Healthcare News

RSS

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults trust presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) more than presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) to address the issue of health care, compared with 33% who trust McCain more than Obama to address the issue, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, the Post reports.

17 Jun 2008

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Insurers' failure to properly process and reimburse physicians costs the U.S. $200 billion annually, according to a report released on Monday by the American Medical Association, the Los Angeles Times reports.

17 Jun 2008

Connecticut Governor vetoes health care bill that would have expanded State employee health insurance plan

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell (R) on Friday vetoed legislation that would have allowed municipalities and small businesses to join the state's health insurance plan, the Hartford Courant reports.

17 Jun 2008

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

The Washington Post on Friday examined Medicare's "growing fraud problem and the need to devote more resources to theft prevention." According to the Post, law enforcement officials estimate that health care fraud costs taxpayers more than $60 billion annually.

17 Jun 2008

Washington Post examines growth of employment in health care industry, increased costs

The Washington Post on Friday examined how, although the health care industry in the last 15 last years has "pumped out 4.5 million new jobs" and currently employs 16.5 million U.S. residents, the "nation is still figuring out how to pay for it" (Marr, Washington Post, 6/13).

17 Jun 2008

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Using "secret shoppers" to evaluate the way physicians manage relationships with patients could get in the way of providing needed care to actual patients, according to more than 12 doctors who testified before an American Medical Association panel, the Chicago Tribune reports. AMA on Sunday held its annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago.

17 Jun 2008

Massachusetts health insurance law of 2006 working, but challenges lie ahead, NYT editorial states

The "real test" of the 2006 Massachusetts health insurance law will come this year when higher penalties are levied on those who remain uninsured and the state determines "whether coverage can really be made mandatory without sparking political resistance," the New York Times writes in an editorial.

17 Jun 2008

Health IT might not produce immediate savings, but it could improve quality of care, reduce health disparities

Health IT Now! Coalition on Friday at a Capitol Hill briefing asked lawmakers to pass legislation that would subsidize health care providers for the adoption of electronic health records, ensure interoperability among health care information technology platforms and address privacy concerns, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 6/13).

17 Jun 2008

U.S. health care debate must address 'plight of the underinsured,' editorial states

While reducing health care costs and the number of uninsured U.S. residents "are critical priorities for this country, ... the health care debate needs a wider focus to also address the plight of the underinsured," a New York Times editorial states.

17 Jun 2008

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

In broader pieces on the economy and taxes, two newspapers recently addressed parts of the health care proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

17 Jun 2008

Gingrich outlines proposal to address health care costs

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Wednesday in Omaha, Neb., outlined a proposal to help reduce health care costs that includes a health insurance mandate for U.S. residents with annual incomes more than $75,000, the AP/Lincoln Journal Star reports.

17 Jun 2008

Hawaii physicians, hospitals urge Gov. Lingle to release Medicaid physician payment funds

Hawaii hospital officials and physicians are concerned that $18 million in Medicaid payments, including $10 million in federal matching funds, could be lost if Gov. Linda Lingle (R) does not authorize the release of $8 million for Medicaid physician payments by June 30, the Honolulu Advertiser reports.

17 Jun 2008

Coalition calls for end of redesigned Medicaid program in West Virginia

A coalition of religious, labor and health care activists, on Wednesday said West Virginia should suspend its redesigned Medicaid program because it penalizes low-income children and adults, the Charleston Gazette reports

17 Jun 2008

Pennsylvania Senate Republicans unveil health care plans

Pennsylvania Senate Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a health care proposal that would enhance care provided at community health centers and create a high-risk pool for state residents who are unable to obtain health coverage elsewhere, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Raffaele, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/10).

17 Jun 2008

Colorado SCHIP classified 10% of beneficiaries incorrectly

Colorado auditors on Monday said that Children's Health Plan Plus, the state's version of SCHIP, incorrectly classified 10% of beneficiaries, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.

17 Jun 2008

Expansion of health insurance could help reduce health care disparities, lawmakers, experts say

Proposals to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents could help reduce, but would not eliminate, health care disparities, lawmakers and health care experts said on Tuesday at a House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports.

17 Jun 2008

Australian Government oddly excludes AMA again on health plans - AMA negative about plans to ease GP shortage

Government plans to expand the roles of health professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and dieticians, to help address the shortage of doctors, has not surprisingly evoked a negative response from the Australian Medical Association (AMA).

11 Jun 2008

Obama, McCain discuss health care proposals

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday discussed their "sharply different approaches" to health care, the economy and other issues, the Washington Post reports (Bacon, Washington Post, 6/11). Obama promoted his health care proposal on Tuesday during a visit to St. Louis Children's Hospital (Jackson, USA Today, 6/11).

11 Jun 2008

CMS to launch Medicare pilot project that will provide physicians with incentives to use health IT

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Tuesday announced the 12 cities and states that have been chosen to participate in a $150 million Medicare pilot program to encourage physicians to use electronic health records, CQ Today reports.

11 Jun 2008

Massachusetts insurers to expand health plans with physician ranking system despite lawsuit

Two of Massachusetts' largest health insurers are expanding or launching health plans that feature physician ranking systems despite opposition to those systems by the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Boston Globe reports. Under such ranking systems, patients who seek care from a top-rated, or top-tiered, physician have lower copayments.

11 Jun 2008

Healthcare News

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report rounds up health news from the campaign trail

Insurers often improperly reimburse physicians, adding $200 billion annually to U.S. health care costs, AMA report finds

Connecticut Governor vetoes health care bill that would have expanded State employee health insurance plan

Washington post examines Medicare's 'growing fraud problem'

Washington Post examines growth of employment in health care industry, increased costs

American Medical Association members say 'secret shoppers' should not be used to gauge quality at physicians' offices

Massachusetts health insurance law of 2006 working, but challenges lie ahead, NYT editorial states

Health IT might not produce immediate savings, but it could improve quality of care, reduce health disparities

U.S. health care debate must address 'plight of the underinsured,' editorial states

Newspapers highlight health care, economic proposals of Presidential candidates Obama, McCain

Gingrich outlines proposal to address health care costs

Hawaii physicians, hospitals urge Gov. Lingle to release Medicaid physician payment funds

Coalition calls for end of redesigned Medicaid program in West Virginia

Pennsylvania Senate Republicans unveil health care plans

Colorado SCHIP classified 10% of beneficiaries incorrectly

Expansion of health insurance could help reduce health care disparities, lawmakers, experts say

Australian Government oddly excludes AMA again on health plans - AMA negative about plans to ease GP shortage

Obama, McCain discuss health care proposals

CMS to launch Medicare pilot project that will provide physicians with incentives to use health IT

Massachusetts insurers to expand health plans with physician ranking system despite lawsuit

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Flow chemistry, AI, and NMR: A next-gen approach to scalable API production

Latest News