to a report released Wednesday based on a review ordered by VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

22 Mar 2007

Call for health coverage for women of childbearing age and children

Dr. Marina L. Weiss, senior vice president, public policy and government affairs of the March of Dimes, made the following statement as the Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing entitled "Charting a Course for Health Care Reform: Moving Toward Universal Coverage".

14 Mar 2007

Scottish nurses get full pay rise

UNISON has welcomed Scotland's decision to give nurses and health professionals the Pay Review Body annual rise in full from 1 April – and called for ministers south of the border to follow suit.

13 Mar 2007

New international Task Force to tackle the global shortage of health workers

With a shortfall of 4.3 million health workers worldwide, including more than 1 million in Africa alone, there is an urgent need to increase the number of doctors, nurses, health managers and other health care workers needed to face immediate health crises.

13 Mar 2007

Louisiana hospital system to focus on neighborhood clinics

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) on Wednesday said that a new Louisiana State University-operated medical clinic in Baton Rouge will serve as a model for the future of health care delivery in the state, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports.

11 Mar 2007

Army appoints Deputy General of Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, announced on Thursday that Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker will take over as deputy commanding general of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Washington Post reports.

11 Mar 2007

Leavitt promotes 'four cornerstones' initiative in Wisconsin

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Wednesday in a speech to Milwaukee-area business and health system leaders promoted the Bush administration's Value-Driven Health Care Initiative, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

11 Mar 2007

House subcommittees hold hearing on stopping Medicare fraud

The House Ways and Means Oversight and Health subcommittees on Thursday held a joint hearing on Medicare fraud, with lawmakers estimating that as much as 50% of the $10.8 billion in Medicare overpayments in 2006 were the result of fraud, CQ HealthBeat reports.

11 Mar 2007

New Jersey hospital launches program encouraging expectant couples to bank adult stem cells

Livingston, New Jersey-based Saint Barnabas Medical Center officials on Tuesday announced that the clinic has partnered with LifebankUSA to launch a program devoted to encouraging expectant couples to bank both umbilical cord blood and placental stem cells, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

11 Mar 2007

More synergy in public health between Methodist-Houston and Weill Cornell

A noted authority in health services research, critical care and geriatric medicine, Dr. Marc D. Silverstein has been appointed chairman of a newly created Department of Public Health at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

11 Mar 2007

Junior doctors call for immediate inquiry into training chaos

Junior doctors' leaders have voted overwhelmingly for the scrapping of the Government's new system for medical training appointments - known as MTAS and a return to the old appointments system for junior doctors which was in place until earlier this year.

11 Mar 2007

PAHO, Canada sign agreement to advance health programs

The Pan American Health Organization and the Government of Canada today signed a four-year agreement to support international health work in the Americas.

8 Mar 2007

High-deductible health plans could lead to less preventive care

High-deductible health plans could lead people -- especially children in low-income families -- to forgo or delay health care, according to a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics published on Monday in Pediatrics, Reuters reports.

8 Mar 2007